Be Strong / WeeksEnd wine

b"sd
One who is very strong in their position cannot be budged from it.
Interestingly;when two people embrace my right is your left.The diversity allows the union to happen;
the caveat being the desire to embrace.
Have a good one; h

This weekend was the tail end of a whirlwind Israeli winery tour (4 days, 15 wineries) and a chance to taste some of the wines I picked up along the way. We had the following wines:

Flam, Blanc, 2011 - delightful and slightly more austere than the 2010.
Yarden, Gewurztraminer, 2012. Along with Rose, Gewurz has become rather popular in Israel these days, after years of this wine being the sole player.
Lueria, Gewurztraminer, 2012. A really nice wine and a winery on its way up.
Ramot Naftaly, Special Edition, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2011. Another really nice little winery with some very interesting wines (incl. a Malbec, Barbera and Petit Verdot)
Galil Mountain, Alon, 2010
Gvaot, Gofna Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2010
Bravdo, Coupage, 2010
Dalton, Alama (Rhone), 2009 - really nice wine
Ella Valley, Muscat (Dessert), 2006. This would have been better with a little more acidity, but it is a nice dessert wine.
Domaine Netofa, Ruby Port, 2010
1848, Fifth Generation, Cabernet Franc, 2010. The third wine if 1848 (after the Special Reserve and Reserve) and a delightful Cabernet Franc, with varietally true characteristics.
I also tasted the Herzog, Special Reserve, Russian River Chardonnay, 2000. Stored perfectly since release, the acidity was nearly gone but with nice notes of apple, peaches, honeysuckle among others and still alive, if a bit mature at this point,

Hi, Harry, shavu'a tov,

2006 Yarden Pinot Noir. I recall recent comments on its beginning to slide, but it seemed just fine to me --- not knowing or remembering its earlier heights.

A good week to all,

Isaac

Hi Harry,

2009 Yarden Syrah. Enjoyed it, but right now I still like the 2006 better. It will be interesting seeing how this develops.

2011 Borgo Reale Pinot Noir

2006 Hagefen Prix Merlot - nice but tasted a little flat
2005 Carmel limited edition - very good, honestly to my surprise. Usually LEs of this age take while to open up and shine but this one did so promptly upon uncorking. A fruitful 4+ year investment.

2006 Yarden Pinot Noir. I recall recent comments on its beginning to slide, but it seemed just fine to me --- not knowing or remembering its earlier heights

Hi Isaac, the comments you mention were about the 2007, not 2006.

Harry, shavua tov!

I was the whole shabbat in Gilo, here in Jerusalem, there to attend a shabbat 7 brachot. I provided the wine following a very specific request with 4 requirements: 1) Mevushal. 2) Badatz. 3) Reasonably priced. 4) Drinkable. There's only one answer to such a request: Teperberg.

Teperberg, Silver Rosé 2011: Pink salmon in color with on the nose strawberries, ripe cherries and apricots. Light to medium-bodied and off-dry but neither thick nor cloying with on the palate notes of strawberries again along with sweet papaya, cherries and watermelon and a short finish. Pleasant and a refreshing quaffer, must be served ice-cold.

Teperberg, Terra, Emerlad Riesling 2011: Light gold with green-ish reflections, notes of citrus, wet cut grass and tropical fruit on the nose. Medium-bodied and slightly off-dry with on the palate honeydew, pears, sweet citrus fruit and more acidity than expected with a nice note of lemongrass on the short to medium finish. To be served very cold as well.

Teperberg, Silver Sangiovese 2011: Bright garnet with a light purple hue, somewhat Pinot-ish. On the nose, notes of red currant and red cherries along with wet forest floor. Almost medium-bodied with red currants, loamy dirt, sour cherries, mushrooms and a hint of toasted oak on the moderately long finish with tannins rising then as the wine develops in the glass. Interesting and different, kudos to Teperberg for producing such a very decent wine at a very affordable price for the masses to be able to discover a very little known Italian variety in Israel.

Teperberg, Silver Syrah 2011: Dark royal purple with on the nose sent of violets, blackberries and blueberries with notes of cigar box. Medium to full-bodied with on the palate black and blue fruit, a bit of toasty oak and espresso with mouth-coating tannins on the long finish. A very nice wine for the price, definitely a Syrah and not a Shiraz and with somewhat Petite Sirah-like characteristics. Great job.

Best,

GG

2007 Carmel Road pinot noir (Monterey COunty). Delicious.

Hi Harry,

Asif Viognier 2008 - On its own, this wine offers a pleasant mix of flavors, ranging from apricot to ginger, alongside an oily texture with substantial weight, but when paired with spicy and fatty food its lack of acidity spoiled the union. This is not to say that its lack of acidity is a flaw. It is not, because Viognier typically is low in acidity, but the pairing wasn't a match made in heaven. 14.5% AbV and off dry with about 0.7% residual sugar. B/**

Tzora Shoresh 2005 - Keeping in mind that this year's vintage was made exclusively of Merlot, it should not be surprising that I find this wine to be quite mellow, however it still possesses a considerable herbaceous character. Its body weight is more on the medium side, and its tannins are well integrated. Those who favor big powerful reds will not gravitate towards this one, but I find its subdued style appealing. To me this wine exhibits its terroir more than its varietal traits. I say so, because it reminds me of the '06 even though that vintage is exclusively Cabernet Sauvignon whereas this one is made entirely of Merlot. Although I do not consider this wine to be complex, it accompanied Shabbat dinner and lunch very well. 13.5% AbV. C+/**

Best Regards,
-> Pinchas

Grading for quality: A - marvellous, B - good/intriguing, C - mediocre/uninspiring, D - subjectively flawed, F - objectively flawed
Grading for value: *** - it's a steal, ** - it's a reasonable deal, * - you've been robbed

Pinchas - you know me, maybe not well - but hey I am who I am, and I must say that your deep rooted desire for all things acid, made me literally say to people that there is a guy on the forum, who is not content with wine or life, unless he or his wine is submerged in a bath of tart lemon juice

You have to lighten up a bit on this seeming acid based journey of yours - there are many wines worthy of a higher score without the acid you seem to need

Maybe we should have Elk and Ellie give you a long needed acid intervention -

Hey Steven did you get the 2009 Yarden Syrah from JWines as well? The 2009 was blue and lovely, but missing in its fruit finish.

Pinchas - you know me, maybe not well - but hey I am who I am, and I must say that your deep rooted desire for all things acid, made me literally say to people that there is a guy on the forum, who is not content with wine or life, unless he or his wine is submerged in a bath of tart lemon juice

You have to lighten up a bit on this seeming acid based journey of yours - there are many wines worthy of a higher score without the acid you seem to need

Maybe we should have Elk and Ellie give you a long needed acid intervention -

Sorry Pinchas couldn't hold myself!

Pinchas - you know me, maybe not well - but hey I am who I am, and I must say that your deep rooted desire for all things acid, made me literally say to people that there is a guy on the forum, who is not content with wine or life, unless he or his wine is submerged in a bath of tart lemon juice

You have to lighten up a bit on this seeming acid based journey of yours - there are many wines worthy of a higher score without the acid you seem to need

Maybe we should have Elk and Ellie give you a long needed acid intervention -

Hey, don't want anyone taking me for a drug dealer...

Found one last bottle of Yarden 2007 Merlot in my cellar, so I opened that up for Shabbos.

Hey Steven did you get the 2009 Yarden Syrah from JWines as well? The 2009 was blue and lovely, but missing in its fruit finish.

I did indeed get it from jwines, cost $19, so definitely worth the money. Although I do agree with you that the finish is lacking. And thanks to Gabriel I now know what you mean by "blue".

hi; had put this bottle away about 8 years ago having a hunch its going to be worth it & glad I did.Yarden muscat 2003(not sure if this one was brandy fortified).Delicious.a gentle honeyed taste,with fruit still showing nicely. By day teperberg cab 2010 shomron.surprisingly better than expected.enough body and spiciness as Rogov used to say to keep us interested.h

Power to the People 2009,It was delicious as always.

Pinchas - you know me, maybe not well - but hey I am who I am, and I must say that your deep rooted desire for all things acid, made me literally say to people that there is a guy on the forum, who is not content with wine or life, unless he or his wine is submerged in a bath of tart lemon juice

You have to lighten up a bit on this seeming acid based journey of yours - there are many wines worthy of a higher score without the acid you seem to need

Maybe we should have Elk and Ellie give you a long needed acid intervention -

David,

As far as I'm concerned, you can feel free to rib me and speak your mind. But in my defense, I didn't knock the Viognier for its lack of acidity, I just commented that it didn't pair well with the food I had that particular night because it lacked the acidity necessary to cut through the spice, sugar and fat. Now as far as my scoring is concerned, wines in the C range are enjoyable, and wines in the B range are interesting, too. If you follow my posts you would have noticed that to date I haven't assigned any wine an A. I am an old school grader for whom a C+ to a B- is a respectable score when the material is challenging. I think it is fair to say that your B+ is my C, and your A- is my B-.

-> Pinchas

Absolutely my man - I totally understand how you score and respect it. My only comment is that each and every week, you do not comment on the wine, its fruit, or body, nearly as much as your infatuation with all things acid. That is my 2 cents - but as always - is great to read the wines you enjoy. Have you tried the latest Viognier from Midbar? If you have I have a real hard time accepting you saying its lacks any acid of any way. Also, the Viognier from Teperberg is awesome and the new, and yet unreleased SB from Teperberg - will put a smile on even your face - or I GIVE UP on you!!!

David

Absolutely my man - I totally understand how you score and respect it. My only comment is that each and every week, you do not comment on the wine, its fruit, or body, nearly as much as your infatuation with all things acid. That is my 2 cents - but as always - is great to read the wines you enjoy. Have you tried the latest Viognier from Midbar? If you have I have a real hard time accepting you saying its lacks any acid of any way. Also, the Viognier from Teperberg is awesome and the new, and yet unreleased SB from Teperberg - will put a smile on even your face - or I GIVE UP on you!!!

David

David,

My response, by the same token, is that you and many others spend way to much energy describing the flavors imparted by the wine, detailing every perceived nuance in a laundry list fashion, failing to comment on the acidity, body, alcohol level, texture of the wine and the interplay of these components. Personally, a tasting note that devotes more than a sentence to the flavor profile of the wine is a difficult and confusing read to start, but more importantly it does not convey the information I'm seeking. Moreover, when I read tasting notes, especially from someone drinking a bottle over the course of several days, I'm particularly interested in learning about those aspects of the wine that the drinker finds appealing or alternatively unappealing. If it is a wine that is popular with forum members it is of value to learn how the wine has evolved over time.

Regarding Midbar's Viognier, I'm still drinking the '08 and '09 that were labeled as Asif. My half case or so of the '10 vintage is still in storage and I expect to retrieve it in several months. In general, Viognier is a grape of relatively low acid. When the meal calls for a wine with high acid, I'll go for a Sauvignon Blanc or a Riesling. A Viognier is typically a perfumed and floral wine, and sometimes I'm in the mood for it and sometimes I'm not. Its pretty simple.


Now for the record, and to refresh your failing memory, the following is my tasting note for Asif Viognier of the '09 vintage, that I posted only several weeks ago, on December 9th:

Asif Viognier 2009 - While it is not as complex as the 2008 it is enjoyable nonetheless. Its nose is honeyed and spicy, and so is the palate. Although it is technically dry, its floral notes give you a sweet sensation. The primary notes are those of honey, ginger, apricots and white pepper. 13% AbV. B-/**

I reread this note multiple times, failing to detect any mention of acid. True, I didn't write two long paragraphs describing the wine, but I think I did a pretty good job in my two-liner, provided that the reader is somewhat familiar with Asif and its wines.

Best,
-> Pinchas

Pinchas fair enough, I think the main push of the notes, on the most part, though maybe the 2009 asif viognier, being the exception is around acid and its interplay. Further, yes, I do write a lot about what I taste, but I also write a fair amount of the structure, the body and what it feels like in the mouth. Much like you think of fruit, I think of acid. If it is lacking, I point it out and move on, if it is too insane, like wise. If it is balanced - I may or may not comment and move on.

In the end, my only comment was - in jest - about the affinity to all things acid. Scores, mean nothing to me. I use them as a way to ballpark wines. So, ignoring the scores - where we are very often within the same ballpark, I was playing with the whole acid idea. With that said, if I took my jest too far, I am sorry.

Other than that PARTY ON dude and I hope we all remember that wine - for us - is a tool or an enjoyment, and not our livelihood.

David

With that said, if I took my jest too far, I am sorry.
David

David,

No need to apologize. All is fine. However, I truly hope that some find my comments useful, subjective as they may be, and skewed as they are to my preferences.

Cheers,
-> Pinchas

Fri Night - Was a guest at a friends and he graciously opened the Bravdo Shiraz 2009, Four Gates Merlot 2007, and the Flam Classico 2010. All enjoyed, but when I went to refill my glass it was straight for some more of Benyo's nectar.
Sat Lunch - With deli and mazza, a bottle of Rince Chicon Belgian Blond Ale.

With that said, if I took my jest too far, I am sorry.
David

David,

No need to apologize. All is fine. However, I truly hope that some find my comments useful, subjective as they may be, and skewed as they are to my preferences.

Cheers,
-> Pinchas

Hi Pinchas, don't worry because as far as I'm concerned your TN's are very useful. As you've got good taste and are, let's be honest, a very demanding wine lover/drinker (in my view), any wine that's given a good score from you is of interest to me. And if and when the day will come when you find a wine of which the acidity level is fully satisfying for your palate I will run and get it ASAP!

Best,

GG

Shirah Counter Punch 2010 - This wine was delicious, light - medium bodied, super fruity, the Grenache really shines. Shabbos day - Corsendonk Christmas Ale - excellent.