The Big One / WeeksEnd wine

b"sd
Spring they say ushers in a renewal. Flowers start to bud and winters frost begins to recede.
Hopefully we can draw inspiration from our world to draw and take strength to grow within ourselves
Have a good one; h

Shavua tov Harry!

Great wines this shabbat, quite exciting!

Friday night:

Tura, Pinot Noir 2011: The first release of a PN for Tura and I was very curious to taste it. So yes this is a very nice wine! Whereas a Syrah might have been better pairing, it still did well with lamb osso bucco, wild rice and forest mushrooms. Turns out that Har Bracha terroir isn't good only with Merlot but with Pinot as well!
Bright ruby/red cherry with on the nose red currants, cherries, some floral notes, slightly toasted oak and cinnamon. Medium-bodied with on the palate again red currants, acidic cherries and cinnamon as well as anise, nice minerals and acid, cola, red plums with spicy vanilla, lightly burnt oak and soft tannins on the moderate finish. Drinking very nicely but might improve a bit over the next 2 years though probably not for long cellaring, maybe 2015-16. A really nice Pinot Noir, bravo! 13.46% Abv.

I finished with dessert, cassis/blackcurrants (frozen, Israel, such is life...) the bottle of Kinor David KPort 8 years that I had opened late January. What was weird is that the wine almost didn't change after being opened for 2 months. It was still delicious but not so different than if it was a newly opened bottle.

Shabbat lunch:

Tavor, Roussanne 2012: OK, this is a game changer. One of the first 2 Israeli Roussanne, both kosher (the other from Binyamina winery) and also the first time I ever had one. This is a beautiful wine, unoaked, extremely well-made, reasonably priced and great for the upcoming ( ) crazy hot israeli summer.
Light straw with green reflections, on the nose bursting citrus peels and blossom as well as apples and tropical fruits. Light to medium-bodied with on the palate lime, pineapple and green apple peels, slightly oily texture, bracing acid, honeysuckle a little bit of white pepper and some more lime on the long finish. VERY nice wine!

Best,

GG

Hi, Harry, shavu'a tov,

2009 Domaine Netofa (Red): Delicious, drinking beautifully. Excellent QPR (at least on sale at Skyview).
2009 Shiloh Barbera: Finally, my third bottle was better than the first two. Those disappointed, especially for the price. This one was quite enjoyable, but is nonetheless far too expensive for the quality.

A good week to all, and chag kasher vesame'ach,

Isaac

Hi Harry,

2010 Weinstock Cabernet Franc. Very nice and a solid QPR, especially considering how few kosher California Cabernet Francs are on the market.

Shavua Tov

Some good ones this week,
Friday Night - Metzuda 2007 - really drinking well now, opened up quite quickly.
Saturday - Tulip - Cab Reserve - really nice wine and very easy to enjoy on its own. Tasted it at KWFE but appreciated much more today without the distraction of all the other wines out there
Segals - Dishon 2009 - a good solid cab,
Goose Bay Pinot Reserve - A very real pinot, soft, lots of earth, fairly weighty finish.

I opened a Dalton Alma Bordeaux blend 2009 and a Capcanes Peraj Petita 2009. Strangely enough, I never felt either of these wines needed much time to breathe but despite opening a few hours before the meal they both seemed closed all night and were delicious shabbos afternoon. Maybe my palate was out of whack Friday night. Regardless, both were really nice wines and excellent QPR, especially the Peraj Petita.

Hi, Friday night enjoyed gilgal cab 09.medium bodied ,chocolate with a very slight spiciness. Tasted teal lake moscato which is no comparison to the dalton or gamla moscato. H

Hi Harry,

2010 Weinstock Cabernet Franc. Very nice and a solid QPR, especially considering how few kosher California Cabernet Francs are on the market.

Shavua Tov

QPR I will agree, but few Cabernet Franc? Hagafen has at least two and Four gates has one. All in all, there are only 6 kosher wineries in Cali and three make CF - not bad - LOL!!! With a fourth and maybe fifth to be releasing one - who knows when...

QPR I will agree, but few Cabernet Franc? Hagafen has at least two and Four gates has one. All in all, there are only 6 kosher wineries in Cali and three make CF - not bad - LOL!!! With a fourth and maybe fifth to be releasing one - who knows when...

Oops but in fairness to me I think that the only ones available at retail are the Weinstock and regular Hagafen.

Hi Harry.
Friday night - Recanati Special Reserve 2006. Opened it due to the recent comments on the Forum and also found some bitterness and all were very disappointed. During the week we had opened the Special Edition 2010 and 2012 and both were better than the Special Reserve.
Shabbat lunch - Bravdo Cabernet Sauvignon 2008.
Chag Kasher V'Sameach.
Zvi

Hi Harry,

Asif Avant Garde 2009 - In its present state the wine showcases tantalizing notes of baked apple on the palate, that weaves in and out of focus, vying for attention with the lushly honeyed tropical profile, making it seem as though the components with least percentages: Viognier at 12%, and Semillon at 7%, are the ones setting the tone. If I'm not mistaken the other components are: Gewurztraminer at 30%, Sauvingon Blanc at 30%, and Chardonnay at 21%. This version of the wine is dry, yet the fruit exudes a sweet sensation. It is tricky to pair with a meal, especially since it doesn't display enough acidity, but on its own it was very tasty and interesting, especially for someone following its evolution over time. 13.5% AbV. B+/**/Y

Hagafen Reserve Pinot Noir Fagan Creek Block 38 2005 - The wine is very mellow, and at first, with dinner, it was so much so, as to be considered boring, but when I revisited it in the morning it woke from its slumber, displaying pleasant red fruit. Still, the fruit isn't as focused nor is their sufficient complexity to warrant the reserve label. Having said that, it is still made in a style that is more to my liking than that of Four Gates or the various Israeli specimens. 13.5% AbV. I have plenty left, and I will laboriously work my way through my stash. I will add, that I am quite convinced that others would like it far more than me, especially those needing a break from their regular diet of oaked Cabernet Sauvignon. C+/*/N

Best,
-> 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
Indication of further interest: Y - would purchase again, N - no desire to purchase more

'04 Ortal Merlot: A/** Absolutely delicious. Totally didn't detect any deterioration, contra recent comments on the forum. Beautiful black fruit and great structure with firm tannins. A hint of dates but well controlled and balanced. Not going anywhere anytime soon.

'10 Gvaot Gofna Pinot Noir: A/** The 10% merlot made itself felt more than last time I had this.

'10 Ella Valley Chardonnay: B-/* Usually anything from Ella is great but this chard is a fail. All cloying tropical fruit pineapple and banana--perhaps fermented too cold.

Hi Harry,

Friday night we decided to go with the Saslove 2010 Aviv Marriage. It was nice to finally try some wine made by a local boy, especially as its now kosher! It was an excellent bottle, very aromatic, with lots of fruit, and a highly noticeable hint of maple syrup. I bought the bottle in the US, but I saw it recently at the store here in Ottawa, so I'll probably pick up a couple of bottles before they run out, and never bring it in again.

I'm still debating what I'm going to drink during the day on Pesach. I'm thinking of something white to contrast all the red I'll be drinking at the seder.

Now back to cleaning!

Adam

2010 Hagafen estate merlot. - good merlot varietally.
I found it short on character, very light acidity and tannins.

Fri Night - Four Gates Petit Verdot 2010. I enjoyed this and detected a smoky note that was very nice. My first ever bottle of varietal PV, so a good start.
Sat Lunch - Last bottle of Leffe. Easy drinking.