7th Year & Toil / WeeksEnd wine

b"sd
When we're as they say "into it",we are busy with it(whatever it may be).That being busy can be in thought, words or action.
And there are those parts of our days or nights with which we are busy and from which we sometimes need to detach ourselves.
The benefit of that detachment can serve not for the sake of that to which we are attached but for our own sake of renewal.
Have a good one; h

Hi, Harry, shavu'a tov,

2009 Elvi, Mati, Rioja. Very nice. A bit better on Shabbat AM.

A good week to all,

Isaac

2009 Galil Mountain Yiron.

Fri Night - Landsman Syrah 2011 - my favorite of the three offerings. Probably most accessible to others too,
Sat Lunch - Corsendonk Agnus Triple.

Hi Harry, shavua tov!

I've enjoyed dozens of great wines during my first week in California but I'll stick with my shabat wines for now here.

Friday night:

California Classic Cellars, Santa Ynez Valley, Syrah 2004: Dark purple with on the nose ripe blue and black fruit as well as some hints of lavender and tar. Medium to full-bodied with on the palate blue and blackberries, licorice and tar with a touch of plums and herbal notes with decent acid and tannins rising towards the moderately long finish. For a 9 y.o. Syrah at $12 (NOT Mevushal!), this wasn't bad at all!

I opened as well the bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 from the same winery and it had a beautiful dark royal purple color but the nose showed clear signs of oxidation and too jammy black fruit. The wine was over the hill though not dead but with clearly overripe, raisiny fruit and heat. Not so much to complain about given the $6 price tag...

Shabbat Lunch:

Herzog, Special Reserve, Alexander Valley, Merlot 2002: This bottle was just as good as the one that I had in Israel some 3 weeks ago and was a great QPR at $20 (on sale).

Best,

GG

Hi Harry.
Friday night - Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Tabor Har Cabernet Sauvignon 2011 and for dessert Ruth Oro Fortified Wine 2009.
Shabbat lunch - Yarden Chardonnay Odem 2010 and Tulip White Franc 2012.
Shavua Tov.
Zvi

This past Shabbat I opened a 2006 Yarden Tel Phares Syrah. This is the wine that I have been having problems with. This time, I decided to change my behavior slightly and I removed the bottle from my cellar on Friday morning and stood it up at room temperature until the evening. The bottle had been in hibernation at probably around 58-60 degrees F. I think the extended transition out of the cellar at room temperature may have helped quite a bit because the wine was more than drinkable. It was very enjoyable and lasted until we finished it the next day. There were undertones of cognac, but not in an -over-the-hill way. I will have to repeat these pre-opening steps next week with another older wine and see if I get similar results.

Also enjoyed the Yarden 2010 Gewertz.

Galil Alon 2010 - really good and amazing QPR

Galil Yiron 2003 - I found this bottle online and with David Raccah's proximity to the store, was able to determine that it was stored properly. The wine was excellent, opened up after just a couple minutes in the glass and held nicely throughout the night.

Yarden T2 2008 Dessert wine - very enjoyable

Enjoyed the Four Gates Petit Verdot, Prix Melange 2006 which was fabulous after it opened up, Elvi InVita and 1848's LH "icewine" which wasn't too impressive (well made but lacking in acidity to keep it alive).

Hi; viognier yarden 06. 2nd time in a few minths. Enjoyed very much. The color is honey. A slight butterscotch flavor. Golan heights 09. Delicous. H

Enjoyed the Four Gates Petit Verdot, Prix Melange 2006 which was fabulous after it opened up, Elvi InVita and 1848's LH "icewine" which wasn't too impressive (well made but lacking in acidity to keep it alive).

Yossie,
Did you decant the Prix? How long did it take to open up. I can't ever seem to get these guys to open up. I have a feeling that the day I open my last bottle it will be perfect and I will be out.

Shirah 2010 Syrah/Mourvedre.

First about Shirah wines in general- I think what I tend to like most about them is their appeal to pretty much anybody at my table. Both wine novices and more serious drinkers appreciate something about the wines.

That said, this one is a little different but in my opinion the best yet from Shirah. There is such an array of scents and flavors- mocha, cinnamon, blueberry, blackberry, nutmeg-and the profile is constantly changing. At one point, I smelled the wine and proclaimed "boysenberry syrup." My wife said- "You've never even seen a boysenberry!!" I said- "Yes but it smells just like the boysenberry syrup at that pancake place where we used to eat." And she said, "It does!!"

Then alas the wine kind of closed down, ending the adventure. I'll open another in a few months and see what it is doing then.

Shavua Tov!!

2011 Ramot Naftali Duet (Merlot / Cabernet Sauvignon) - Interesting White & Dark Chocolate, Forest herbs/tree Bark, nice fruit and feel like I need to let the next bottle sit for 6 months. Good & Like but was hoping for more)
2010 Gilgal Syrah - Great QPR
2011 Recanati Shiraz - 3rd Vintage in a row that show great QPR

It's a shame that Israel Wine Direct is importing the least interesting of Ramot Naftaly's wines. The Barbera, Malbec and Petit Verdot are the special ones and folks are going to get the wrong impression from quite a nice little winery since the imported wines are nice, but not particularly interesting.

Told the Cab & Shiraz's are better and will be tasting in the next week...

Too many people are stuck on needing Cab's, Merlot's and otherwise afraid of just getting the best bottles and promoting but wanting the easier road to sales.. May those bottles come soon too and may these get better with time

Hi Harry,

Asif Viognier 2008 - The color is now a burnished copper, but its taste is still quite fresh. Its oily texture, combine with its deep honeyed overtones and heady apricot flavors to deliver a very pleasant and robust drinking experience. 14.5% AbV and off-dry. A-/**/Y

Hagafen Reserve Pinot Noir 2004 Fagan Creek Block 38 - Interestingly, when discussing some of Hagafen's wines with the sales staff, they conceded that they've noticed in general, for reasons unknown to them, that the wines from the '05 vintage haven't been aging as well as those from '04. This observation seems to manifest itself when comparing the Fagan Creek bottling of these two vintages. Two weeks ago I drank the '05 version of this wine and I was disappointed; however this week, drinking the '04, I liked it much better. Not that this is an eye-opener, but it has many redeeming qualities, even if the overall product is not great, nor does it show the grape's potential. Over the black cherry is a heavy veil of smoke that work well together. This was my last bottle of the '04. B/**/N

Grading for quality: A - marvelous, 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

Opened it four hours in advance and double decanted it.

Hi Harry,

Friday night we celebrated the birth of my daughter on Wednesday. We had a Laurent-Perrier Champagne for dessert. Nicely chilled, it was delicious.

Shabbos lunch, after giving her the name Chaya Ita, after my late Bubby, we had a Judean Heights Late Harvest That was dizzingly sweet yet had some fantastic fruit, and a very pleasant finish.

Baruch Hashem my wife has been recovering nicely and we're going to see Yitzchak Perlman in concert.

Adam

Adam - Mazel Tov and nice choices. Have you tried the Drappier as well? I had the LP at JT's house - nicer than I have had in sometime. At IFWF - it was not showing well at all.

Adam, mazal tov!

I second Dave's comments regarding the LP Brut, like it very much but was impressed with the Drappier Carte d'Or which might well be the best kosher Champagne I've ever had the luck and pleasure to drink.

Best,

GG