'So-called' wine expert
1513
Tue Nov 24, 2009 5:46 pm
Jerusalem, Israel
Gabriel Geller wrote:Harry Shavua Tov!
Lovely wines this shabbos!
Friday night:
Gvaot, Gofna, Pinot Noir 2009: I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this wine! Who said that quality Pinot Noir cannot be grown in Israel's mediterranean hot climate? This wine might be one of very rare exceptions but it is exceptionally good! Varietally true, delicate, refined, elegant, a great wine and with a very low 12.5 Abv by Israeli standards ! This was the first release made of grapes from Gvaot's Givat Harel tiny Pinot Noir vineyard at 720 meters above sea level produced in a very limited edition of 550 bottles (2 barrels) and aged for 12 months in oak barrels. Dark cherry garnet with on the nose strawberries, cherries, roses, eye-opening fragrances. Medium-bodied with on the palate sour cherries, red currants, strawberries, raspberries stoney minerals, wet wood with light herbal notes harmoniously marrying the red fruit notes with a touch of toasted oak, nice, balanced acidity and silky tannins on the long and elegant finish. Well-structured, this wine probably has 3-4 years ahead of it.
Shabbat lunch:
Carmel, Appellation, Johannisberg Riesling 2009: I bought this bottle out of curiosity a few days ago with very low expectations, but at only 40 shekels ($11) I wasn't taking that big of a risk. While Carmel's Kayoumi releases of Riesling for the 2010 and 2011 have been quite fine, 2009 being a very problematic year for Israel (and for Carmel in particular) and Riesling being such a delicate variety, chances that this wine would be dead by now weren't low to say the least. Well, not only was it alive it was kicking! As with its later versions now labeled as Single Vineyard Kayoumi and practically double the price, this wine is said to be off-dry but would be certainly labelled as dry in both Germany and Alsace. Light green-ish gold in color with on the nose perfumes of orange blossom, honeydew, apples and pears. Medium-bodied with on the palate fresh ripe pears, honeysuckle, tangerines, a hint of minerals, with some gooseberries and a touch lemon zest and more minerals on the moderately long finish. Once again here the relatively low 12% Abv. surprised and impressed me. A delicious wine that was very appreciated by all, some of the guests at the table were shocked such a good Riesling could be made in Israel.
Have all a great week!
GG
'So-called' wine expert
1513
Tue Nov 24, 2009 5:46 pm
Jerusalem, Israel
Elie Poltorak wrote:GG: Thanks to you, I also enjoyed a bottle of this wine not very long ago and it is spectacular. Thank you!
Not as big a wine as the '10 vintage I loved so much, it is much more varietally true. I think the '12 vintage we tasted from the barrel together at the winery may well have both advantages--a big pinot with serious backbone, but very elegant and varietally true at the same time. It's the best pinot I've ever tasted, including Benyo's famous pinots--I can't wait until it's released!!
I would only take issue with your optimistic drinking window. It's drinking at peak now, so why wait? I don't see it getting better and it may well be a pale shadow of itself 2 years from now, never mind 3 or 4.
David Raccah wrote:Yosh - none of these are new, but mazel tov and congrats! Now, who is bringing in Tabor????
have you recently tasted the 2009 Bravdo Cab
Gabriel Geller wrote:In fact the 09 Gvaot Pinot Noir is the one and only of its kind to be fully varietally true and in a french, old world style that I've had from Israel since some earlier releases of GMW even though those were by far not as good and complex.
Four of five village Burgundies were clearly better than any Israeli and with one exception, any other Pinot in the tasting. The exception was Villa Maria NZ Pinot Noir from Cellar Selection series. IMO, it can be a reference for our local producers.
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