Aligote Winery Merlot 2009, Israel

It’s time for #MerlotThursday. Here is a beautiful one from Israel.

Ruby in color with a wide brick rim.

Interesting nose of blueberries, black currants, black plums, cooked cherries, vanilla, licorice, oak, dark chocolates, dark coffee, spices, earth, vegetables, wet leaves, light bell pepper, leather, vinaigrette, light mold and black pepper.

Medium plus in body and elegant, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked blueberries, oak, vanilla, cloves, black pepper, coffee, tobacco leaf, earth, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, wet rocks and vinaigrette.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cranberries.

This 10 year old Israeli Merlot, is still drinking very nicely now, although it was better a few years ago.

Showing great complexity with a nice mouthfeel, but showing it’s age. At a blind tasting I would call this a twenty-year-old right Bank Bordeaux.

Way better after 3 hours in a decanter, when it shows some tannins and complexity.

This is a wine to drink with friends and talk about. Very enjoyable with its elegance and complexity.

Grapes are hand-picked and aged for 14 months in Oak barrels. A very small production of less than a thousand bottles.

Thank you, David and Elvira for sharing this with me.

14% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$25.

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Yatir Winery Forest 2015, Israel

Dark ruby in color with a purplish rim.

Earthy nose with black currants, plums, bell pepper, cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, vegetables, green herbs, mint, tobacco and black pepper.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity. Smooth with long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black plums, black cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, spices, pencil lead, tobacco leaf, vegetables, light bell pepper, black pepper, dark coffee and dark chocolates.

Long finish with fine tannins and tangy raspberries.

This Israeli Bordeaux blend is drinking very nicely now, although it is very young.

Showing a great mouthfeel with nice complexity. Nicely balanced and good by itself or with food.

Needs 3 hours to open up properly and show tannins and complexity. Will age nicely in the next 5 to 7 years.

Reminds me of a right Bank Bordeaux. Has high alcohol but not noticeable at all.

Tasty an interesting.

I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Petit Verdot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Grapes are grown at around 2600 feet elevation, and aged for 15 months in French oak barrels, 30% new. Kosher.

15% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$80.

Flam Winery Classico 2016, Judean Hills, Israel

This Israeli Cabernet Sauvignon based blend, is always enjoyable. Nicely balanced with mild complexity and a soft mouthfeel. Shows black and red fruits, vegetables, earth, wood, cloves, chocolates, spices and peppercorn.

Tangy finish with soft tannins.

Needs 90 minutes to open up properly, and will be better in a year or two.

A blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 8% Syrah and 10% Cabernet Franc. Aged for 10 months in French and American oak barrels.

I paired it with cheeses and the sunset.

14% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$30.

Zwebner Estate Vineyard 24.19 White Blend 2017 Bethlehem, Israel

Light straw in color with a green hue.

Soft nose of green apples, citrus, lemons, minerals and light grapefruits.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity, crisp and refreshing.

Dry on the palate with citrus, limes, green apples, light vegetables, grapefruits, lemon juice, spices and minerals.

Long finish with almonds and limes.

This is a nice surprise. A nice white blend from Israel. Showing mild complexity, and crisp and refreshing when cold. Not bitter which I really liked. Reminds me of a white wine from Northern Loire.

Good by itself as a sipping wine or with food. Will pair very nicely with oysters.

Needs 30 minutes to open up properly as it is a bit watery right out of the bottle.

Very easy to drink, so watch out.

Grapes are grown at 2500 feet elevation. A blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$30.

Benhaim Family Winery Cabernet Franc Reserve 2013, Israel

Time for my #FridayCabernetfix. This time it is a Cabernet Franc from Israel.

Dark ruby in color with a very wide brick rim.

Pronounced nose of blueberries, red cherries, currants, oak, licorice, cloves, spices, earth, forest floor, tobacco leaf, graphite, bell pepper, vegetables, celery and black pepper.

Medium plus in body and very smooth with medium acidity and nice legs.

Dry and earthy on the palate with plums, cherries, black currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, dark coffee, pencil lead, earth, vegetables, bitter herbs, bell pepper, forest floor, green vegetables and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins, tangy raspberries and bitter herbs.

This 5 year old Israeli Cabernet Franc is drinking nicely now. Very earthy with nice balance and complexity. Soft and velvety.

Feels like an old world wine, maybe like an aged Northern Rhone Syrah. This would be a great wine to challenge your friends in a blind tasting. A very interesting wine that is fun to drink and talk about.

Good by itself and better with food.
Needs an hour to open up properly, as it is very tart right out of the bottle. Could use a few more years in the bottle to age and remove some of the bitterness at the ending.

I paired it with a mild Brie cheese and crackers, which went wonderful together.

A blend of 85% Cabernet Franc with some Merlot and Petite Sirah. Grapes are grown in Northern Israel. Aged for 24 months in Oak barrels. Kosher.

13.8% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$50.

Binyamina Winery Diamond Yahalom Dry Red 2014, Israel

Dark ruby in color with a short purple rim.

Fruity nose of blackberries, plums, currants, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, earth, peppercorn, dark coffee, tobacco leaf and vegetables.

Full bodied and bold with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with black currants, plums, bell pepper, cherries, oak, vanilla, licorice, cloves, herbs, spices, dark chocolates, coffee, peppercorn, earth, black tea, vegetables and graphite.

Medium on the finish with soft tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is an earthy Cabernet Sauvignon blend from Israel. Not fully balanced and bitter, with a nice mouthfeel.

I expected more out of this 4 year old, but it was still nice. Might be in the dumb phase, and need a few years to mature.

A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Shiraz and 10% Petit Verdot. Aged for 18 months in French oak barrels. Kosher and vegan.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

87 Points.

$40.

Barkan Vineyards Altitude +720 Cabernet Sauvignon 2011, Israel

It’s Friday and it’s time for my #FridayCabernetfix. This time it is an Israeli Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon.

Deep ruby in color with a brick rim.

Fruity nose with blueberries, sweet black cherries, currants, earth, vanilla, licorice, cloves, spices, pencil lead, vegetables, vinaigrette, chocolates, tobacco and bell pepper. Nice nose.

Medium bodied and smooth with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blueberries, red currants, cranberries, licorice, light oak, spices, dark coffee, tobacco leaf, earth, wet leaves, vanilla, chocolates and peppercorn,

Medium plus on the finish with fine grained tannins and tart cranberries.

This is a nice Cabernet from Israel. Not fully balanced any longer, but still enjoyable. Showing nice complexity and a great, smooth mouthfeel.

Needed 30 minutes to open up, but died after 2 hours. This 7 year old was probably better a couple of years ago. I guess I kept it for way too long… this was a 90 point Cabernet, a few years ago.

Grapes are grown at 720 meters elevation (hence the name). Aged for 14 months in French Oak barrels and unfined. Kosher.

Better with food than just by itself. I paired it with small tapas, cheeses and a vegetarian flatbread.

14% alcohol by volume.

87 Points.

$40.