Yatir Winery Yatir Creek 2016 Judean Hills, Israel

A pretty color of dark ruby with a nice reddish rim.

Stinky nose of black currants, blueberries, barnyard, vanilla, oak cloves, spices, earth, wet leaves, black pepper, black tea, dark coffee, pencil lead, vegetables and bitter herbs.

Full bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, bell pepper, oak, licorice, cloves, earth, vegetables, vanilla, spices, coffee, herbs, tobacco leaf and black pepper.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a very nice Syrah blend from Israel. Feels like a good quality Chilean Red Blend.

I let it open up for 3 hours, and the stinky nose was still there. As it opens up it becomes tastier, so be patient.

Still young and needs 3 to 5 years in the bottle to mature properly.

An interesting wine to drink and talk about. If you are familiar with their Yatir Forest, this is its baby brother. This has the potential to get to 92+ points in 5 to 7 years.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with Brie cheese and crackers.

A blend of 76% Syrah, 12% Tannant and 12% Malbec. A very unique blend from this area. Aged for 12 months in oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$50.

Vitkin Winery Old Vines Carignan 2016, Israel

Dark ruby in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruity nose with blackberries, black currants, cherries, vegetables, oak, bell peppers, cloves, pencil lead, black pepper, earth and dark chocolates.

Full bodied with medium plus acidity and nice legs.

Dry on the palate with black cherries, blueberries, currants, oak, vanilla, cloves, tobacco, vegetables, bitter herbs, peppercorn, spices, green olives and bell pepper.

Medium plus on the finish with soft tannins and tangy pomegranates.

This is an interesting red wine from Israel. Showing a nice mouthfeel with mild complexity. A good food wine, too. Showing plenty of fruits with lots of earth notes as well.

Needs a couple of hours to open up property and remove some of the acidity. I let it open up for 3 hours. Worth waiting for it. Tangy and interesting.

Still young and will be better in the next 3 to 5 years, but already drinking nicely.

I paired it with cheeses and crackers.

100% Old Vines Carignan grapes. Aged in French oak barrels for 16 months. Unfiltered and unfined. Kosher. Not Mevushal.

13% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$29.

Château Hauteville Saint Estephe 2016 Bordeaux, France

Here is my #MerlotThursday for this week. A nice one from Bordeaux.

Dark ruby in color with a short, cloudy, reddish rim.

Fruity nose of plums, cherries, licorice, oak, vanilla, spices, chocolates, cloves, herbs, graphite, earth, light vegetables and black pepper.

Full bodied and bold with medium acidity and nice legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, cloves, spices, licorice, peppercorn, earth, graphite and dark coffee.

Medium plus in finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is a nice, yet young, Merlot Cabernet blend from Saint Estephe. Showing nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.

Needs a couple of hours to open up properly. Starting to show the tannins after 60 minutes of airtime. Needs 5 years in the bottle to mature, but already drinking very nicely.

Feels like a blend of left and right bank. Nice and engaging.

I paired it with cheeses, crackers and fresh fruit.

A blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. Kosher.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$50.

Or Haganuz Winery Amuka Blanc 2018, Israel

Pale lemon in color with a light yellow tint.

Strong nose of limes, gooseberries, citrus, green apples, tropical fruits, bananas and grapefruits.

Light in body with medium-plus acidity.

Dry and tangy on the palate with limes, grapefruits, green apples, light vegetables and white pepper.

Nice length on the finish with grapefruits and spices.

These Sauvignon Blanc blend from Israel reminds me of a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Nicely balanced with nice complexity and a nice mouthfeel.

A good quality wine. Crisp and refreshing with enough acidity to pair with lemony fish dishes.

Needs 15 minutes to open up properly and show some complexity.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a cheese plate and crackers.

A blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Chardonnay. Grapes are grown on Mount Meron at 2,500 feet elevation. Kosher and Mevushal.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$22.

Netofa Winery Latour White 2017 Galilee, Israel

Light golden in color with a yellow tint.

Very light on the nose with light citrus, lemons, red apples, spices and honey.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with limes, grapefruits, citrus, green apples, light wood, bitter herbs, vegetables, spices and white pepper.

Spicy and tangy finish with bitter herbs.

This is a good quality Chenin Blanc from Israel. Showing nice complexity with a fuller mouthfeel than i excepted.

Much earthier than expected, too. Feels like a mix of new and old world wine. Very interesting. Might even have very soft tannins on the finish, which is unique.

Will get better with more time in the bottle. Would be interesting to check it out again in 3 years.

A nice white to drink by itself and talk about. Better when not too cold. Elegant and spicy.

I paired it with a soft Brie cheese and roasted almonds.

100% Chenin Blanc grapes grown in the Galilee region. Aged for 10 months in French Oak barrels. Kosher. Not Mevushal.

13% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$30.

Bodegas Ramon Cardova Rias Baixas Albariño 2018, Spain

Light straw in color with a golden tint.

Earthy on the nose with citrus, limes, grapefruits, green apples, spices, vegetables, minerals and black pepper.

Light to medium in body with high acidity, crisp and refreshing.

Dry on the palate with limes, grapefruits, earth, vegetables, green apples and spices.

Nice length on the finish with bitter herbs and almonds.

This is a nice Kosher Albariño from Spain. A good food wine.

Has a nice character, although this is not my style.

Simple, crisp and refreshing. Needs to be very chilled.

I used the Le Deux glass, which did a nice job of releasing the aromas.

I paired it with cheeses and fresh berries.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

84 points.

$20.

Tabor Winery Adama Sauvignon Blanc 2018, Galilee, Israel

Pale lemon in color with a green hue.

Pretty nose with limes, citrus, gooseberry, grapefruits, tropical fruits, banana, pineapple, kiwi, spices, minerals and white pepper.

Medium bodied with medium plus acidity, crisp and refreshing.

Dry on the palate with limes, grapefruits, citrus, green apples and white pepper.

Nice tangy finish with limes and bitter almonds.

This is a nice Sauvignon Blanc from Israel. I really enjoyed the nose, which had nice complexity. Refreshing, and a good summer wine.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with cheeses and crackers.

Kosher. Not Mevushal.

12.5% alcohol by volume.

87 Points.

$20.