Carmel Winery Kayoumi Vineyard Riesling 2017 Upper Galilee, Israel

A pretty and light golden in color.

Fruity nose with citrus, grapefruits, yellow apples, diesel, minerals and spices.

Medium bodied with medium plus acidity, crisp and refreshing.

Dry on the palate with lemons, green apples, pears, vegetables, spices, sea salt, green herbs, white pepper and minerals.

Medium finish with tangy limes and bitter vegetables.

This is a very nice dry Riesling from Israel. Showing mild complexity with a nice crisp mouthfeel.

This Single Vineyard is good by itself or with food. Fruity on the nose and earthier on the palate. Nice and interesting. A good quality wine. Crisp and refreshing.

This is one to put in the cellar for a while. Has the potential to age nicely in the next 5 years and get more complex.

This is my first dry Riesling from this region. I’ve had off-dry and semi-sweet ones before, and this is a nice surprise.

I drank it in a beautiful Le Deux glass, light and airy, tall and skinny.

Grapes are grown at 2500 feet elevation in the Upper Galilee. Matured in stainless steel vats. Kosher. Not Mevushal.

12% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$25.

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Shirah Wine Company Vin de BroDeux 2016 Central Coast, California

Dark ruby in color with a nice reddish rim.

Fruity nose with blueberries, cherries, wood, vanilla, pencil lead, spices, metals, cloves and black pepper.

Full-bodied and soft with medium acidity and nice legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, plums, black cherries, oak, earth, spices, chocolates, tobacco and peppercorn.

Medium finish with fine tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is an easy drinking red wine from California. Showing mild complexity with a soft mouthfeel.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up (1 hour).

Nice and elegant with a tangy finish.

Good by itself as a sipping wine, by the porch.

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

A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Petit verdot. Kosher.

13.7% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$45.

Benhaim Family Winery VHS Mythos 2014, Israel

Time for #MerlotThursday. Here is a tasty one from Israel.

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish/ brick rim.

Pretty nose of blueberries, black currants, plums, sweet cherries, wood, licorice, spices, vanilla, earth, light vegetables, milk chocolates, black pepper and tobacco.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, sweet cherries, cedar, leather, earth, vanilla, licorice, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, spices and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine tannins and tangy cranberries.

This Israeli Petite Syrah /Merlot blend is very enjoyable now. Spicy and elegant with lots of fruits. Showing nice complexity and a great mouthfeel.

This five year old is drinking very nicely now, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

Good right out of the bottle and gets more complexity as it opens up (30 minutes). Right out of the bottle, it reminds me of an elegant Napa Bordeaux blend. After two hours in a decanter, it changes somewhat, and it feels more like a right Bank Bordeaux.

A very interesting wine, and nice as a sipping wine to enjoy with friends and talk about.

This series is not produced every year. This is bottle number 50 out of 2,500 produced.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a triple cream Brie cheese, and crackers.

A blend of Merlot, Petite Syrah and Cabernet Franc. Aged for 24 months in New French Oak barrels. Kosher and delicious.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$85.

Zwebner Estate Vineyard 35.6.18 2015, Israel

This Grenache blend from Israel is very tasty. Showing red and black fruits with lots of vegetables, bell pepper, wet leaves, tobacco, dark coffee and earth notes.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

Needs 90 minutes to open up properly.

A good food wine that will pair nicely with game meats. I paired it with cheeses and crackers.

The (high) alcohol is not noticeable any longer, so you better watch out 😃

A blend of 47% Grenache, 33% Carignan and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged for 12 months in oak barrels.

90 points.

15.5% alcohol by volume.

$50.

Shirah Wine Company Vin de Bro Deux 2016 Central Coast, California

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Very pretty nose of blueberries, sweet strawberries, cherries, wild flowers, light vanilla, sweet tobacco, cloves, wood, black pepper, earth, herbs and spices.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity and nice legs.

Dry on the palate with blueberries, cherries, plums, light wood, earth, vanilla, leather, diet coke, pencil lead, herbs, black pepper and vegetables.

Long finish with soft tannins and tangy strawberries.

This is a very enjoyable Cabernet blend from California. Nicely balanced, elegant and soft. Drinks very easily, and enjoyable by itself or with food.

Good right out of the bottle and better after an hour of airtime. Would be interesting to see how it develops in the next 5 years. I really enjoyed the tangy ending.

I paired it with cheeses and nuts.

A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Petit Verdot. Kosher.

13.7% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$45.

Shirah Wine Company Syrah/ Tannant 2015 Paso Robles, California

A beautiful color of dark purple with a wide purplish rim.

Pretty nose of blackberries, sweet plums, blueberries, violets, black currants, cedar, earth, vanilla, licorice, spices, tobacco, dark chocolates, bitter herbs, vegetables, and pencil lead. Very nice nose.

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

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, oak, spices, earth, vegetables, graphites, dark coffee, chocolates, tobacco, beef jerky and black pepper.

Long finish with fine tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a great Syrah blend from Paso Robles. Easy drinking and tasty with a nice mouthfeel. Showing nice complexity with a gorgeous nose.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up (needs an hour). Drinking very nicely now, and will be better in the next 3 years.

I paired it with cheeses, nuts and dried fruits.

A blend of 60% Syrah and 40% Tannant. Aged for 18 months in French Oak barrels (20% new). Kosher.

14.4% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$55.

Shirah Wine Company Murmur Syrah 2016 Santa Barbara County, California

Inky in color with a short purple rim.

Fruity on the nose with black plums, red cherries, black currants, earth, chocolates, licorice, vanilla, oak, spices, light vegetables and peppercorn.

Full-bodied, smooth and bold, with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry and fruity on the palate with blackberries, black currants, cooked plums, wood, mint, vanilla, cloves, cinnamon, chocolates, peppercorn, hazelnut, mocha, coke, earth, light vegetables, spices and tobacco.

Medium plus on the finish with fine tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very enjoyable Syrah from Santa Barbara County, California. Spicy, interesting and fruit forward with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Still young and a little hot right now, which will go away with time. Will be better in the next 5 years and could be a 92+ wine.

This single vineyard Syrah is good by itself or with food. Needs an hour to open up properly and remove some of the acidity.

A blend of 97% Syrah and 3% Viognier. Aged for 22 months in French Oak barrels (25% new). Kosher for Passover.

14.7% alcohol by volume.

90 points.

$55.