Tzuba Estate Winery Metzuda 2016, Judean Hills, Israel

For #kosherwineSunday and Cabernet Sauvignon Day, here is a nice one from Israel.

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

On the nose cherries, red currants, oak, tobacco, vanilla, licorice, spices, dark coffee, pencil lead, earth, vegetables, peppercorn, bitter herbs and light barnyard.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, black plums, chocolates, wood, spices, light vanilla, green vegetables, tobacco leaf, earth, cocoa, dark roast coffee, herbs and peppercorn.

Medium length on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very enjoyable Cabernet Sauvignon blend from the Judean Hills region in Israel. Showing nice complexity with a soft mouthfeel. Spicy and feels more like a Syrah dominant, at this point.

This new world wine shows a lot of old-world characteristics, which makes it interesting.

Good right out of the bottle, but better after 1 hour in a decanter, and will benefit from a few more years in the bottle.

Good by itself and better with food. I paired it with a Canadian Camembert cheese.

A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Syrah. Aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. Kosher.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$30.

Patland Estate Vineyards Stagecoach Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 Napa Valley, California

It’s time to get my #FridayCabernetfix. Here is a gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon.

Inky in color with a nice reddish/purple rim.

Beautiful nose of blueberries, cooked cherries, raisins, black currants, vanilla, light cedar, Mediterranean spices, tobacco leaf, earth, sweet tea, light cinnamon, turmeric, coffee, curcumin, graphites and peppercorn.

Full bodied and elegant with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with blackberries, black currants, plums, cooked strawberries, spices, pencil lead, tobacco, coffee, earth, vanilla, oak, dark chocolates, herbs, light vegetables and black pepper.

Long finish with round tannins and tangy cherries.

This is a young and delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley.
Nicely balanced with a nice mouthfeel and nice complexity.

Rich, extracted and elegant. Spicy with a great balance of earthiness and fruit.

This 4 year old Single Vineyard, is drinking very nicely now, and will age nicely in the next 10 to 15 years. A good quality wine with good potential to get to 95+ points.

Needs 2 hours to open up properly and show the tannins.

This is one you want to have with good friends, and talk about. Really enjoyed the nose, and kept smelling on it for a long time.

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

An interesting blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Malbec. Aged in French Oak barrels for 20 month (80% new). A small production of 4,800 bottles this is bottle number 1,354.

14.8% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$155

Teperberg Family Winery Essence Rosé 2019, Israel

A very pretty light pinkish color in the glass.

Very aromatic nose of citrus, grapefruits, light raspberries, limes, white flowers, earth, vegetables, Jasmine, herbs and white pepper.

Light to medium in body with medium plus acidity. Crisp and refreshing.

Dry on the palate with limes, citrus, green apples, grapefruits, bitter herbs, spices, earth, light strawberries and black pepper.

Spicy finish with almonds and limes.

This is a nice Rosé from Israel. Very much in the Old World style. Resembles a Cote du Rhône Rosé. Earthy and spicy.

Interesting with mild complexity and better when properly chilled.

A nice food wine that I paired with Brie cheese and crackers.

A blend of 45% Grenache Noir, 35% Mourvedre and 20% Barbara. Kosher non Mevushal.

11.5% alcohol by volume.

88 points.

$30.

Tranche Estate Pink Pape Rosé 2019, Washington State

Happy National Rosé Day! Here’s my contribution.

Very light salmon in color.

Great nose of grapefruits, citrus, earth, white wildflowers, roses, vegetables, spices and white pepper.

Light to medium in body with medium plus acidity. Crisp and refreshing.

Dry on the palate with limes, grapefruits, light raspberries, green apples, earth, dried herbs, spices and black pepper.

Nice tangy finish with almonds and grapefruits.

This is a nice and crisp Rosé from Yakima Valley. Spicy and interesting.

What a great nose on these Rosé.
Feels much like an old world wine. Earthy and a good food wine and better when properly chilled. Gets earthier as it opens up.

I paired it with Cheeses and crackers and enjoyed it by the pool.

A blend of 42% Grenache, 23% Counoise and 35% Cinsault.

88 points.

12.8% alcohol by volume.

$20.

Tabor Winery Shifon Vineyard Tannat 2014, Israel

A very pretty color of dark ruby/ Inky with a wide reddish rim.

On the nose blueberries, plums, sweet cherries, black currants, light oak, licorice, chocolates, mocha, spices and black pepper.

Full bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with plums, black currants, coffee, oak, spices, licorice, light vegetables, pencil lead, peppercorn, leather, earth, coffee and tobacco.

Medium on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

I opened this Israeli Tannat yesterday, and I felt like it is not there yet, so I corked it back and left it in the fridge for a day. Today it is drinking much nicer.

Nicely balanced and tangy, with a nice mouthfeel. Showing nice complexity.

This is my first Tannat from this region. Feels like a right Bank Bordeaux. Most of the Tannats I’ve had before, were from South America and this one is different, interesting and unique.

This Single Vineyard is very yummy now, and will be better in the next 5 years.

Grapes are grown in the Golan Heights region at an elevation of 3,000 feet. Kosher for Passover.

14% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$40.

Mas Champart Pays D’OC Rouge 2011, France

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

Fruity on the palate with blueberries, cherries, plums, currants, light wood, licorice, earth, spices, peppercorn, leather, tobacco, dark coffee and pencil lead. Really complex nose.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity and nice legs.

Dry on the palate with plums, cherries, blueberries, strawberries, wood, licorice, earth, light vegetables, pencil lead, spices, light vanilla, espresso, dark chocolates and peppercorn.

Nice length on the finish with soft tannins and red chili pepper.

This 9 year old Red Blend from France is peaking now. Showing a great nose and a spicy palate.

Good right out of the bottle and better as it opens up. Better after an hour of airtime, and becomes earthier as it opens up.

Easy drinking with nice complexity. Spicy and fruit forward. Good by itself or with food.

Not from a great vintage, but very drinkable now, even by itself. An interesting and engaging wine.

A blend of Cabernet Franc, Carignan and Syrah.

14% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$20.

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.

Fausto de Pizzato Verve Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Tannant Gran Reserva 2011, Brazil

Dark inky in color with a short, dirty brick rim.

Strong nose of black currants, cooked plums, oak, licorice, spices, coffee, pencil lead, cola, peppercorn, leather, bonefire smoke, dark chocolates and sweet candy.

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

Dry on the palate with plums, cherries, strawberries, currants, wood, licorice, spices, dark chocolates, black pepper, graphite, peppercorn, leather, vegetables, tobacco and espresso.

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

This is a very nice Brazilian Cabernet Sauvignon blend. Feels like an old world wine.

This 8 year old has a nice mouthfeel, but not fully balanced. The mid palate is very tasty, until the ending, which is a bit too tart for my taste. I actually liked the nose better than the palate.

Needs 90 minutes to open up properly and remove the barnyard notes.

Paired very nicely with food.

Thank you Alex for sharing.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Tannant. Aged in Oak barrels. A small production of only 4250 bottles. This blend was only produced in this 2011 vintage.

13.5% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

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.