I taste a bunch-o-wine (technical term for more than most people). So each week, I share some of my wine reviews (mostly from samples) and tasting notes in a “mini-review” format.
They are meant to be quirky, fun, and (mostly) easily-digestible reviews of (mostly) currently available wines (click here for the skinny on how to read them), and are presented links to help you find them, so that you can try them out for yourself. Cheers!
- 2012 Ella Valley Vineyards Cabernet Franc (Judean Hills): An elegant, herbal, and spicy tug-of-war between gritty earth and silky plums. $28 A-
- 2015 Ella Valley Syrah – Petite Sirah (Judean Hills): Mineral, meaty, and mostly relying on its powerful force of ripe fruit complexity. $NA B+
- 2012 Ella Valley 32/35 Vineyard’s Choice Red (Judean Hills): With your eyes closed, you’ll think that you just walked out of a CA grocery with a bag full of blackcurrants, violets, & freshly-sharpened pencils. $NA A-
- 2017 Bat Shlomo Rose (Galilee): Grenache in zesty, peppery, pithy glory; you’d better be into strawberries, though. $28 B+
- 2016 Bat Shlomo Chardonnay (Judean Hills): Moving from floral reticence to peachy, toasty flashiness in almost record time. $42 B+
- 2015 Bat Shlomo Betty’s Cuvee (Judean Hills): Leathery elegance that could probably pass for Bordeaux; or, at least, will give you ample reason to look forward to the future of Bord’x reds in Israel. $69 A-
- 2014 Psagot “Peak” (Judean Hills): Rhone visits the Middle East, shows off its modern, lush, sexy side in the process. $48 B+
- 2014 Yaffo Winery Heritage (Ella Valley): Power, concentration, and enough red and black currants to fill your cornucopia basket. $NA B+
- 2015 Covenant Wines Syrah (Israel): Making a masculine, meaty, and mineral covenant with your Rhone-loving tongue. $75 A-
- 2016 Gva’ot Winery Merlot (Shomron): Merlot takes to higher altitude with chocolaty, vivacious and, well, plummy aplomb. $33 B+