ISRAEL is WHERE IT'S AT!

Bear with me if I sound like a broken record, but you know I go nutso over wines from less-common locales, and here's another one! I have long enjoyed wines from Israel, but two recent tastings catapulted the country to the forefront of my mind; the quality is amazing, the potential is HUGE, and the value is incredible. So banish those thoughts that Israel only makes grape-juicy Kosher wines already and get with the program!

It's a little funny that in one sense Israel is absolutely "Old World" -- it's one of the very first places ancient people grew grapes. But it's certainly "New World" in guts and style.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

• There really is no clear "signature" grape of the region. In fact, Grenache was first planted only about ten years ago and is making some of the world's best already! As knowledge, experimentation, and technology grow, so will the quality and variety of Israeli wines.
• Many bold Israeli reds are actually super-approachable, meaning they're not overly-structured and require years of cellaring before you pop them. These are meant to be drunk now!
• This is a group of winemakers who are forging forward, breaking conventions, and doing it all with passion and a strong intellectual and environmental basis. They are Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and non-religious to boot. 
• There are only about 35 commercial wineries, but around 250 boutique ones, and this number is rising as grape-growers peel off to make their own wines. Some of which are already achieving "cult" status!

Here are some of my standouts from those recent tastings:

2018 Five Stones “D vs G” White (David v Goliath) 

Appellation laws are fairly relaxed in Israel, so they have a lot of options for experimentation with blends. I initially had a "hmmmmm" reaction to this 60% Gewurztraminer 40% Sauvignon Blanc blend, as who thinks to put those two grapes together?! And I did feel it kind of butted itself in the head, BUT boy how it would go with the spiced and spicy food of the region. Typical "grandma's boudoir" Gewurz notes of dusty rose perfume with litchi, accompanied by SB's green, linear acidity. Outrageously long finish. I definitely warmed up to it! ~$30

2017 Recanati Winery Reserve Marawi 

Marawi is one of the indigenous varieties of the area now getting resurrected. This was first commercially released in 2014, and is the tricky story of a Palestinian grower who sells the grapes grown in his backyard to an Israeli company. (His name isn't released because they have had death threats on both sides, yikes.) Recanati also has their own vineyards, and produce a Roussane/Marsanne blend and an old bush vine Carignan, all farmed biodynamically. This had yellow fruit, sweet brioche, juicy apricot, lanolin, honeysuckle, and a little spice with smoky, flinty minerality. Long yet mild finish. Little Chenin Blanc-like. 1 year in French oak. ~$34

2011 Somek Carignan

This is from a single vineyard with 40-year old vines. The Someks are 5th generation winemaker-grapegrowers, so this is a family vineyard since 1882; the winery itself was founded in 2002. The family does it all, including marketing and distribution. This Carignan is aged 24 months in French oak and 2 years in bottle. Definitely earthy, terroir-driven. Cola, hi-tone blueberry, mocha dust, minerally, with licorice, brambly berries, wild sage, a little spicy, and has tightly wound, balanced tannins over a super long finish. Continues to be tangy after 7 years! And it's still kind of a baby. This will be fascinating in a few more years! ~$35

2016 Hayotzer Lyrica

Arza, Hayotzer's parent company, started in 1847! Here we have a GSM blend (40% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 25% Mourvedre.) Soft red and pink flowers, crunchy red fruit, white pepper, smooth and sexy, plush but juicy, whiff of smoke on finish, not super-complex but really tasty and I wanted to slurp it uuuup. ~$40

2016 Gvaot Masada

Shiva Drori, Gvaot's winemaker, is interested in the academic side of making wine; he does DNA testing, studies wine at a high level, and brings that information back to the vineyards and winery. The Masada is a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Merlot, 22% Petit Verdot, from rocky, steep, mountainous vineyards, with a huge diurnal swing; the elevation and diurnal keep the temperature in check and preserve the grapes' freshness and acidity. At my tasting, I thought this wine glass was not properly clean, muting the wine's aroma, and so this showed merely dusty on the nose. But in the mouth there was loads of tightly wound purple fruit (that PV really jumps forward!) leading to a big and structured, but balanced wine. Wow. ~$75

2016 Covenant Syrah

Covenant brought winemaker Jeff Morgan from Napa over to consult, and that has led to its growing cult status. This wine is 90% Syrah with a dash (10%) of Cabernet Sauvignon. It presents as liquid red fruit, spicy and juicy and lush and sexy, pepper, light savory notes, super balance of fruit/savory/spice/oak use plushness, wow! Lifted tang on long finish. Chewy. It brings voluptuousness without blousy-ness. ~$75

2016 Tura “Mountain Peak” Red

Another cult comes from the husband/wife team Vered and Erez Ben Sa'adon (she's the winemaker.) The Mountain Peak red is a blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 6% Petit Verdot. Cassis, cedar, herbal liqueur, pyrazine, good acid once again, tangy juicy outrageously long finish. This is definitely a creative take on a CS-based Bordeaux-style blend. ~$75

2016 Segal “Unfiltered” Cabernet Sauvignon

The Israeli cults just keep on coming! Winemaker Avi Feldstein has boldly produced an unfiltered Cab since the days when that was a kind of blasphemy. This is a super-interesting wine, with cassis liqueur, bright red fruit, mocha, toasted coconut, a bit of shortbread. Wow. Really “red,” dense and intense. Long finish. Big but plush/approachable. Segal is owned by the large company Barcan — "big kids" in Israel sometimes acquire or start small wineries to have a garagiste offering. ~$60

2014 Golan Heights Winery Yarden “2T” 

Golan Height is one of the coldest areas in Israel, and much like the U.S.'s Old West, there are wild horses galloping along wide volcanic plains. This is one of the country's more classic wineries, and here they're showcasing how Portuguese varieties can shine in Israel. A blend of 69%Touriga Nacional and 31% Tinta Cão sourced from 2 vineyards in Golan Heights: Springs Vineyard at 700 meters elevation, and Geshur Vineyard at 400m. Aged 18 mo in 40% new French oak. Smoky, spicy mocha, black plum, blackberry, black cherry, lots of peppery spice on finish. Good combo of juicy, approachable fruit, some more savory notes, and balanced acid and subtle tannins on long, balanced finish.  ~$33

2014 Tabor Winery Malkiya Single Vineyard CS 

Tabor was founded in 1999 by four families of growers that have working there for five generations. This Cab is from a single vineyard at 726 meters elevation with Terra Rossa (the most famous soil of Coonawarra in Australia,) under topsoil, and lots of limestone rocks they refer to as “a lot of stars.” Viticulturist Michal Ackerman found this area and she convinced them to make wine there! Her vines' roots go down 20 feet so they have access to water and unusually for Israel don’t need irrigation. She’s also planting Malbec and Chenin Blanc in the Negev desert, so watch for those.  These Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are hand picked, they use only free-run juice, and it is aged 18 months in new French oak with an additional 1 year in bottle. Smoky, cassis, cedar, cloves, wow, VERY tasty, with the red fruit coming out more on the palate. Tightly wound, and it releases layers of flavors over an incredibly long, balanced finish. Would be fun to blind taste this on some smarty somms! ~$60

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I don't know about you, but I am definitely planning to seek out more of these amazing wines from Israel. At the high end, maybe $60-75 bucks seems like a lot, but you'd be paying $150-300 for a similar wine from Napa, so these actually are a steal! Ask your merchants and somms about providing more quality wines from Israel; they may appreciate your "insider" know-how, but they also need to know you're interested in trying these stunning offerings. (Seriously, there was hardly a dud in the bunch, and I sampled over FIFTY wines.) I look forward to my next "visit" to Israel, for sure!

Cheers.

TOP WINES UNDER $20 of 2013!!!

Wineaux, those of you with a lot of attention to detail will immediately notice the title of this post doesn't gibe with past years'... normally you'd expect to see "TOP 20 UNDER $20".  Well, even in good drinking years, I often have difficulty finding twenty wines that fit my criteria.  This year I didn't even come close.  It's not for a lack of good value wines out there, so why?  A few reasons: 

A) The Minx is not a world-famous wine critic who is sent myriad bottles to taste and review.  (YET.)

B) My performance and other work schedules kept me away from many industry tastings where I can sample hundreds of wines so to better serve YOU, my readers.

C) My performance and other work schedules and travels kept me from staying in one place longer than three months at a time, which interestingly ended up being a factor, although some of my globe-trotting discoveries certainly made the list.

However, I still unearthed some gemmy-gem-gems for you, never fear!  Lucky-number THIRTEEN world-wide wines that will give you an incredible bang-for-the-buck.  (And now my hyphen usage has exceeded its limit.)  Let's get to it!

 #13 - 2012 Benefactor Cellars Shiraz, South Eastern Australia.  (Imported by Trader Joe's, and pretty much only found there!) A solid offering, with balanced fruit and Shiraz's typical peppery spice, very quaffable, and a perfect party wine for only $6.


#12 - 2010 Anselmi San Vincenzo, Veneto Northern Italy, 80% Garganega, 10% Chardonnay, and 10% Sauvignon Blanc.  (A little something for everyone.)  Can you say FLORAL AROMATICS? I knew you could. Good citrus, yellow apple and minerals with medium weight and a balanced finish, yum. $13


#11 - 2012 José Maria da Fonseca Periquita White, Setúbal Peninsula, Portugal.  Pale gold color, with straw and light tropical fruits on the nose.  Nice fruit expression with citrus on the finish but not overly acidic.  Great on its own or with appetizers or shellfish.  Blend of Verdelho, Moscatel de Setúbal, Viosinho and Viognier.  $10

#10 - 2012 Anthony Nappa "Bordo," North Fork, LI.  100% Cabernet Franc.  Lightish ruby color, nose of macerated raspberries, tomato stem, smoke.  Very juicy and bright with balanced earthy elements on finish.  A little odd (which I do like) but definitely interesting!  A lot going on but lighter in style.  $19.99



#9 - 2011 Quinta do Passadouro Tinto, Douro, Portugal.  Had this beauty in my fave Lisboa wine bar.  Scrumptious berry salad on nose, with robust and velvety fruit mid-palate, violets, and integrated tannins and acid. 40% Touriga Nacional,  25% Touriga Franca, 25% Tinta Roriz and 10% "??" (= field blend unknowns!)  $13


#8 - 2008 Edward Sellers "Mayhem" Red, Paso Robles, CA.  Ample velvety red and black fruit.  Pretty lush but not overly-structured.  If you like them big and fleshy and soft, this is your gal, and she's a keeper! I got it for $12


#7 - 2012 Cloudline Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, OR.  Definitely a New World Pinot, but with some Old World finesse; aromatic berries, herbs, medium weight, and lovely fruit and pepper. $16

 #6 -  2012 Dalton Winery Rosé, Israel.  Blend of Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.  I was very impressed with what I saw coming out of Israel, and this had an unusual yet wow-nose of floral perfume with good acidity - generally very yummy with great fruit and great length.  $17


#5 - 2009 Kayra Vintage Öküzgözü Single Vineyard, Turkey. ("Euh-KUHz-guh-zuh" basically.) One of my finds from my new fave wine region, Turkey, this powerhouse has dark berries and smoke on the nose, and is complex yet velvety and rich with good structure.  $19.99 (just made the cutoff!)


#4 - 2011 Catena Malbec, Argentina. A LOT of people really like this wine (critics and drinkers alike,) and it's no wonder.  It has a heady nose of berry jam and a whiff of smoke, with dense and velvety berries, herbs, a little coffee and sweet oak notes on the palate.  Excellent value for the price. $16


#3 - 2011 Channing Daughters Scuttlehole Chardonnay, Long Island, NY. Intense but not clunky; notes of Meyer lemon and toast with great acidity.  Yum!  Especially for you ABC-ers, (Anything But Chardonnay,) it's definitely worth a try, you may change your mind with this one.  $15

Montefino is on the left, but the Penha was lovely too.

#2 - 2005 Montefino Tinto, Alentejo Portugal.  Trincadeira, Aragonez (Tempranillo), Alicante Bouschet & Touriga Nacional - another excellent find from Portugal.  Dark ruby, smoked meat on the nose with a feel of its age and time in oak.  WOW!  It's sexy, velvety and complex yet very, very bright with good acidity.  In a nutshell, it feels pedigreed yet quaffable. $18


AND MY #1 UNDER $20 WINE OF THE YEAR...

EGEO ROZE on the Right...

#1 - 2012 Kavaklidere Egeo Roze (rosé), Anatolya, Turkey.  A blend of 60% Çal Karası and 40% Grenache, it had a pale color of salmon/ onion skin.  The nose was warm, of light tart cherry fruit and minerals.  It was very, very dry, with lots of acidity but not too bracing, and fruit that went on and on, with rose petal and geranium florals and a bit of salinity. $17
 
Once again I was pleased with the variety of regions, grapes and styles of wines.  There definitely is something for everyone, and you can't beat the price to try something new!  Let me know if you come across these and what you think... and DEFINITELY let me know if you have a favorite <$20 wine the Minx shouldn't miss!  Cheers.

SAYING 'SHALOM' TO ISRAELI WINES

The Minx is finding this a banner summer for exploring less-familiar wine regions: first Turkey, now Israel! You, dear reader, may already be acquainted with quality wines from Israel... but the majority of Wineaux are not, and there are a few reasons for this.

First of all, Israel lacks a defining grape or signature region that jumps out to make an easy association.

Unlike, say, the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon (which is known for growing Cabernet Sauvignon with an identifiable terroir tang,) Israel's wine regions grow many international varieties well.  Both Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc thrive, along with Riesling, Viognier and Gewürztraminer for the whites.  For reds, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah all produce many quality wines, and there is increased experimentation with Carignan and Petite Sirah.  In addition, a few indigenous grapes like Argaman (cross of Carignan and Portugal's Souzao) and Emerald Riesling round out the wide array.  Not to mention, wine is grown in nine major spots, from the northern Golan Heights region all the way south to the Negev, in a country roughly the size of New Jersey.

Israel also does not have to adhere to wine laws like many other countries in terms of appellation rules, so they are free to experiment in their vineyards.  While this is potentially a positive situation, it adds to the muddle.  Luckily, advances in technology are helping overall quality rise, so Israeli winemakers are starting to work towards defining a clearer Israeli wine identity.

But... they are also fighting "the 'K' word."

People often associate Israeli wines with lower-quality kosher offerings, which couldn't be farther from reality.  Not all Israeli wine is kosher, in fact, 80-90% of local winemakers are not even Sabbath observant. Winemakers from Israel will tell you that the biggest challenge they face is getting their wines out of the kosher section of the wine store... into the WINE section.  While Israel arguably makes the highest-quality kosher wines out there, detaching the labeling from the wine's level of excellence is another hurdle.

Israel is ripe for becoming a major player in the international wine arena, even with these obstacles.  There are many boutique wineries and self-trained winemakers, they don't hesitate to bring in experienced foreigners or send their youngsters out for training, they are looking to reduce yields for higher quality and they are experimenting with interesting blends.

Perhaps out of all of this, Israel's wine identity will start to take a sharper focus.  Until then, keep your eyes out for some of the following amazing Israeli wines and ponder Israel's wine identity for yourself!

2009 Barkan Wine Cellars Altitude +720
100% Cabernet Sauvignon; Galilee.  Great fruit and cedar nose, intoxicating, chewy, cheeky, approachable. ~$46

2011 Carmel Winery Kayoumi White Riesling
Galilee.  Water-white color, honeysuckle, hint of petrol.  Light acid, great character.  Yum! ~$24

2009 Carmel Winery Mediterranean
27% Carignan, 27% Shiraz, 27% Petit Verdot, 15% Petite Sirah, 3% Malbec, 1% Viognier; Galilee. Earth and spice.  Very, very soft finish with good fruit.  Quaffable.  ~$50

2009 Carmel Winery Sha'al Gewürztraminer
Galilee.  Single vineyard, late harvest - spice, florals, not overly sweet, good acid... great for food pairing!  ~$22/375ml

2012 Dalton Winery Rosé
Blend of Barbera, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.  Unusual wow-nose of floral perfume.  Good acidity. Very yummy - great fruit, great length. ~$17

My notes are for the '10 - the
'11 is becoming available too.

2010 Dalton Winery Petite Sirah
Incredible nose!  Very dense; licorice, charcoal, blueberry liqueur.  Very, very nice. ~$22


2010 Domaine du Castel Grand Vin
Blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot; Judean Hills.  Cedar, earth, cassis.  Mouth-painting with lovely violet and red fruit notes.  Mmmmm.  ~$65

2007 Ella Valley Vineyards Merlot
Merlot with some Cabernet Sauvignon; Judean Hills.  Oak, dirt, terroir, little funk.  Soft tannins, though grippy in mouth.  Bright fruit, good structure. ~$30

2010 Flam Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot; Upper Galilee.  Earth, cherry-berry.  Loads going on!  Well-structured, great length and fruit.  ~$59

2010 Galil Mountain Winery Pinot Noir
Upper Galilee.  Very light in color.  Earthy nose, quite interesting with good elements but very lightly styled.  ~$20

2008 Golan Heights Winery Yarden Pinot Noir
Northern Golan Heights. Lots of floral perfume and earth.  Chewy fruit.  Very nice.  ~$16

2010 Gvaot Winery Herodion Cabernet Sauvignon
92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot; Shomron.  Bright berry color.  Nice round fruit, some earthiness, good acid.  Very pleasant wine.  ~$40

2005 Hevron Heights Winery Jerusalem Heights
Pretty even Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend; Judean Hills.  Terroir, red cherry juice! Fairly soft and light but quaffable with supple tannins.  ~$33

2011 Recanati Winery Ltd. Carignan
Upper Galilee.  Pungent nose - loads of red and black fruits.  Nice florals on finish.  Very good!  And tasty - it keeps drawing you back.  ~$48

2009 Carmei Zvi Segal Bros. Segal's Single Vineyard Dovev Argaman
100% Argaman; Galilee.  I sought out this 'indigenous' grape to try it; this was earthy with lavender florals and black fruits.  Somewhat one-dimensional in the mouth, but brightly styled and interesting.  ~$36

2012 Teperberg Winery 1870 Terra Sauvignon Blanc
Shomron.  Grassy with tropical fruit, great acid, very nice elements and good length.  ~$18

2010 Teperberg Winery 1870 Terra Malbec
Judean Hills.  1st Malbec in Israel, I believe - very dark berries on the nose.  Soft and smooth.  Good for people who like lighter-styled wines with a rich flavor. ~$31

2010 Tzora Vineyards Misty Hills
55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Syrah; Judean Hills.  Loads of cedar and cassis.  Spicy, a bit harsh in the mouth - needs food and/or a little time.  ~$60

A huge thank you to "Wines of Israel - Mediterranean Inspiration" for hosting a mini-wine tour, a discussion of modern Israeli winemaking with Josh Wesson and Alex Haruni, and a walk-around tasting.   My eyes were certainly opened, and I hope you venture out to try some wonderful Israeli wines soon. Cheers!