Andre
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Posts posted by Andre
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Almost as shocking as Chateau Ste. Michelle's 200 $ Riesling:
Chateau Ste. Michelle-Dr. Loosen, Riesling, Eroica, Single Berry Select, 2000
Then again it was the price on release - could be even more shocking now...
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A 1993-2003 boutique Cabs I performed last week.
The only large winery is Tishbi and their 1996 is their first attempt at a single vineyard, it is also the only kosher wine on this list.
Cabernet Sauvignon Tsora 1993
Well rounded with plenty of dried fruits and toasted oak. Enjoy now or push your luck 2 more years.
Cabernet Sauvignon Bustan Samson region 1994.
The fruit had subsided in this wine giving room to sweet vanilla and and some rather harsh tannins.
Little is left of the grape flavors though oak lovers might still enjoy this wine.
Drink up
Cabernet Sauvignon Saslove Mirage 1995 and 1996.
The wines had seen better days but that must have been a while ago….
Cabernet Meishar 1996
Perfect cork but that is the only positive thing about this old timer. I suggest sticking to the beautifully drinking 1997 from this winery.
Cabernet Sauvignon Jonathan Tishbi Reserve single vineyard 1996.
Muscle with no elegance. Still firm tannins with little hope of developing further complexity. Drink now – 2006.
Cabernet Sauvignon Lavi 1997
An unsuccessful attempt of the famous viticulturist family Lavi [ a major supplier for the Carmel winery] that resulted in this fairly good Cabernet that perhaps signified a good start.
Drink noow – 2006.
Cabernet Sauvignon Margalit 1997
It seems Margalit had difficulties repeating the 1993 success. The wine rounds up after apx.. 2 hour of breathing - drink up.
Cabernet Sauvignon Soreq Special Reserve 1999
Massive and full bodied that will fully open-up in a year or two and promises to hold until 2008. One of the more impressive 1999 Israeli Cabernet.
Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Flam 2000
A beautiful combination of ripe flavours, elegance and firm structure.
Drink now – 2007.
Cabernet Sauvignon Primo Reserve , Chillag 2001
Not your every day Cabernet yet very well balanced complex and fairly interesting. This wine was meant to follow no leader.
Drink now – 2007.
Cabernet Sauvignon Bravdo,Karmei Yossef 2002.
Fairly young with the 10% Merlot standing out in a rather vegi aspect.
Drink 2005-2008.
Cabernet Sauvignon SUNNY hills, Mony Winery 2003.
Israel’s Best value Cab. at just 8 $ a bottle for a medium bodied well made wine
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It all seems a little sad. Here are two great, but differing palates that should be ignoring each others reviews. Isn't the point of being a critic to say this is MY opinion of a wine - not that it the only opinion.
I have not tasted this wine, but because of these these two divergent opinions by two excellent tasters that have clearly defined their personal preferences over the years I know exactly what this wine tastes like.
I will say from a personal viewpoint I admire Jancis Robinson's mini-war to maintain the character of terroir in Bordeaux.
Copy that word by word.
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AndreThe problem of the wine was a fast and extreme change in temperatures
In what way do you think temperature change contributed to this bottle being off? What you described sounds like a corked wine. The development from muted upon opening to the development of the off aromas over the next few minutes to half an hour is typical as the aromas become more prominent after exposure to air/oxygen. The aromas you describe - mould, stagnant water - sound just like TCA. And I often find a bitter note in the finish in corked wines.
BWs
Chris
Hi again,
Note the development of fruits and the harsh tingling sensation mainly under the tongue.
The nose was not corked at the begining but rather off aroma and flavors developed later.
I must confess that reading my post can be misleading.
sorry...
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Thanks Chris,
The problem of the wine was a fast and extreme change in temperatures but that did not help my feeling one bit.
Bottles of choice for the redemption:
Cornas, Paul Jaboulet Ainee 1995
Cornas, Clape 1998.
I am looking for an hours opening to taste those and promise to report back.
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Both it and the Haut-Brion were anything but "relatively undrinkable."
I believe we are on the same page and I am glad you enjoy the many facets of poetry.
IMO that the ability of great wines to appeal to the senses requires a necessary time for their development. Pictures that might appeal to the imagination might give way to better expressed movies that are composed of many thrilling pictures when fully developed.
The NC people wre bringing this example of famous expensive wines and comparing them to the Rubicon claiming to have simillar abilities.
That is going to be a neat trick.
I undersatand and appriciate your choice.
Thanks for sharing
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Nuit St. George Dominique Laurent 1996
Expectations may prove problematic sometimes especially when fueled with long waiting.
6 days in a raw with 16 - 18 hour shifts need some sort of compensation and x-hairdresser's Dominique Laurent NSG 1996 was chosen.
The sight of a moldy cork deflated the forming imagination and brought down the expectations to a nervous tingling in my stomach. The last of two bottles of a magnificent 12-bottle case showed little promise.
Dark cherry color with light amber rims with a considerable depth.
A rather closed nose when poured to the glass with some promise of a concentrated fruits and well balanced oak that could be regarded as slightly over-oaked when compared to other fine Nuit St G’s
5 Minutes later, an off nose started forming with mold and stagnant water dominating the scene.
20 minutes later some fruits developed but still the off aroma was hovering with little chance of subsiding.
Harsh tingling sensation captures the mouth focusing under the tongue taming every bit of expectations left. Ripe black cherries and some spices gave way to rather harsh tannins that left some bitterness in the aftertaste.
Patience is a good thing, 30 minutes later and the harshness subsides to allow a fairly drinkable wine to be consumed by those blinded by the memories. Minutes later and the heavier aromas regained control dismissing any sweet fruits left.
Compensation is on the way….
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Hi Geo and welcome,
Mondavi went out of their way to compare their wines to top French claret in public tastings already 10 years ago. Rubicon are massive wines and may be comparable to Bordeaux 1st growth when young [ and relatively undrinkable] but ten years from now they will have to stand the real test - when the wines have matured, then it will be time to seperate the men and the boys.
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Am I the only one who thinks of "variety" being the name of the grape, and "varietal" being the name of a wine made predominantly from a particular variety and so labeled?
I believe that is also Craig's point and it both looks and does make sense.
My basic instinct is to capitalize but I am going to try to stick to Craig's examples.
Luckily we have no such problems in Arabic nor Hebrew so our region is safe for now....
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Good point by Mr. "T",
A classic marketing techniqu that is supposed to look professional.
This note should be of major interest to the trade or collectors, yet purchasing without tasting is a major no, no.
Think its worth it? find the time to visi t the region or ask your supplier for samples to allow a vertical tasting.
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I seem to enjoy Rose` wines more than I realize.
South African Goats do Roam 2002 by Fiarview.
France's Tavel 2001 by Paul Jaboulet Ainee
Lebanon's Chateau Ksara 2000 from the Bekaa valey.
Spain's Marques de Caceres Rioja Rose' 2001.
Several Greek wines fall into the "enjoyed" category namel the Apelia Rose by Kourtakis and the Amathystos Rose from Ktima Kosta Lazaridi.
Enjoyed Antinori's fairly simple Cipressi.
Most interesting I find the Greek Rose' wines as they tend to both age and use dif. grape varieties providing a fairly large array of flavors and the Lebanese assomblage.
The fact that the goats "selected" 48% Cinsault, 16% Grenache, 12% Carignan, 9% Merlot, 6.5% Gamay Noir, 3% Shirax, 2% Pinot Noir, 2% Pinotage, 1% Chardonnay and 1/2% Semillon is worth noting thogh certain aspects of the wines behave more "redish" than what Rose' wines are expected of.
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So What's for dinner Brad ?
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Bikky, the sommelier at Amma in NYC, is a master of pairing wines with Indian food. I had previously been under the impression that all I could drink was beer too, until he turned my head. He paired an Australian shiraz that turned out to be dynamite with a variety of well-spiced dishes. This was not an intuitive combo to me until I tried it. Check out this thread on Amma for a lot of discussion on wine pairings and Bikky's magic.
Big fruity reds with an emphasys on soft tannins can do the job. Many Australian wines fall into this category namely oak flavored not aged.
Brad's law alcohol frizzante can do very nicely as well.
Pinot Noir on the other hand tends to be lost - or at least the one's I tried.
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Introduction
in Wine
Welcome and congratulations.
Enjoying your attitude.
Andre
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Andre -- we finally broke out a bottle of the Recanati SR. I served it with a marinated London Broil. We enjoyed it so much that I'm planning on picking up a couple more bottles since it's on sale. I found it too intense at first -- all these flavors jumping out at me and I couldn't identify any. But after sitting in the glass it opened up. The initial flavors were of fruit - dark berries perhaps? But I felt there was something almost chocolately in the finish. This is definitely a wine that needs to be drunk with food.
I am glad you enjoyed it. The chocolate flavor is like that of older wines and it does reflect the characteristics of the Recanati SR 2000. It seems to age very fast.
The new 2001 is out now and unlike the blended 2000 [ 50% merlot 50% Cab. ] is a varietal Cab.
I will post my TN'S as soon as I can get rid of an illness that is KKhepsing my senses.
The rising number of boutique wineries is surely affecting the industrial wineries' sale as far as quality wine sales are concerned this passover. Note that this is the best wine selling seasonn of the year in Israel.
Best,
Andre
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My taste has developed over the years but did not change.
A tricky question that deserves much thought over a few bottles.....
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Thanks for sharing Scot,
I had encountered unpleasant Sommeliers before, namely in Paris but I also did not expect much out of them.
A General rule of the ones I encountered, the older they are the more sensitive they become. I don't mind them leading the way but they sure do need to relax sometimes.
Now the Tour D'Argent is defenitely a place I would come to with high expectations. For me it is an important traditional wine temple along with some very fine dishes.
I agree with Moby, they need to read your post.
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Joining Carolyn's toast.
May he rest in peace.
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Thanks for the notes.
I am not sure if the Piane delle vigne will develop any further. I think it is well developed and at its best though I agree that it will keep so for two more years.
The Monti Olmi is a great wine. I like the 1998 even better.
Great choice of wines.
Thanks.
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As always, thanks for the update.
The Sauvignon Blanc SR sounds appealing. When do you think it will be released?
I'll also keep an eye out for The Cave.
Most welcome,
Benyamina is imported to the States by Royal Wine Corp -New-York, N Y. - they should know best.
Labels are ready so I believe the wine should be there shortly.
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Following the Lerner of Holywood report about the investment in Benyamina, following is my report of the wine.
The New Benyamina
When you invest in a winery and change the winemaker, former wines that had been made prior to the changes, don’t just vanish into thin air. The “new” winery may need a minimum of three to four years to express its new potential.
Winemaker Sasson Ben-Aharon did go a long way after replacing former winemaker Amram Soratski and one of his signatures are gentle, well balanced wine with a mild use of oak [ a nice change theses days ].
Following are the new wines tasted March 21st 2004:
Sauvignon Blanc Galilee region, Beyamina Special Reserve 2003.
Bottled March 20th.
Light greenish towards straw color
Sweet aromatic nose of freshly picked pears and melons along with some citrus blossom and wet green grass. Grapefruits linger a bit on the finish with a pleasant acidity.
Very smooth on the entry with passion fruit dominating the ripe fruity flavors with some grapefruits and a grassy medium long finish.
Medium – light bodied wine, very pleasant, elegant and very well balanced.
A great job by winemaker Sasson Ben-Aharon with a nice change of 12 d. alcohol.
Chardonnay, Galilee Benyamina Special Reserve 2002.
Very light clear golden color.
Very light buttery towards sweet banana and apple nose. [The aroma of banana in Chardonnay or other wines may be as a result of a use of certain kind of oak namely Australian wood chips].
In the mouth the wine is light bodied with some fruits and mildly oaked.
Lacks body and character with a short finish. Drink now.
Gewurztraminer, Galilee Benyamina Special Reserve 2003
Medium dry harvested in the Tabor area – lower Galilee. Note that the winery makes also a sweet version of Gewurztraminer that will be reported on later on.
Light yellow color towards pink
Very aromatic sweet leeches and Jasmine blossom nose with some hints of spices and a honeysuckle finish.
Medium dry perfumed wine that seems to lack body and acidity, A relatively short finish.
A huge gap between the well-rounded nose and rather flat taste. Drink now.
Tempranillo Benyamina 2002.
A second try of Tempranillo in Israel from Benyamina
Light red towards Bordeaux color.
A pleasant mild ripe red berry nose with some Caramel lingering.
In the mouth the wine is round with ripe red fruits, medium towards light bodied with a smooth tannin finish [little oak is apparent]. A rather simple food-friendly wine even though it is a better wine from Benyamina’s 2001 first attempt.
Merlot Benyamina Special Reserve Galilee region, 2000.
Dark intense red-ruby color.
Av beautiful aromatic nose consisting of sweet berries: cassis, raspberries and some dark cherry liquer ending with chocolate and subtle wood.
On the entry the wine displays ripe fresh red fruit flavors with hints of over-ripe fruits and aldehydes [oxidized tannins].
A medium bodied wine with little potential of progress. Drink now – 2006. APX 15$
Cabernet Sauvignon Benyamina Special Reserve, Galilee region 2000.
Dark brick-red color.
Mild oaky aromas dominate this rather gentle Cabernet nose. The wine takes about 15 minutes to start opening up and may need a few more month to further develop. Like the Merlot, over exposure to air leaves some oxidized aromas lingering after the smooth cassis and plum entry. Smooth and very pleasant well-balanced wine in the mouth but a slightly oxidized and disappointing aftertaste. Drink 2004-2006.
The Cave, Galilee region, 2000.
The cave is Benyamina’s top line, yet, nowhere is the name of the winery mentioned on the label. The marketing strategy behind this wine is to brand name this top quality as a separate product line.
The wine is supposedly produced in a cave in the Milek valley near the village of Bat-Shlomo.
Dark red cherry-Bordeaux color.
A concentrated ripe plums, dark cherries, dried plums, almonds and subtle oak, very well balanced nose. [The wines starts to open up after 1 hour or so].
Soft smooth texture of prunes and a bit of cassis, little acidity and some soft tannins with a medium long somehow disappointing finish. Drink now – 2005.
Gewurztraminer Dessert, Benyamina Special Reserve 2003.
Clear lively straw with hints of pink.
Rosewater, jasmine blossom, honey, leeches, sweet apricot syrup dominate this very aromatic nose.
Mildly and pleasantly sweet on the entry with honey and apricot syrup dominating the mouth.
Medium long finish. Very plesant well balanced with a beautiful nose.
Drink now. 11$
In am not sure about the US prices though experience tells they should be simillar.
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Thank you all,
Brad,
Give the Vigil a try - it's worth it.
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Older Zinfandels
With the little experience I have with older Zinfandel wines I went through some and a couple stood out:
Zinfandel Kenwood 1993
Dark deep red towards brick at the rim
A beautiful nose of plum syrup, smoked meat, leather and sweet tobacco.
Very well balanced in the mouth with a smooth development of the molasses towards a mildly spiced finish.
Enjoy now.
Zinfandel, Tres Condados, Vigil, California 1997.
What a pleasant surprise!
A rather light Bordeaux color with some depth apparent.
A beautiful well balanced nose with red sweet cherry liquor, liquorices and spice.
In the mouth the wine is smooth elegant and well integated moving from the ripe cherry flavors to a perfectly balanced spicy finish.
Enjoy now – 2006.
Ravenswood was somehow a disapointment or my expectations were too high.
Will be glad to read comments and experience
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28 $ is a very good price for the Montiano.
We pay around 40$ for this wine in Israel while most Italian wine prices are similar or cheaper than the ones in the States.
I adore the work of Falesco and I find Montiano as the leader of the pack.
Massive AOC shake-up proposed
in Wine
Posted
Anger is the first emotion generated from this article and especially from the quote.
This step should be banned and traditional falvors encouaged in each terroir.