Any Suggestions for kosher wines for Passover?

[Artichoke]

I drink so few kosher wines during the year, (usualy only at Passover when I am with my family all of whom keep kosher homes), that I can never remember the few good ones I have had. One that I recall was very good was a 1999 Hagefen Cellers cabernet. Any suggestions, particularly full bodied reds?

[Gifted Gourmet]

Katie Loeb article and discussion on Kosher Wines for Passover

discussion on Israeli wines

[dinwiddie]

I drink so few kosher wines during the year, (usualy only at Passover when I am with my family all of whom keep kosher homes), that I can never remember the few good ones I have had. One that I recall was very good was a 1999 Hagefen Cellers cabernet.  Any suggestions, particularly full bodied reds?

←

I'm also looking for something else. However, I'm taking a 2001 Capçanes Montsant Peraj Ha'Abib Kosher with me this year as well. Capcanes makes some excellent Kosher wines at a reasonable price.

[Gifted Gourmet]

interesting piece from Jennifer Rosen

Kosher wine review has some ideas as well ...

Passover 2006 reviews here as well

from Vino.com

Today, the same grapes that go into the better Bordeaux and Rhone offerings from France, and the equally improved California varieties – cabernet sauvignon, merlot, grenache, syrah, zinfandel, mourvedre, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay – go into wines vinified, aged, blended and bottled under Kosher conditions. Wine is made in Israel, of course, and there are vineyards on the Golan Heights.

[KatieLoeb]

Thanks Melissa. It keeps reappearing this time of year.

I'd be happy to send a PDF file of the article via PM to anyone that wants to read it without all the formatting crap in it. I think that happened when we changed software - it didn't used to look like that.

[Daniel Rogov]

Perhaps the following lists will help:

(a) The best Israeli wines released in 2005 - http://stratsplace.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=10134

(b) The best kosher wines released in 2005 -

http://stratsplace.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=10133

[Gifted Gourmet]

anything from either Katie Loeb or Daniel Rogov is the quintessential advice to be followed ... they know kosher wines better than anyone else I know .. follow their advice, read their writings, and enjoy the resulting Passover holiday!

ברוך אתה ײ אלהינו מלך העולם בורא פרי הגפן

Baruch atah Adonai, Elohaynu, melech ha-olam, borei p’riy ha-gafen.

Blessed are You, Lord, our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

[KatieLoeb]

Aw shucks. I'm flattered to be mentioned in the same breath as the esteemed Mr. Rogov.

[bloviatrix]

Rogov, maybe I'm missing something but I don't get why so many people think highly of the Castel reds. I've had both wines, several times and I find them disappointing. The "C" on the other hand is quite nice.

Also, what are your thoughts on Chillag? I just picked up a bottle of the 2003 Cab Reserve - my wine guy suggested I try it.

[Daniel Rogov]

With regard to the wines of Castel, I'm one of those who finds the reds nearly always excellent and sometimes truly superb, the wines (both the Grand Vin Castel and the Petit Castel) often earning scores well into the 90's. As to why you may not enjoy them – perhaps a question of personal taste, perhaps one of style, for the enjoyment of any wine is not dependent only on its quality but on our personal palates and desires. Look at the issue of Burgundy "versus" Bordeaux, for example – some adore the wines of one region and not those of the other, some can enjoy both. Much a matter not of quality but of "different strokes for different folks".

With re the 2003 wines of Orna Chillag, following are my tasting notes for both the regular and the kosher editions of her 2003 wines.

Chillag, Primo Riserva, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003: Aged in French oak for 18 months, with a small percentage of Merlot added, this full-bodied red shows appealing aromas and flavors of blackcurrant and ripe berry fruits, those matched nicely by spicy oak and, on the long finish, a hint of freshly turned earth. Drink now-2009. Score 90.

Chillag, Cabernet Sauvignon, Orna, 2003 (Kosher Edition): Made from grapes specially selected at the Zar’it Vineyard in the Kadesh Valley of the Upper Galilee and aged in French oak casks for 14 months. Ripe and chewy, with soft tannins and plum and blackcurrant aromas and flavors that linger nicely on the palate. Drink now-2007. Score 89.K

[artisanbaker]

Covenant Cabernet

Edited March 30, 2006 by artisanbaker (log)

[Gifted Gourmet]

Covenant Cabernet

←

thanks for this addition to the growing list here!

Kosher. A rich, exotic, distinctive style, with aromasof ripe currant, plum and blackberry, along with an intriguing new-leather aroma that plays in the background. Shows a measure of finesse and polish on the finish, with ripe, integrated tannins. An impressive debut.

[Daniel Rogov]

Covenant, indeed! Here is my own review of the wine:

Covenant, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, 2003: Jeff Morgan's first effort and a rousing success. Dark ruby towards royal purple, medium- to full-bodied, with generous but soft tannins integrating nicely and gentle overlays of vanilla and spices from aging in new French barriques. Near-sweet blackcurrant aromas and flavors abound, those matched nicely by hints of berries, tobacco and Mediterranean herbs. Long, round and mouthfilling. Drink now-2013. Score 93.K

[bloviatrix]

I cannot recommend the Dalton Oak Age Shiraz 2003 as I find the oak overpowers the fruit. But otherwise, I'm consistently pleased with their offerings. Their SR Sauvignon Blanc was my go to wine last summer and the Sasufa SB is quite pleasing as welling - they have completely different flavor profiles. And the unoaked Chardonnay is made in the Chablis style - very crisp.

I just picked a bottle of Goose Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2004, which is a New Zealand wine which I'm eager to open. They also have released a Cab.

If you can still find the Recanati Special Reserve 2000, do. I opened a bottle several months ago and it's aging nicely.

For those who aren't big wine drinkers, the Terra del Belmonte, which is from Portugal is a nice gateway wine - semidry. It's a blend of 5 grapes native to Portugal. The other Portugese wine is called Sephard. It's inoccuous - drinkable but nothing great.

As for splurges, I recently drank a Ch. Leoville-Peyoferre. The vintage escapes me, but it was quite tasty. It could still use a bit of aging, but we polished off very quickly.

For bargains, you can't go wrong with the Baron Herzon Chenin Blanc Clarksburg. It costs about $6 a bottle.

And for dessert, Katie mentioned the Tierra Selvaje Monastrell Dulce. This is wonderful and marries perfectly with a flourless chocolate cake. The Yarden Moscato which is fortified with brandy is quite pleasant and will please your non-wine drinking fans.

[markabauman]

Interesting discussion recently on our local NPR affiliate, WAMC in Albany on Kosher for Passover wines by Steven Kolpan of the CIA:

Steven Kolpan interview

[Pan]

Katie Loeb article and discussion on Kosher Wines for Passover

discussion on Israeli wines

←

There's also this "Passover 2005 wines" thread. I thought I remembered yet another thread, but I can't find it.