Israel breaking the 100$ barrier

[Andre]

The fast developing Israeli wine scene has several aspects.

One of the leading Gargists - Zauberman has just released his secon L E priced at 110 $ a bottle.

Only 500 bottles produced so might not be a big deal though the quality and intensity are leaving the competition behind.

Although the Katzerin by Yarden is selling at around 100$ in the States [around 40% more than in Israel] Zauberman LE Cab is the most expensive Israeli wine on release.

Zauberman

Merlot 2003Dark intense deep colors of red leading to numb borders.

New oak with some fruits gradually open-up with lingering dusty oak.

Coffee, roasted oak, mild vanilla notes. Nuts, lactic aromas are the second impression of this concentrated slow to open wine.

Soft on the entry with a smooth silky feel, sufficient acidity [barely].

Soft fruity raspberries, smooth and mildly sweet.

20 minutes later and the oak subsides to reveal a fuller more balanced body.

Drink now – 2009.

Cabernet Sauvignon Limited Edition 2002

Oak dominated, smooth textured and a bit alcoholic.

In need of a couple of hours to open-up

Full – medium + body with concentrated fruits, coherent with the spicy aspect, long and reasonably complex.

A smooth long finish in need of time to mature and develop.

Amarone style in terms of sweetness and the sometimes alcoholic feel yet smooth and very well balanced.

Cabernet Sauvignon Limited Edition 2003

Barrel tasted.

An impressive concentration with a fruity aspect well blendede with oak and spice to create perhaps the most powerful and impressive body any Israeli wine possessed before.

The wines impressive aspects don't overshadow its appealing character.

Looking forward to tasting the wine when released.

Well done !

Cabernet Sauvignon Limited Edition 2004Barrel tasted

Very concentrated deep color.

Deep scented nose, vanilla, chocolate and mild oak.

Smooth and concentrated enough to be termed interesting with subtle use of oak , mild sweetness and a fairly long finish.

Promising

[Rebel Rose]

Wow, these sound like amazing wines! I imagine they are not available in the U.S. or Canada? Barrel tasting at these producers sounds like quite a privilege, given their small productions. Since you have visited the wineries, can you give us a "visual," as they say in the news? Perhaps a brief description of the winery, vineyard and winemaker?

[bloviatrix]

The Katzrin is hard to find in NY. But I did have an opportunity to sample the red last year. I don't remember which vintage it was, but it was quite lovely. It's been such a long time that I don't remember any details.

[Andre]

With pleasure Mary,

Katzerin is Golan Height's winery [yarden being its most famous] top wine series.

The wine had been known to be the most expensive in I srael ever since their first release in 1990 [ 20$ then ]

The wine had been increasing in price ever since: 1990-1993-1996-2000 produced apx once every three years or so.

Golan Heights produces several milion bottles a year known to be of good technical quality.

Zauberman is a very small producer of a local gargist size producing apx 6000 bottles .

Merlot Zauberman - nearly 90% of the wineries production, is pretty much amongst the best Merlot in Israel priced around 40$ a bottle.

The Merlot grapes are taken from Karmei Yossef area located ay the now booming Yoav Yehuda at the slopes of the Jerusalem mountains.

The Cabernet Sauvignon LE is a very small, high alcohol content, extra concentrated wine of an Amarone nature. The winemaker is probably using very low yield vines and cold drying the grapes for higher concentration.

Although of small size, the winery is equiped with state of the art latest equipment.

The winery is indeed located at Mr. Zauberman's "garage".