WTN: 2005 Yarden Single Vineyard Merlot Wines (K) 
 16.08.2009 
 By: Daniel Rogov

Late this afternoon a messenger delivered one bottle each of the 2005 Golan Heights Winery's just released single vineyard Merlots, both in the Yarden Series. The bottles arrived in a comfortably cool condition and knowing that they had been shipped directly from the winery's Tel Aviv storage facility, I felt safe in deciding to break my usual rule of letting wines sit for a short while and went on to do a more-or-less immediate tasting. The wines were inserted into a spontaneously arranged blind tasting of California and Israeli Merlot wines of the same vintage year.

Both wines underwent almost precisely the same treatment in the vineyards, on arrival at the winery and then in oak. The differences – quite simple – terroir, terroir and terroir! As sometimes happens, my advice is to buy one of each, to taste these at the same time to decide which, if either is your favorite. I have, by the way, tasted each of these wines twice earlier – first as barrel tastings and then as advance tastings.

Yarden, Merlot, Tel Phares Vineyard, 2005: Showing even better than at earlier tastings. Developed in French oak, two-thirds of which was new, for 14 months, Full-bodied, with caressingly soft tannins and an abundance of blackberry, violet and lightly toasted oak on first attack, those opening to raspberries, mocha and sweet cedar, all building to a long and succulent finish. A generous 15% alcohol content here but not a hint of heat to distract. Approachable and enjoyable now but best 2011-2018. NIS 139. Score 93. K

Yarden, Merlot, Kela Vineyard (formerly known as Sha’al Vineyard), 2005: An absolute powerhouse at barrel-and advance tastings but now with its relatively high alcohol level (15%) wood and tannins coming together nicely. Rich, intense and concentrated, but already showing fine balance between firm but yielding tannins and generous but well-moderated wood and bold aromas and flavors of plum, currant, blackberry, licorice and spices, all rising to a long tannic, fresh herbal and mineral-rich finish. Best 2011–2017. NIS 139. Score 92.