The Museum Wine Fair: Tasting Notes (With 4 New Wineries) 
 23.10.2009 
 By: Daniel Rogov

Last night (Thursday, 22 October), I attended the 13th wine fair held at the HaAretz Museum in Ramat Aviv. Sponsored by Wine, Gourmet and Alcohol Magazine, the weather was delightful, the paths of the museum full of charm, and the crowd and many of those manning the wine stands were most pleasant. From here on, however, much was downhill.

Not to misunderstand, I am all for repetitive wine fairs of both large and small size. Village fairs, whether in France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland German or Austria fascinate and please me no less today than they did when I was a youngster, and professional events such as Verona's VinItaly, Bordeaux' WineExpo and Israel's Sommelier could go on for a century and not become boring. On the other hand, as I wandered through the fair last night I wondered if some events should not have a far more finite life-span.

On the positive side, several of the small wineries that have participated from the beginning were there, but to a larger extent a great many that used to participate on a regular basis now seem to feel it is no longer a necessity to be in attendance. The same was true for the larger wineries, Carmel, for example, was notable by its absence and the other large wineries were serving primarily second and third wines and none of their very best. No less important, and indeed disappointing, were that there were nearly as many stands selling cheeses, liqueurs, jams and chocolates as there were those offering wine.

Indeed there were quite a few small wineries that made their debut here. The rather sad part of that was that several of these wineries were offering wines so low in interest that I could not help but wonder why they showed up.

I restricted my tastings largely to the wines of new wineries and to wines that I specifically wanted to re-taste. My tasting notes follow.

Best
Rogov

Chotem HaCarmel

A new winery to me. Founded in 2005 by Eli Sidi and set in the Moshava of Binyamina. Current production is about 3,000 bottles annually, the winery drawing on Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Petite Sirah grapes from their own vineyards.

Chotem HaCarmel, Merlot, 2006: Light garnet in color, medium-bodied, with softly caressing tannins, and forward raspberry, cherry and plum fruits. Nothing complex here but a pleasant quaffing wine. Drink now. Score 84. (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Chotem HaCarmel, Shiraz, 2006: Medium-bodied, with soft tannins and crisp acidity to highlight strawberry and dried berry aromas and flavors, those with a few hints of Mediterannean herbs. A good entry-level quaffer. Drink now. Score 84 (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Chotem HaCarmel, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006: Light ruby towards garnet, medium-bodied, with near-sweet tannins integrating nicely and showing a primarily blackberry-black cherry personality. Light enough on the palate that one might take it for wine made from Gamay grapes. Easy to drink. Drink now. Score 84. (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Chotem HaCarmel, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005: Light garnet, medium- to full-bodied, with gently gripping tannins and notes of sweet and spicy oak parting to reveal currant and blackberry fruits on a lightly spicy background. Drink now. Score 85. (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Chotem HaCarmel, Petite Sirah 2005: Dark garnet, medium- to full-bodied, with light tannins and spicy wood. Opens with a somewhat musky aroma but that blows off quickly enough to show an interesting array of red and black fruits. Marred a bit by a somewhat muddy note that comes in on the finish. Drink up. Score 82. (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Argov Winery

Another winery new to me. Located on Moshav Aviel south of Haifa and between Binyamina and Givat Ada). Founded by Amir Argov, currently producing about 3,500 bottles annually from Cabernet Sauvignon,Merlot, Shiraz, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc grapes largely from the winery's own vineyards.

Argov, Merlot, 2007: Garnet towards royal purple, medium-bodied, with soft tannins, opening to show appealing blackberry and blueberry fruits, those supported nicely by hints of roasted herbs. Drink now. Score 85. (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Argov, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2007: Made in a quasi-ripasso method, that is to say by passing the must over older lees, medium- to full-bodied with blackberry, raspberry and notes of cassis liqueur. Soft, round and drinking nicely. Drink now-2011. Score 85. (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Argov, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006: Light, not completely clear garnet in color, with soft tannins, a medium-bodied wine that opens in the glass to reveal blackberry and currant fruits, those complemented by notes of roasted herbs and cigar tobacco. Drink now. Score 85. (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Argov, Merlot, 2004: Garnet in color, showing clearing at the rim and a hint of browning. Soft and round, showing a somewhat tired berry-cherry personality and an unwanted hint of bitterness on the finish. Drink up. Score 79. (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Sde Boker

It was most pleasant to meet with winemaker Zvi Remick, who has been at each of the museum fairs since their inception. Located on Kibbutz Sde Boker in the heart of the Negev Desert, this small winery was founded in 1998 by former Californian Zvi Remick who studied winemaking at California’s Napa Valley College. Relying on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carignan and Zinfandel grapes grown in the desert, production currently varies between 3,000–5,000 bottles annually.

Sde Boker, Merlot, 2005: Ruby toward garnet, with soft, gently mouth-coating tannins. Showing a gently spicy wood influence and opening to reveal blackberry, black cherry and plum fruits, those supported nicely by hints of roasted herbs. Drink now. Score 86. (Re-tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Sde Boker, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005: Dark garnet toward inky purple, medium- to full-bodied, with soft tannins integrating nicely and showing generous but not imposing spicy cedarwood. Look for aromas and flavors of black fruits, Oriental spices and green olives, all lingering nicely. Drink now. Score 87. (Re-tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Sde Boker, Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot, 2006: My former tasting note holds firmly. Deep garnet-red, medium- to full-bodied, with spicy aromas and flavors of currants, cherries, anise, herbs and pepper. Well balanced and well focused, with tangy red fruits and smoky oak on the finish. Drink now. Score 88. (Re-tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Nahar Dalton

Also new to me. A family owned artisinal winery located in the Upper Galilee, producing about 1,500 bottles annually based on Mrlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

Nahar Dalton, Merlot, 2006: Opens with a medicinal aroma that lingers throughout and interferes with the red fruits that never quite make themselves felt. Soft enough to be thought of as flabby. Score 68. K (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

NaharDalton, Cabernet Sauvignon 2007: Developed with oak cips for 1 year, dark garnet, with a distinct note of iodine on the nose and earthy-herbal rather than fruity aromas and flavors. Score 69. K (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Kadesh Barnea

This Negev Desert winery was established in 1999 by Alon Tzadok on Moshav Kadesh Barnea and has its own vineyards near the ruins of the Byzantine city of Nitzana, just north of the Egyptian border. Releases to date have included only Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot-based wines, but the winery is now developing further vineyards containing Petit Verdot, Shiraz, Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay grapes. Production for the 2004 and 2005 vintages was about 5,000 bottles and in 2006 the winery made a major jump to 25,000 bottles. The wines have been kosher since the 2002 vintage.

Kadesh Barnea, Cabernet Sauvignon, Gilad 2008: Blended with 15% of Merlot, oak-aged for 10 months, with light tannins and generous acidity showing mostly red fruits. A simple entry-level wine. Drink now. Score 82. K (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Kadesh Barnea, Merlot, Gilad. 2008: Dark garnet, medium-bodied, a soft, round wine with forward red fruits and notes of Oriental spices. An easy to drink quaffer. Drink now. Score 84. K (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Kadesh Barnea, Blended Red 2007: A potpourri of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon,305% Merlot, and5% each of Petit Verdot and Shiraz. Garnet towards royal purple, medium- to full-bodied, with chunky tannins that give the wine a distinct country style. Flavors and aromas of wild berries, peach pits and citrus peel along with a not entirely wanted barnyard note. Drink up. Score 76. K (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Karmei Ziv

Yet another winery new to me. Founded in 2006 by Benji Shavit, currently planting their own vineyards but until now relying on purchased grapes and producing some 3,000 bottles annually

Karmei Ziv, Merlot, 2008: Soft and round with not much in the way of tannins but lots of spicy oak from the oak chips with which the wine was developed. A basic berry-black cherry wine without complexities. Perhaps acceptable as an entry-level quaffer. Drink now Score 80. (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Karmei Ziv, Shiraz 2008: Light ruby in color, light- to medium-bodied, with chunky country-style tannins and a few berry, cherry fruits. Drink now. Score 78. (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Karmei Ziv Cabernet Sauvignon, 2008: Garnet towards royal purple medium- to full-bodied, with vanilla and spicy notes from the oak chips with which it was developed. Gently tannic with appealing blackberry and cassis fruits. Drink now. Score 84 (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Domaine Ventura

Founded in 2006 by David Ventura and located in the community of Ofra. Annual production is about 4,000 bottles, those based on Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot grapes.

Domaine Ventura Caernet Sauvignon, Grand Vin, Limited Edition Haute Judée-Samarie, 2007: Opens with a light medicinal aroma that never quite blows off but does allow the black fruits and notes of tobacco to make themselves felt Medium-bodied,with country-style tannins. Drink now. Score 83. K (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Domaine Ventura, Rubens, 2007: A Bordeaux blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 7% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Medium- to full-bodied, with firm tannins waiting to integrate and opening slowly in the glass to reveal currants and wild berries on a background that hints of raisins and milk chocolate. Best from mid-2010. Score 85. K (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Domaine Ventura, Aarons 2007: A blend of equal parts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz. Oak-agedfor 18 months, showing dark garnet in color, with somewhat chunky tannins parting to reveal currant, raspberry and plum fruits on a lightly spicy background. Drink now-2011. Score 85. K (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)

Domaine Ventura, Merlot, 2007: The best to date from the winery. Dark garnet with orange reflections, medium- to full-bodied, with silk soft tannins integrating nicely. On the nose and palate berry, black cherry and cassis, those supported nicely by notes of bitter-sweet chocolate and a hint of green olives Drink now-2011. Score 87. K (Tasted 22 Oct 2009)