Sea Horse Winery: Lennon 2003-2008 and other Wines 
 28.08.2009 
 By: Daniel Rogov

In honor of the upcoming release of the 2007 Lennon of The Sea Horse Winery, winemaker Ze'ev Dunie today hosted a vertical tasting of the Lennon wines from 2003-2008. The 2007 edition will be released officially on 1 September 2009. The recommended price to the consumer will be NIS 130 but for the first month the wine can be obtained at the winery for NIS 108 and cases of six bottles can be purchased at NIS 98 each. Best bet for arranging visits, tastings and purchases will be to contact the winery at 02-5709834.

Sea Horse, Lennon, 2003: Dark garnet with just a hint of clearing at the rim, a medium- to full-bodied blend of 95% Zinfandel and 5% Petite Sirah. With 14 months in American oak, and now opening with a light herbal nose, it's once gripping tannins now settled in nicely and continues to show fine concentration of ripe, juicy cherry and wild berry flavors as well as an appealing pepper and anise edge. Drink now. Score 90. (Re-tasted 28 Aug 2009)

Sea Horse, Lennon, 2004: Deep garnet, medium- to full-bodied, reflecting its 14 months oak aging with now soft, well integrated tannins and spicy wood. A blend of 95% low-yield Zinfandel vines and 5% Petite Sirah, the wine, continuing to shows good balance between wood, tannins and fruits. Opens to reveal generous raspberry, plum and cassis fruits, those matched nicely by light peppery, vanilla and minty overtones. Firm and concentrated, lingering nicely on the palate but not for further cellaring. Don't decant this one as the additional air will not do it any good at all. Drink now. Score 90. (Re-tasted 28 Aug 2009)

Sea Horse, Lennon, 2005: A blend this year of 90% Zinfandel and 5% each Petite Sirah and Carignan. Aged for about 16 months in used American oak barrels, this full-bodied, deep, dark-garnet wine is richly aromatic, with soft tannins integrating beautifully and highlighting generous plum, wild berry black berry and notes of roasted herbs. A long and generous spicy finish. Drink now–2011. Score 90. (Re-tasted 28 Aug 2009)

Sea Horse, Lennon, 2006: Medium to full-bodied, this blend of 92% Zinfandel and 8% Petite Sirah shows soft and round with gently mouth-coating tannins and a moderate hand with spicy oak. On the nose and palate red plums, blackberries and hints of both Oriental Spicesand Mediterranean herbs, all lingering nicely. Look for a tantalizing note of bitter chocolate on the finish. Drink now-2012. Score 90. (Re-tasted 28 Aug 2009)

Sea Horse, Lennon, 2007: Primarily Zinfandel, that flushed out with Petite Sirah. Showing more round, gentle and elegant than at barrel tastings. A sophisticated country-style wine, with soft but somewhat chunky tannins and the once dominant wood now receding nicely. On the nose and palate generous plum, berry and licorice aromas. On the long finish the tannins part to reveal notes of red berries, black pepper and sage. Drink now-2014. Score 91. (Re-tasted 28 Aug 2009)

Sea Horse, Lennon, 2008 (Barrel Tasting): A small switch this year with the blend of 80% Zinfandel and 10% each of Petite Sirah and Mourvedre but that should give no cause whatever for complaint. A supple and intense wine, well focused and even at this early stage showing fine balance and structure. On first attack black cherries, anise and pepper, those followed by wild berry, sage and oregano notes and, on the long finish blueberries and cherries. Plenty of tannins here so no need to rush. Best 2011-2016. Tentative Score 91-93. (Tasted 28 Aug 2009)

Also Tasted At the Winery Today

Sea Horse, Romain, 2008 (Barrel Tastings): Tasted from two tentative blends, the first of 50% Grenache and25% ach of Syrah and Mourvedre, the second of the same grapes in a 40%, 30% and 30% blend. Projecting into the future, full-bodied with generous but gently caressing tannins and showing smooth, round and ripe. On the nose and palate blackberry, black cherry, blueberry and exotic spices those yielding on the long finish to notes of tobacco and roasted herbs. Drink from release-2013 perhaps longer. Tentative Score 90-92. (Re-tasted 28 Aug 2009)

Sea Horse, Chenin Blanc, James, 2009 (Barrel Tastings): Still very early days for this wine, the grapes for which were harvested only a week ago and are now undergoing rather musical fermentation in barriques. One sample from a high brix and thoroughly sweet wine, the other with crisp dryness, both remarkably aromatic even at this stage. Far too early in the game to make any valid guesses but I do wonder whether Dunie will decided to release two versions of the James from 2009 – the first dry in the style "to which we have become accustomed" and the second as a potential dessert wine. Like the grapes themselves and Dunie, I am willing to wait and see what decisions will be made. (Tasted 28 Aug 2009)

Sea Horse, Chenin Blanc, James, 2008: My earlier quite recent tasting note holds firmly. A surprisingly full-bodied Chenin Blanc, but what a happy surprise, for this rich and stylish wine is on its way to showing a tempting array of fig, white peach, almond, mineral and cardamom notes, all on a background of heather and minerals. If Sea Horse’s 2007 Chenin Blanc might have called to mind the better dry wines of this varietal from South Africa, this one would make a fine competitor to a well made Vouvray. Drink now–2014. Score 91.

Sea Horse, Chenin Blanc, Wild Yeasts, James, 2008: Fermented entirely with wild yeasts only about 200 bottles of this wine were made that as much an experiment on the part of the winemaker than a commercial endeavor. With light funky-yeasty notes that persist, those adding charm to a mineral-rich white showing bitter almonds, peaches and peach pit notes along with clear notes of earthy minerals. If the regular release of this wine (see the tasting note above) calls to mind Vouvray, this one seems more something from "where the wild things are". Enchanting. Score 90