Pelter, Petit Verdot, T-Selection 2008 :The Hype Starts Here 
 27.05.2010 
 By: Daniel Rogov
 

On 21 Mar 2010, I paid my annual visit to the Pelter Winery on the Golan Heights. I tasted and re-tasted quite a few wines there (those on the thread at viewtopic.php?f=29&t=31220&p=271803&hilit=Pelter#p271803 ). The wine I most wanted to taste was the 2008 T-Selection Petit Verdot but, because that had been bottled just a few weeks earlier was then undergoing bottle shock. The wine is now out of its bottle shock and today a bottle was delivered to me for tasting.

I am normally quite patient when wines first arrive and give them several days or even a few weeks to recover from their journey long or far but curiosity (and the rapidly upcoming final-final deadline for my Israeli wine book) got the best of me and I opened the bottle shortly after its delivery that along with five other local and three imported wines made from 100% Petit Verdot grapes. That tasting will make a fine column for HaAretz but for the moment I am here merely to praise the Pelter wine.

Note thee well that less than 300 bottles of the wine were produced and at this stage those are available at the winery. The price of the wine is NIS 160 and I frankly don't give a damn what anyone says - considering its quality, that price represents excellent value for money. If you want to blame anyone for the hype that I am about to generate with this post, don't point your finger at me. Point your finger fairly and squarely at the wine. Those wishing to make purchases can contact the Nir Pelter by telephone at 052 8666384 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 052 8666384 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. Those living outside of Israel should dial 972-52-8666384 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 972-52-8666384 end_of_the_skype_highlighting. And yes, if I lived outside of Israel I would actually phone to have bottles set aside for me!

Best
Rogov

Pelter, Petit Verdot, T-Selection, 2008: Showing every bit as well as at barrel tasting. Oak-aged for 14 months, full-bodied, with fine concentration and gently mouth-coating tannins and notes of spicy cedar. On first attack blackcurrants and blackberries, those yielding comfortably to notes of purple plums and citrus peel and, to add to its charms underlying hints of ripe Kalamata olives and a potpourri of Oriental spices. Fruit forward, firm and concentrated at this stage and even now with a super-long finish. Give this one some time in the bottle and it will show earthy minerals and (as an educated guess) a tantalizing note of licorice. Approachable and thoroughly enjoyable now but best from 2012-2019. Score 93.