Carmel at 120 
 03.07.2010 
 By: Daniel Rogov

Twenty years ago Carmel-Mizrachi celebrated the anniversary of its 100th harvest. Being realistic, there was not very much to celebrate because even though the winery still controlled over 85% of the national market, their wines offered very little of which to be proud. The simple truth of the matter is that by 1990 the giant winery had become moribund, relying largely on antiquated winemaking methods and on the hypothesis that an unsophisticated wine-drinking public would swallow whatever was given to them. With two notable exceptions, the Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve releases of 1976 and 1979, the wines that were produced were of low quality and had little interest to those concerned with the consumption of sophisticated wines.

Now, however, as the winery, now re-named as simply Carmel, celebrates its 120th harvest, the picture is vastly different and Carmel indeed as cause to celebrate as the winery is now producing wines are among the best of Israel and comfortably compete on the international wine market. Today, with its major revolution well underway, following the history of Carmel is fascinating, having much akin to the history of Israel itself.

The modern day production of wine started only in 1870 when an early agricultural school near the city of Holon began experimenting with vines that had been imported from Europe. The nascent industry got an enormous boost in 1882 when Baron Edmond de Rothschild, the owner of the world-renowned Chateau Lafite in Bordeaux donated huge sums of money to be invested in the development the development of local vineyards. The Baron, who hoped to make wine one of the main economic staples of the newly established Jewish settlements, also financed the construction of two wineries, and during the last decade of the 19th century those were completed, one in Rishon le Zion and the second in Zichron Ya'akov, those destined to be the original home of Carmel Mizrachi.

Even with the continued financial support of the Rothschild family, all did not run smoothly. By the turn of the century, vineyards covered more than half of the total Jewish land under cultivation. Before long there was such a surplus of grapes that the Baron paid farmers to convert their fields from grapes to olives, citrus fruits and almonds, and nearly thirty percent of the vines were uprooted. Nor did the Baron's idea of providing kosher wines to Jews the world over prove profitable for very long. The lucrative Russian and American markets were both lost, the first to the excesses of revolutionary zeal and the second because of prohibition, and by 1948 and the founding of the State of Israel, only 2500 acres were planted in grapes. Although there were fourteen wineries, most of those would best have been classified as "cottage industries", and Carmel-Mizrachi was the new nation's only large winery.

The wines that were produced were of low quality and had little interest to those concerned with either the making or consumption of sophisticated wines. Even though Jews have many traditional religious, communal and family activities that include wine, wine consumption was very low and what was drunk was usually sweet, red and often fortified, certainly not the kinds of wines to interest connoisseurs.

Some speculate that the demand for more sophisticated wines came about because as more and more Israelis traveled abroad, especially to Europe, they came to realize that wine had far more than ceremonial value. The true wine revolution started when the Golan Heights Winery opened in 1983. It took some twenty years until Carmel became part of this revolution but since then has most assuredly become a most positive and even cutting-edge member of that revolution.

Although many changes started during the period that Avraham Ben Moshe was the CEO of Carmel, serious and intensive input to bringing Carmel more fully into modern times started when David Ziv was appointed CEO in 2002. Under Ziv, the winery began focusing far more on the quality of its vineyards and grapes, constructed a new and state-of-the-art facility at Ramat Dalton in the Upper Galilee and made the decision that it would compete more seriously in the field of quality rather than quantity. In 2003, Ziv also took the bold step of appointing Lior Lacser as senior winemaker and of installing modern equipment even in the older wineries and of making a marked move away from too-often inferior mevushal wines. Most dramatically, Ziv ensured that winemaking and business concerns would remain largely separate, the senior winemaker and his staff having the final say in matters as critical as what grapes would be accepted, what blends made, and what wines bottled and released. Ziv was also responsible for the move to become a partner in the Yatir winery which, from its outset was one of the most exciting wine ventures in the country. Of a sudden people came to realize that Carmel was capable of producing excellent wines, those not only in special releases such as their Limited Edition and Mediterranean but throughout their Single Vineyard and Appellation series.

Despite producing many wines that could now be the envy of any winery anywhere, Carmel remained in deep financial straits, and that until 2005 when Israel Ivzan was took over the reins as the current CEO. By encouraging innovation on the part of grape-growers and winemakers and by converting a clumsy management system into a well-oiled mechanism, Carmel has indeed entered the 21st century. More than this, even the wines in the once mediocre Private Collection and Selected series are now competing comfortably on the market and wines such as the Limited Edition and Mediterranean now compete with the best that the country has to offer. New vineyards have been and continue to be developed in the Upper Galilee; sites with old vines of Carignan and Petite Sirah have been located and developed; and the focus in general is on quality and wines of interest. No less important, Carmel is now the sole owner of the Yatir winery and has demonstrated the wisdom of giving winemaker Eran Goldwasser given free rein to develop and show his talents.

Carmel now controls less than 50% of the market but this is no sin whatever for with mevushal wine now largely a thing of the past, with dynamic and talented winemakers on board and with a smoothly functioning management team and producing many world-class wines, Carmel's 120th anniversary is indeed one to celebrate.

Several of the Very Best from Carmel

Carmel, Limited Edition, 2007: Full-bodied and concentrated but not at all bombastic, developed in Burgundy-sized barrels (45% of which are new), showing fine balance and structure that bode well for the future. A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Petit Verdot, 5% each of Merlot and Malbec, and 2% Cabernet Franc, with a generous array of blackcurrant, blackberry and dark plum fruits, those supported by gentle notes of spicy oak and fresh acidity. Needs time for all of the elements to come together. Drink now–2018. NIS 240. Score 93. K

Carmel, Mediterranean, 2007: Youthful dark garnet towards royal purple, casting orange and violet reflections, a full-bodied blend remarkably gentle blend of 37% Carignan, 26% Shiraz , 20% Petit Verdot and 15% Petite Sirah and 2% Viogner, each fermented separately and developed for 7 months in oak before blending and passing 8 further months in oak. Deeply aromatic, on first attack so full of ripe red and black fruits and then opening to show an appealing array of blackberry, raspberry and cassis notes, those supported nicely by not-at-all imposing notes of smoky oak, black pepper and juniper berries. The wine reflects its time in oak with gentle wood influences and abundant but soft and gently caressing tannins. Round, complex and long. Drink now-2018. NS 150. Score 93. K

Carmel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Single Vineyard, Kayoumi, Upper Galilee, 2007: Oak-aged for 15 months, a distinctive full-bodied Cabernet, showing cherry, raspberry and red currant fruits on a background of freshly turned earth and tobacco, all leading to a finish that goes on seemingly without end. Well focused and with excellent integration between fruits, tannins and wood. NIS 120. Drink now–2015. Score 93. K

Carrmel, Shiraz, Single Vineyard, Kayoumi, Upper Galilee, 2007: Almost impenetrably dark garnet in color, a big, bold and expressive wine, showing generous black cherry, red plum and raspberry fruits, those on a background of Oriental spices. Concentrated and generous, opening in layers on the palate and then lingering long and comfortably on the palate. Well crafted. Drink now–2015. NIS 120. Score 92. K

Carmel, Gewurztraminer, Late Harvest, Single Vineyard, Sha’al, Golan, 2008: Generously sweet but with fine balancing acidity, a rich dessert wine, with honey and floral notes to highlight notes of litchi, lemon curd and spices. Complex, long and rich, delicious and complex enough not to accompany dessert but as dessert. Drink now–2016, perhaps longer. NIS 85. Score 93. K

Carmel, Cabernet Franc, Regional, Upper Galilee, 2008: Made primarily from Cabernet Franc grapes, those fleshed out with a bit each of Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. Developed in mostly used barriques for 10 months, dark garnet, with appealing spicy oak on the nose, full-bodied and concentrated, an intense wine opening to reveal its faithfulness to the variety. On the nose and palate raspberries, blackberries and plums, those on background of Mediterranean herbs and what seems one moment to be eucalyptus and the next as mint. Fine balance and structure here. Drink now-2016. NIS 60. Score 91. K

Carmel, Carignan, Regional, Old Vines, Zichron Ya'akov, 2008: Made from 30-40 year old vines (indeed entitled to be thought of as vieilles vignes by Israeli standards). Dark garnet in color, with generous soft tannins and an appealing influence of spicy wood. On the nose and palate opens with purple plums and currants and then goes to raspberries. Long and generous with the tannins rising on the finish. Drink now-2015. NIS 80. Score 90. K

Historical Tidbits

• Carmel has made wine under the Ottomon Empire, the British Mandate and since founding of the State of Israel and has never missed a harvest
• The wineries at Zichron Ya'akov and Rishon leTzion are the two oldest industrial buildings still in use in the country.
• The first electricity and first telephones were those at the Carmel wineries in Zichron Ya'akov and Rishon LeTzion.
• Carmel was the first Israeli company to engage in export
• The original cuttings for Cabernet Sauvignon and other Bordeaux varieties came from Chateau Lafite Rothschild
• The origin of the name Carmel is "Kerem El" or, in modern Hebrew "God's vineyard"