A trip to Sorrento & the Amalfi Coast

My first trip to Italy was 12 years ago. It was a love from first sight, and since then , I've been to Italy , 8 times. When we started to plan our yearly vacation , I thought of the Northern lakes, especially Lago Como. We've been there a year and a half ago , for only one day and enjoyed it very much. But then I talked with one of my patients who also travels to Italy a lot and he asked me - Have you been in the south of Italy? I answered not, and he said I must go there. Then I asked another friend, and he answered - It's the most beautiful place in the world!! So could I have another choice. Ans how was the Vacation ? In one word - Stunning. Breathtaking views, great food, wonderful atmosphere and lovely weather.

Some Tips :

1. If you can , fly to Naples (not Rome) . We lost almost a whole day driving from Fiumicino to Sorrento and Back.

2. If budget is not too tight , I would recommend our Hotel - Grand Hotel Royal. Great location , very close to the centre of Sorrento, just over the cliff above the sea (With an elevator that brings you right to the water line) , Beautiful and clean rooms, and good Service.

3. You must visit Ravello - some people miss it, since it's not sitting along the Coast, but It's beautiful and has 2 gorgeous Villas with a great view to the sea.

4. Every Wine Lover should try O'Canonico restaurant. It stands in the main square of Sorrento and besides lovely cuisine, it has uncomparable wine list (It also operates as an Online wine Shop - Italian Wine Selection.). I've had there a half bottle of Il Borro 2004, a very nice Super Tuscan for a about 25 Euros. Its mostly a Cabarnet-Merlot blend with gorgeous nose of ripe black fruits , tobacco and some mint. Medium to full bodied , with still present tannins, but quite smooth, and medium after-taste. I'd score it around 92-93.

Added- Some pictures

Georges Vernay tasting at Wine Route

Two weeks ago I had the fabulous Condrieu Coteaux du Vernon 2006 (former post) , so when I heard there's gonna be a tasting of their wines with the winemaker I couldn't say no (And the price was also quite fair) . I wrote a very descriptive tasting notes during the tasting and .... forgot them , so I was only left with my memories and Impressions.
The tasting started with the red wines (Vernay also makes Cote Rotie and a Vin de pays). I would be very surprised , unless I had the Coteaux du Vernon, maybe the richest and fullest bodied white wine I've had. Unlike the Coteaux du Vernon , the red wines of Vernay are in general very elegant , medium bodied reds , with lovely fruit, and not much wood felt (they have very low percentage of new wood). The generic Cote Rotie was very nice and their Cote Rotie Maison Rouge 2005 was really good with a nose of dark red and black fruits, with some pepper . Medium to full bodied, very elegant , smooth with good acidity, and nice aftertaste . (score 93-94) . It didn't had any hint of brett that I found in some Cote Roties before , which I dislike.
After a short Break, we moved to the whites, from Condrieau, that made this winery famous. Another Cuvee from 2006 was quite different from the Coteaux du Vernon, with less pronounced fruit and more minerality, It was also less rich and Viscous. The Condrieu Coteaux du Vernon 2006 was again fantastic , but a liitle less concentrated and rich than the bottle I had 2 weeks ago (Score 94-95 this time) and the 2004 version was quite similar but less intense. Overall a very nice tasting.
BTW ... The winemaker , the daughter of Georges Vernay, spoke french during the tasting , beside her sat a young guy who translated her words and add many other of himself. Later on I found out the this guy was Ya'ir Heido , a guy I heard so much about him for so long I thought he is at least 50 years old (He's less than 40). Besides the wines, It was very interesting to hear the winemaker and Heido talking about the area, the winemaking and their pilosophy.

Last weekend wines

As I wrote a few times before, not a long ago I almost had no white wines in my collection and my only experiences with whites were some Israeli Chard's from Castel & Golan Heights. But during the last year , that has changed. It started with some white Burgundies, mostly from Meursault, Chassagne Montrachet , some Corton Charlemagnes and even Montrachet. Then came the German Rieslings, from Donnhoff, Dr.Loosen, Emrich Shoenleber and more , a few Sauvignon Blanc's from New Zealand and last week a new revelation : Condrieu.
Last friday I've had one of the most interesting and impressive wines I've had lately. It was Georges Vernay , Condrieu Coteaux du Vernon 2006. In the nose it had a stunning aromas of sweet citrus fruits : sweetened oranges, red grapefruits , chinese oranges and more with some peaches and also flowers in the background , In the mouth it was maybe the fullest bodied white , I've ever had, mouth coating, rich with great acidity , some smokey notes and long finish. Stunning . Score - 96-97. We also had a bottle of Trapet, Chapelle Chambertin (Grand Cru) 2004, Ruby coloured, It had a nose of ripe red fruits, earthy notes and very mild bret in the background that didn't interfere much (I don't like it usually). In the mouth medium to full bodied, quite rich, with some chewy tannins , good acidity and medium-long finish. Very nice and not too expensive for a grand cru (I think something between 500-600NIS). Score - 92-93.
On Saturday night , I was invited for an evening with other wine lovers at Barcarola Restaurant. I didn't wrote any notes but 4 bottles were very nice - A bottle of Champagne imported by Eldad Levi (I think it was Larmandier, I'll find out later) that was balanced and tasty, a superb bottle of Chassagne Montrachet , Boudriotte 2002 from Gagnard (Score - 93-94) , Alion 2001- very elegant with dark red fruits, cedar, and earth, medium to full bodied, rich, wonderfully balanced with great aftertaste. Score - 94-95 , Fantastic value. Last was a bottle of Chateau Nairac 2001 (Brought by me). Golden coloured. Nose full of butter, honey , dominant butritis notes with tropical fruits - pinapples, passion fruits and more. In the mouth quite sweet and concentrated , but with good acidity to balance and nice aftertaste. A bit too young. Score - 93-94.

Some wines from Mersch

A few days ago, I was invited to a special tasting of Mersch, A company that imports Boutique Australian shirazes and now added to their Portfolio some Sauvignon Blancs fron new Zealend.
In this tasting , Mersch introduces some new wines they started to import as well as new vintages of wines they imported before.
1. Astrolabe - sauvignon Blanc, 2007 - Straw coloured. A Nockout nose of tropical fruits , mostly Passion fruit and Guava with some citrus and grapefruits afterwards. In the mouth light to medium bodied, a good balance of sweetness and bitterness that follows to the medium finish. Lovely wine . Score 92-93
2. Foxes Island , Sauvignon Blanc, 2007 - Straw coloured. A bit closed in the nose at the beginning, then started to give some citrus and minerals. As it developed in the glass, the aromas become more intense and were followed by grass. In the mouth - medium bodied, very good balance between sweetness and refresshing acidity and very nice aftertaste. Score - 92-93
3. Rockbare - Mojo Shiraz 2006 - This entry level shiraz had a nockout nose of black cherries and blueberries. In the mouth less impressive with Medium body, fruitiness but some lack of mid-palate presence. nice finish with some pleasent bitterness is a plus. If I could score its nose seperately I would give this a score of 93-94, but overall its a 90 points wine which is also very nice for a wine with a price ticket of 87NIS before discounts. Very good Value.
4. Teusner - Ebenezer Road Shiraz 2006 - Dark Ruby. Nose more understated with toasted wood and some Dark red fruits. In the mouth it was also medium bodied but richer with more mid-palate presence. The finish is medium-long with nice bitterness. Score - 92-93
5. Rockbare - Shiraz Mclaren valley 2006 - The nose resembles that of the Mojo (from the same winery) but more complex with a hint of coffee accompany the black cherries, blueberries and raspberries. In the mouth -Full bodied, chewy, very fruity, with a long finish . Score - 93-94
Outstanding value (108NIS before discounts).
6. Radford Dale - Shiraz 2005 - At the beginning we got some unpleasent aromas , that soon replaced by black and dark red fruits with licorice, In the mouth - Full bodied , chewy with a very dominant bitterness that was pleasent and interesting. The finish was long . Very interesting wine, Quite different from typical shirazes. Score - 92-93.
7. Noon - Eclipse ,2006 - The 2004 vintage of this wine was one of first wines I tasted from Mersch , and I fell in love with it , immediately. The 2005 was even better. and the 2006 ?
A blend of 67% Grenache and 33% Shiraz , its Ruby coloured, with a nose full of red and black cherries with some black pepper. In the mouth - medium to full bodied, very elegant (as always) with nice spiciness and wonderfully long finish. Score - 94-95. This is one of the few wines I buy each year automatically without the need to taste it before.
8. Glaymond - The Distance Shiraz , 2005 - Very Dark coloured. In the Nose very ripe black fruits with some wood and black pepper. Full bodied, very rich, Jammy, with long and sweet finish. A very impressive wine . Score 94-95.

Riesling's Evening

Last week , I hosted an evening devoted to Rieslings from 3 countries : France, Germany & Australia.
1. Grosset - Riesling, Polish hill , 2007 - Supposed to be one of the best Australian makers of Riesling (If not the best) . This is their top cuvee. A bit too young now. Nose of citrus fruits, a bit tropical fruits , mostly pinapple , and minerals. In the mouth, medium bodied, quite dry , with nice balance , good acidity and medium finish. Nice. Score - 90-91
2. J.J Christoffel , Erdener Trepchen, Riesling Auslese , 1975 - Yes, this wine is still alive, very much alive actually. Golden coloured. A nose with dominant petrol aromas , with some peaches in the background. In the mouth medium to full bodoed, oily textured , so fresh with a lovely balance of sweetness and acidity and a long finish. WOTN for most of the members . My score - 94-95.
3. Zind Humbrecht , Riesling , Rangen de Thann, Clos St.Urbain 2002 - My contribution , and the third bottle of this wine I tasted , and quite different from the former ones. The Nose has mostly citrusy aromas with some minerality , In the mouth it was medium bodied , fresh, with a special mouth feel that resembled Grapefruits with a special combination of sweetness , acidity and pleasent bitterness. Some (Including me) liked it a lot, others, much less. Score - 94-95
4. Emrich Shoenleber , Riesling Spatlese , Monzinger Halenberg, 2004 - Usually a favourite of mine, this evening , it didn't perform so well. A lovely nose of peaches , citrus and even some flowers . In the mouth it was again medium bodied with good sweetness and also good acidity that didn't integrate well enough . still very pleasurable, but not as good as two former bottles I had lately. Score (this evening) - 90

Euro Semi-Final with Numanthia 2004

Yesterday I invited 2 friends to watch the second semi-final of the Euro between Spain and Russia. What should I open? I asked my friends and they answered together - a spanish wine.
I suggested Alion 2001 , but one of them already had it last week so I opened a bottle of Numanthia 2004 (scored 98 by Jay Miller from the WA , and not far from it by WS).
The wine was as usual very dark coloured. The nose had a very dominant sedar with blackfruits and some eucalyptus and menthol in the background. with time - some licorice emerged. In the mouth it was full bodied but not a blockbuster like some former vintages (2003) still quite tannic , with good (but not huge) mid palate persistence and quite long aftertaste. A very good wine for sure , and definately a very good value , but my score is more like 94-95 .
BTW ...
Spain defeated russia 3:0 , now what should I open for the final between Spain and Germany ?
A german riesling or a spanish wine ?

Beaucastel Evening with Pierre Perrin - Impressions

Yesterday evening, a special tasting of Beaucastel wines , conducted by Pierre Perrin, the current winemaker was held. Here some of my impressions from the evening :

1. It was the first time I tasted the famous whites of Beaucastel. While very nice (The regular white CdP with mostly citrusy flavours and fresh acidity in the mouth. the Rossanne VV much more complicated, with less fruit and more butter and minerality both in nose and the mouth), I didn't fell in love with it, and still prefers the whites of Alsace and germany.
2. The 2001 and 1998 vintages of Beaucastel regular red CdP, always among my favourite wines , underperformed this evening. The 2001 was too ripe and porty and lacked the freshness I got from former bottles. The 1998 had too much brett in it, in my opinion.
3. Before this evening, I couldn't understand why they put the 1994 vintage in this tasting, but this wine was the big surprise of the evening, a lovely wine, great for drinking now, with great balance, and good food matching.
4. The Beaucastel regular CdP from 1989 vintage was the wine of the night (WOTN in hebrew). without any serious competition. Simply gorgeous. Complicated nose of red fruits (mostly Cherries , with some meat and spices in the background, medium, to full bodied, balanced, very rich with long long finish. Superb.
5. The Hommage 2005 tasted like ...Shiraz. Dark coloured, strong nose of raspberries without much subtlety , superconcentrated and a bit sweet. Even though I like some Australians, this one was too much for me, and didn't integrate well with the other wines. I liked the regular Cdp from the same vintage much more.

Some latest TN - Friday group

Last month I drank some really nice bottles at Wine Route , that also represents good values :

Antinori - Guado al Taso , 2001 - Very dark ruby, nose quite closed with black fruits, tobacco and licorice. In the mouth , full bodied, rich, quite tannic feel , with good persistency and aftertaste. not ready now, but will be very good in 2-3 years. Score - 95
Clos Mogador, 2004 - My second time with this wine , and my impression didnt change. Nose still closed with hints of black and dark red , spices and licorice, full bodied. very rich , chewy , great midpalate feel with long aftertaste. Superb value at 339 NIS before discounts. Score - 95-96
Artadi - vinas de gain, 2005 - One of the last bottles remained. Jay Miller (from the Wine advocate) gave it a score of 94 and drinking ability till 2030, not sure about both. Dark coloured, Medium to full bodied, still a bit tannic but quite fruity, decent mid - palate feel but not quite like the Clos mogador 2004, tasted afterwards, and nice finish. Overall, a very nice bottle , can be drank now or better 1-2 years from now. Probably will last 10-12 years from now , but why should we wait. Score- 92 . At 139NIS before discounts , a great value .
Clos Du Caillou - CdP Quartz , 2000 - Ruby coloured , wild nose of meat, leather , provencal spices and some dark red fruits in the background , the wine is quite full bodied, rich, spicy, chewable , with classic Chateauneuf feel in the palate, and nice aftertaste. I drank it with friends , some of the not realy Chateauneuf fans, and still all of the liked it a lot. Score - 94 . Again realy nice value for 349NIS before discounts.

All those wines makes me hold my opinion that today, with the rising prices of the Bordeaux & Burgundy wines , wine lover should pay attention to wines from the Rhone valley , Spain and Italy (Superb Barolos from good vintages such as the wines of Clerico and Scavino are being sold in Italy and hopefully in Israel for about 50-60 Euros), not to mention Australian wines which have a different style , but if you like it , you can find superb wines at a relatively good prices.

Roger Sabon / Emrich Shonleber

about a month ago my old PC passed away at the age of 7 . It took me some time to arrenge a new one , so I'm back. During that time I haven't had the chance to drink many wines but 2 bottles stood out.
The Roger Sabon - Cdp Cuvve Reserve 2004, was one of the nicest surprises I've had for a long time. A nose of red and black fruits intermixed with provencal herbs and a bit of bret , In the mouth it was full bodied, rich with chewy tannins, some spicyness and a very nice finish. I gave Kobi Shaked (The importer) a sip , blind, and he was very impressed, he almost couldn't believe that this was the Cuvee reserve , a wine that was sold for about 160NIS . If I could find more I would buy at least 5-6 more bottles. Score - 93-94
About 2 weeks ago I've had a bottle of Emrich Shonleber , Monzinger Halenberg , Riesling Spatlese 2004 at Zepra. By the time I arrived to the restaurant the bottle was a bit hot , and even though we got a Champagniere , it took more than 30 minutes till the wine reached the correct temperature , but when it reaches it, it was great. sweet nose of minerals, some lime , apples and flowers , in the mouth it had a great balance between sweetness and refreshing acidity, great fruitiness and long finish. Superb. maybe even better than the Donhoff that I've had a month before. Score - 95 . If you can still find one, grab it immediately.

BTW
It was my first time at Zepra. The service (including the wine service) was very good, and the food mostly very good. It is a restaurant that meant mostly to have fun with its small palates . Not a cheap one , but the whole experience worth the money in my opinion.

Lamaione 1997

When I started my obsession with wine , at the beginning of the millenium, Super-Tuscans were very popular, the 1997 vintage was just released , and recieived praises all around. Many wines were , relatively affordable. and approachable. Among the wines that were available in Israel were the top wines of Antinori (of which , the Guado al Taso was my favourite), many wines from Banfi (The Sirrah and Cabarnet was sold at around 100NIS and were very nice) , Cassalferro from Ricasoli, and more but one of the greatest wines was the Lamaione from Frescobaldi, a 100% Merlot wine from Castelgiocondo in Montalcino.
Since then Super Tuscan went out of fashion . One reason was that the success of the 1997 vintage made many raise their prices. Another reason was that these wines were good but not unique like other regions (maybe too internationally styled). Today when Bordeaux prices reached stratosphere , the Super Tuscan are actually bargain. Wines such as Massetto 2004 are sold for about 1000NIS , much cheaper than top Pomerols.
Yesterdai I opened my last bottle of Lamaione 1997, and again it was superb. Dark ruby, Nose of black cherries, plums and a little bit oak. the highlight was in the mouth, medium to full bodied, rich, smooth , fruity, mouth coating, with long and sweet aftertaste. Elegant in the best sense of the word. Score - 95

Fonseca - Vintage Port 1985

2 month ago during an evening with some of my friends at home, I opened a bottle of Fonseca, Vintage Port , 1985. We didn't finish the bottle so I corked it again with vaccum , and forgot about it. Yesterday night I had difficulties to fall a sleep so I opened it and drank the remaining - simply wonderful. Nose of Chocolate and cassis , Full bodied , Very rich, live, still a bit tannic with long finish. I think it actually got a little better during last 2 month. Score : 95-96

BTW , I quickly fell a sleep afterwords. Maybe I should start prescribing this for my patients, costs more than Bondormin or Nocturno but tastes much better.

Super Tuscans at Barcarola

3 days ago a special super tuscan tasting was held at Barcarola restaurant in Kfar-Sava. The tasting was held with the collaboration of the restaurant and especially with the help of the restaurant's manager (and Sommelier) , Elad Chen.
The restaurant made a special 6 course menu that was very good , especially a rissotto with mushrooms & artichokes , a great green salad with aged Gauda cheese and Revioli with cow tail meat. We all got 2 excellent wine glasses and some of us , asked (and got) third glass in order to allow the wines to breathe. I was quite impressed with the wine selection, prices and the knowledge of the manager/sommelier.

I didn't write formal tasting notes during the evening to the notes here are short and are mostly of general impressions:
1. Argiano - Solengo, 2000 : Seemed a bit corky at the beginning but improved with time. A very ripe almost raisiny nose with black fruits followed by medium body, smooth and quite long. Score : 90-91 , but probably not the best bottle.
2. Lamborghini - Campoleone , 1999 : dark ruby colour, Nose of black and dark red fruits with some spices and flowers , in the mouth medium to full bodied with great balance, good acidity , good hold. Finish was a bit short , but overall a very well made wine (some said too technical, and without clear identity) . Score : 93-94
3-4. Antinori - Guado al Taso 1998+1999 : The 1998 had a nose of ripe black fruits with some toastiness , medium to full bodied, smooth , not very long nice finish . a well made wine but a bit annonymous . Score : 92-93 (Others liked it more) . The 1999 was very closed down, both in the nose and mouth and wasn't rated.
5. Castello dei Rampolla - Vigna d'Alceo, 1999 : Dark coloured. Superb nose of black fruits, spices, licorice and graphite, followed by full body, very smooth, great mid palate presence and long aftertaste. Beautiful wine. Score : 97-98
6. Gaja Ca Marcanda - Camarcanda 2000 - The surprice of the tasting. Lovely nose of ripe cherries and blackberries with candies , medium to full bodied , with good balance and sweet aftertaste. Yummy wine. Score - 94-95
7. Tua Rita - Giusto di Notri , 1999 : Dark coloured and corky . NR
8. Fattoria Petrolo - Galatrona , 1999 - very very dark coloured. Impressive nose of black cherries, chocolate and spices, very full bodied , still quite young and tannic with huge mid palate and medium finish. Great bottle of wine. Score : 96-97 (The medium finish prevented it from scoring few more points , but still if you could find it, buy it)
9. Zind Humbrecht - Clos Windsbuhl, Vendage Tardive 1990 - A bonus wine I brought with me , scored 100 at the WA. Golden yellow , great pure nose of tropical fruits, some apricots and peaches. The nose a bit strange and acidic at the first moments became better after a few moments , with medium body, great fruitiness, very sweet but with enough acidity to balance it, and long aftertaste. A superb desert, sweet, smooth, and elegant without any hard edges found sometimes in desert wines. Score 97-98.

Apology & Tasting note

Apology
A few days ago , I wrote in the Fat Guy forum some words against the over hype about wines from Burgundy. I wrote that even though I like the whites, The prices of both red and whites are way exagerated and that the too much writing about them prevents us from enjoying some excellent wines from other regions that are priced more reasonably such as Alsace and Germany. By mistake , I wrote that the main importers of german wines to Israel , Giaconda, doesn't bring the top wines from the producers they import. Another member in the forum, Gilad , and later Anat from Giaconda payed my attention to the fact that in the last catalogue, there are wines from the top sites of Donhoff, and from this year also from J.J.Prum and Egon Muller , 2 wine producers that considered by many (along with Donhoff, Muller Catoir and other) at the very top of the premier league of the german wineries.
I suggest any wine lover who likes german wines (or didn't try them yet) to go and grab them. The very few bottles I had, were enough to make me fell in love with them, and for the first time, even my wife shows some interest.

I think the success of Giaconda , waked up some guys at Shaked who started again importing some wines from Dr.Loosen, another well regarded german producer.
Last week I opened a bottle of Dr.Loosen, Wehlener Sonnenuhr , Riesling Auslese, Gold cap, 2005 . a straw coloured, It had a nice nose of sweet lime, peaches and minerals. In the mouth it was medium sweet with great balance between the sweetness and Acidity (one of the hellmarks of good german Riesling) , very fruity with long aftertaste. Score - 93-94 . Only a bit lack of complexity prevented it from acheiving higher score , but it worth the wait.

Friday Noon's wine group

This friday, I came a bit late. My friends just finished a bottle of Serafin Gevrey Chambertin 1999 , so I suggested opening a bottle of Serafin, Charmes Chambertin 2001. I've had a bottle of the 2004, a year ago, and liked it very much and the 2004 didn't dissapoint either. Some brett in the nose at the beginning was replaced soon by a nose of red fruits, especially strawberries, in the mouth it was only medium bodied but it filled the mouth , with great balance, nice mid palate presence and long aftertaste. An elegant wine (in the good sence of the word). Score : 93-94.
Later on I was suggested a glass of Trio 2006, a new Israeli wine made by 3 cousins of the the Shaked family (Oran, Kobi & Tal). The grapes were sourced from the Judea hills and are mostly Cabarnet Sauvignon. The nose is quite closed with some black fruits emerges. In the mouth its medium to full bodied , very fruity, some green notes and medium finish. not very sophisticated but a very nice wine for everyday. Score - 88.

Lunch in Catit

2 days ago, I had a lunch in Catit with a good friend. It was my first time there , after I heard many praises , and they were all right ; it was probably the best meal I've had in Israel , and it was just a lunch. I can't imagine how a dinner there would be. There were so much tastes and flavours in each course and the place and service were also wonderful.
and there was also a wine ..... Pichon Baron 1990.
I've had it for the first time in 2002, and it was one of the greatest wine memories i've ever had , and probably the first great Bordeaux I had. When I tasted it in 2002 it had an intense aroma of very ripe black fruits with some tobacco notes full bodied, leading to very rich and fruity palate with long, long finish (At least this is my memory).
This time it was quite different - young ruby colour, Aromas of wet stones, tobacco and some black sherries in the background that emerged from time to time. In the mouth it was medium to full bodied , very smooth and round, very elegant with a sweet flavours of fruits and well integrated wood , and long and sweet aftertaste. Overall it was an excellent wine, very enjoyable but my strong memories of the first bottle that was close to perfect caused me a slight dissapointment. Score (my friend agreed with me fully) : 94-95

Spanish Evening

Two days ago, I've had another evening of spanish wines, tasted blind. we tasted 3 bottles. 2 were nice but nothing special, but the third was very good : dark ruby, very nice, sweet nose of ripe black fruits and candies. medium to full bodied, rich, fruity with some notes of licorice and medium aftertaste. Score - 93 . The name is Enate - Riserva especial, 1998. Never heard about it before. It comes from an appelation called Somontano, north-west from Barcelona. Imported by Anavim.

Some wines during the weekend

This weekend unfortunately I got a mild flu. My little daughter managed to do what 1000 patients didn't , and delievered me her viruses, nothing truely severe but it was enough to impair my sense of smell. Even though, I didn't surrend, and with the help of Pseudo-Ephedrine (Sinufed) I tried some wines:

On Friday with my Friday's group I had the Domaine de la Mordoree - Lirac, Cuvee Reine de bois 2005. The nose was a bit closed (and so was my nose) with hints of blackberries , cassis and some spices, In the palate it was medium to full bodied, still tannic but with good mid-palate persistance and quite long aftertaste. for about 125NIS (32 US$) I think it's a very good value. Score 90-91. We also oppened a bottle of La Spinneta - Barbera , Vignetto Gallina 2004, that was dark coloured with a strong nose of espresso (even my dumb nose couldn't ignore it) and some black fruits in the back. Again medium to full bodied with good acidity , smoother tannins but less mid-palate persistance and shorter after taste. Overall a very nice wine , very modern style , I would score it about the same (But it's more ready today).

Today (Saturday), my family celebrated my nephew first Birthday. I brought 2 bottles. First was the Barkan Superiour 2003, that has a lovely nose of very ripe blackberries , cassis and tobacco (reminded me a bit the Altitude 720+ , 2003, from the same producer). In the mouth it was less impressive. medium bodied , smooth but with a bit thin mid palate and a nice but quite short aftertaste. Score 88-89 (92-93 for the nose, 86-87 for the mouth). Later Came the Golan heights, Yarden Cabarnet 2003, that was the opposite, quite closed nose , but fuller bodied, more tannic with more persistance and longer aftertaste. Score- again 88-89 (Lesser nose, better palate) . I must mention that I tasted the Yarden, Cabarnet about twice before and it was better. More fragarant nose, smoother and sweeter tannins . most probably my flu didn't help. I think I have 1 or 2 , more bottles, so I'll try one next year.

Wine Route - Winter Catalogue

Last week Wine Route published their second Winter Catalogue.
Last year their catalogue was sensational , featuring many excellent new wineries from Chateauneuf du Pape , Burgundy and Piedmont such as Roger Sabon , Pierre Usseglio, Vieille Julliene, Marcoux, Clos du Caillou , Girardin, Joseph Roty, Serafin , Paolo Scavino, Bruno Giacosa , La Spinetta and more.
This year there aren't so many new names (few from Burgundy, Sandrone from Piedmont, Mordoree from Cdp) , and for me the highlights are mostly the Chateauneufs from the superb 2005 vintage. After the dramatic raise in the prices of Bordeaux wines at the last few years , and the outrageous prices of Burgundy wines, the Rhone valley (especially CdP) remained one of the very few wine areas when you can still find magnificent wines at reasonable prices. In the catalogue you can find wines that score around 95 from most serious wine critics (I know scores aren't everything, but they are some kind of an indicator) for less than 300NIS , for instance , the Vieux Telegraphe Le Crau (a consistent and reliable performer), Roger Sabon -Cuvee Prestige, Vieille Julliene regular CdP and Marcoux regular Cdp .
I was expecting for 2004 Barolos that didn't arrive yet but in my opinion the Barolo Percristina from 2001 is a steal for 359NIS. The bric del fiasc from Scavino and the Ciabot mentin Ginestra from Clerico are also very interesting.
Burgundy wines aren't usually my cup of tea , but even I , couldn't ignore the Dujac Clos de la Roche 2005. A grand cru that earned high scores at a relatively reasonable prices. There are also some very interesting Mersault wines from various producers.
From Bordeaux , I haven't noticed something new, but in a few month the 2005 will arrive and my bank acount is going to suffer a lot.

Domaine de la Mordoree - CdP Cuvee Reine de Bois , 1999

Today I had it over a lunch with Kobi Shaked (From Wine Route , who lately started to import it) at Rokah 73 restaurant . Very dark coloured. It has a very nice aromas of black fruits mostly black sherries and some flowers. In the mouth it was fantastic- medium to full bodied , rich, fruity, spicy, with great balance, good acidity and long and sweet finish. Gorgeous wine. Score - 95-96

Premium Australian wines tasting - Mersch

Among the new small boutique importers that emerged at the last year or two, Mersch is Certainly one of the most interesting. Mersch imports mainly small Australian wineries, some of them among the top names in quality terms.
Although my personal taste leans more towards old world wines (but usually those with a bit new world style) , I never say no to an oppurtunity to taste good Aussie wines , and the Penfolds Grange 1998 is one of the greatest wines I had the pleasure to taste.
Yesterday I participated in a special tasting of Mersch that included some of their top wines :

The wines :
1. Tscharke - The Curse 2006 - this is a 100% Zinfandel from the Barossa valley. Dark ruby. Aromas of black fruts with some blue-berries , it is full bodied and rich but the mid-palate is not very prominent. a nice bitterness is felt all the way to the medium finish. Nice but not great. Score : 91-92
2. Kallesle - Greenock Shiarz 2006 - Again dark ruby (actually most of the wines were so). Nose of blackberries and some raspberries that became more deliniated and purer as the the time went on. Full bodied, smooth , with low acidity and medium-long aftertaste. Well made wine , but again nothing spectacular . Score 92-93
3. Kaesler - The Bogan shiraz , 2005 - Black coloured. Lots of black fruits combined with earthy notes, spices and black pepper. Full bodied , chewy, nice bitterness and long aftertaste. very good . The tasting has began. Score - 95-96
4. Noon - Eclipse 2005 - A bled of Shiraz(35%) & Grenache(65%) , this one, is one of my favourites. I had the 2004 and liked it very much. The colour is medium Ruby. Bursting aromas of black cheries, raspberries , later some notes of tea emerged . Full bodied, rich but at the same time quite elegant, very well balance of sweetness and acidity, and long and sweet aftertaste. Love it. Score : 95-96
5. Colonial Estate - Emigre 2005 - A special blend of 30% Shiraz, 30% Grenache, 20% Cabarnet Sauvignon, 15% Mourvedre and some Carignian and Muscadel. Deep ruby, Nose of black fruits and pepper, it is Full bodied and chewy with black pepper and well integrated bitternes, quite old world . The aftertaste is medium to long and quite nice. Score : 94-95
6. Colonial Estate - The Exile Shiraz 2005 - A blend of 85% Shiraz, 10% Mourvedre & 5% Grenache , from old vines. In the begining the nose had a lot of black fruits but heavy & unfocused. With time in the glass the fruit became more deliniated and riper and also more elegant. In the mouth very rich with black fruits, licorice, bitterness and long aftertaste. A very impressive mouth.
Score : 95-96
7. Greenock Creek - Alices Shiraz , 2005 - 100% Shiraz. Inky black colour. High toned nose of very ripe blackberries and cassis. In the mouth it is simply unbelieveble. huge concentration and richness , but extremely balanced with super long aftertaste. score : 97-98
8. Standish - The Standish Shiraz, 2003 - What a mistake it was , to put this wine , right after the Alices. The nose is old world and very sophisticated with Wet stones, Dump earth, and a bit red and black fruit in the background. Then the Fruit became more pronounced and was accompanied by a notes of Earl Grey Tea. Later on some blueberries appeared. Simply stunning. In the mouth however it suffered compared to the Alices Shiraz. Only medium body, a bit tannic, less rich, and shorter aftertaste compared to the former wine. Score : 97-98 for the nose, 91-92 for the palate. Overall : 94-95
9. Kalleske - Johann Georg Shiraz , 2005 - very dark ruby, almost inky. Aromas of blackberries, combined with coffee and some candies. Full bodied , rich , a bit tannic, some well integrated bitterness and quite long aftertaste. Score - 95-96.

Overall:
Very good tasting with great wines. The wines that stood out for me were the Noon Eclipse, both Colonial estate, the Greenock Creek and the Standish (mainly the nose).
I think the Noon Eclipse, Kaesler - The Bogan & Greenock Creek - Alices Shiraz , represent a terrific value, and are a must buy , for any Australian wines lover.
The Standish , suffered from its proximity to the Alices, but I think it will be very interesting to follow it in the future. For the nose guys it is also a very interesting option.
The Colonial estate wines are very good , and less new worldish (The proprietor is actually scotish, who also has estates in Bordeaux). Irrespective of their price, they are very good.
For those who seek the rich, blockbuster shiraz with lots of fruit and concentration, the Kaesler, Greenock Creek and the Kalleskies (especially the Johann Georg) are the answer.

Some of the foods were made by a small Catering based in Nes-Ziona , called Aya & mother Cooks. The name is a bit uninspired but their food was very promising.