Red
Grapes – Carignan, Syrah
Production and Maturation – stainless steel tanks
Tasted – 1st March 2014
The aromas of this medium ruby red gave very little away as to what lie in the glass; a faint hint of leather, cherry and blueberry. The taste was much more intense of cherry liquorice and plum. The strong tannins were silky and this 13.5% red had good acidity and a nice finish. Given this is an entry level wine for Carmel it has a relatively high price tag, but I definitely think it worth it.
The Carignan grape is naturally high in tannins and acidity and usually lacks fruit favours. Syrah grown in warmer climates is more full bodied with softer tannins and gives the leathery flavours and spice notes of liquorice and anise. This wine has seen no oak and is meant to be drunk young, it probably only has a year or so left, so won’t be around for much longer.
White
Grapes – Sauvignon Blanc, Colombard, Viognier, Semiliion
Production and Maturation – Cold fermented in stainless steel tanks
Tasted – 1st March 2014
The main grape in this vintage is sauvignon blanc, but don’t expect anything like a zesty zingy New Zealand sauvignon blanc. With the Mediterranean climate you get more of a Bordeaux style and the naturally high acidity of this grape has been subdued by the other grapes used in this blend.
This wine had delicate aromas of pear and citrus and like the red the taste was more intense than the aromas led you to believe. The main flavours were pear and melon with some elderflower notes. The 11.5% wine had good acidity and body. With the impression of sweetness from the fruit this wine would go well with spicy food. You could also chill this in the summer for a great pre-BBQ drink. Like the red this needs to be drunk young, so the 2010 is doing well.
Suppliers
Budgens / Londis £12.49
About Carmel – Founded in 1882 by Chateau Laffite’s Baron Edmond de Rothschild. It owns the two largest wineries in Israel (Rishon Le Zion and Zichron Ya’acov) along with 2 smaller boutique wineries (Kayoumi and Yatir). It’s vast vineyards are spread throughout Israel. The Carmel ridge vineyards are in Shomrom, north of Tel-aviv, surrounding Zichron Ya’acov. The climate is typical Mediterranean with heavy limey soils.
Find out more about Zichron Ya’acov from Carmel’s Adam Montefiore –
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