Grapes – Carignan and Petite Sirah
Production and Maturation – Aged in French oak
Tasted – 20th February 2014
With a great match of Carignan and Petite Sirah this promised to be a solid wine and it did not disappoint. This medium ruby red is autumn at its best, with blackberry and farmyard aromas, followed by a taste of blackberries, black cherry and plums that have been gently stewed with a twist of black pepper. The tannins were well integrated and there was plenty of body and finish to keep me interested. With fairly high acidity and tannins this wine would benefit from being drunk with food and I think this would go well with duck and a plum sauce or any rich slow cooked dish which has fruit in it.
The Carignan grape is naturally high in tannins and acidity and usually lacks fruit. Petite Sirah, a cross between the Peloursin and Syrah vines, is also highly tannic but has rich black fruit flavours. By blending these together and ageing in French oak Recanati has managed to produce a wine with good structure and fruit. Instead of using a wine buyer M&S cleverly employed Jeneve Williams, a trained winemaker from New Zealand, to work with the Israeli winery to produce this blend.
The Recanati winery was founded in 2000 and is based in the Hefer Valley, but has vineyards all over Israel. The majority of their wines are made from Bordeaux varieties but they are experimenting more with other varieties, with great success.
Critics Comments
An exotic, dark, plummy Israeli red – part of the Eastern Mediterranean range. Made for roast lamb and a selection of Ottolengi-ish salads. Super. Fiona Beckett – 7th Nov 2013
It’s good to see a supermarket taking a punt on an Israeli wine, especially one made from Carignan and Petite Sirah, which are arguably better suited to the country’s Mediterranean climate than the red Bordeaux varieties. This is concentrated and deeply coloured, with some oak ageing adding to the ripe, savoury plum and damson fruit. The tannins are supple, with good acidity for extra backbone. Tim Atkin – 1st Nov 2013
Suppliers – Marks and Spencer £9.99
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