Vines For Value

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What follows are some random musings and notes about the Kosher Food and Wine Experience hosted by Royal Wines on February 11th. I didn’t take any precise notes because I feel like that venue is not really a great place to fairly evaluate a wine, but is best used to get a sense for where things in the industry are going in general, and to compile a mental list of the wines you will taste under better conditions later.

• The event itself was extremely well run and well stocked with new and interesting wines–so kudos to Royal for a running a tight ship! I did think that there were not as many new releases as there were in past years, but there were still enough to keep it interesting.
• The European wines are king. The French, Italian, and Spanish wines that were brought to the show were the highlight for sure. The lot of foreign wines included many new QPR options that are truly excellent. To name a few: Chateau Malmaison, 2016 is a beautiful, clean and elegant Bordeaux that can be had for in and around $30; Chateau Saint Corbian 2016 is an interesting wine from the left-bank Bordeaux appellation of St. Estephe, which showed nicely; all of the wines from Elvi wines, including in particular the new Herenza Crianza 2014 Rioja and the new vintage of the Elvi InVita white, deliver great bang for the buck; Terra di Seta wines produced by Danielle de la Seta are amazing QPR-really earthy, and interesting wines that could be a change up from the all too frequent fruit forward wines that we are accustomed to; and the new Albarnio from Ramon Cardova produced from the Rias Baixas appellation famous for green and snappy albarino was also great!
• Vitkin is one my favorite Israeli wineries. Royal has started to import more of their wines over the last number years and they represent everything that wines from Israel should be: fruity, but with character. The wines are laced with garrigue and green pepper notes that make them more than the usual generic Israeli wines. Try the Grenache Blanc, Grenache Noir, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Sirah in particular.
• Carmel is also producing some really nice, albeit more conventional wines from Israel. A wine that I think is a sleeper for many, is the Single Vineyard Admon Vineyard Chardonnay, which I have always liked, and continues to impress in recent vintages. However, I did think that their uber expensive Limited Edition did take a step back.
• The new runs of the Drappier Champagnes and Rothschild champagnes are really nice, although I did not care for the Rothschild Rose.
• Some of the new high end California wines did not do it for me. In particular the 2015 Terra Gratia, and the 2015 Padis Vineyard Brilliance I thought were terrible.
• On the other hand, the Herzog Chalk Hill wines were great. If you can afford them, buy them.
• My favorite wines of the show regardless of retail price were the Chateau Malartic Lagraviere 2016, Chateau Guiraud Petie Guiraud Sauternes 2017, and the Chateau Fayat 2015 Pomerol.
• My Favorite QPR, vinesforvalue qualifying wines were: Elvi Herenza Rioja Crianza 2014, Terra di Seta–everything, Ramon Cardova Albarino, Carmel Admon vineyard chardonnay and malbec, and Tabor Adama Sauvignon Blanc 2018.

Thanks Guys!

A number of months ago, I attended a tasting featuring the bulk the wines produced by Elvi Wines, and that are imported into the United States. While not all of these wines are below $30, they all represent extreme value. I love Spanish wine for its old-world feel, and its budget-friendly prices.

Elvi Cava N.V.:

Cava is a sparkling wine from Spain, that is often made in the traditional method, with in-bottle secondary fermentation. Because of this similarity in style to Champagne, the wines often bear more of a resemblance to their French predecessors than Prosecco or other sparklers made throughout the world. This wine features a funky, yet pleasing nose of butter and smoke. The mouth is extremely fresh melon, butterscotch and some minerality. The wine has a fresh feel, but also has some strength to stand up to fish or white meats. This is a nice buy at $18.99.

Score: A-

Vina Encina Tinto 2017:

This is a lower-level red produced by the winery, but is still extremely solid, and one that I buy for during the week or shabbat. It is made of 100% Tempranillo. The nose is nice with notes of red fruit, again some smoke, and some leather. The mouth is a bit one-dimensional, but still well made with nice acid, and gripping tannins. As the wine airs out, some notes of dried strawberry and some black licorice as well. $10.99

Score: B+

Vina Encina Blanco 2015:

This is one of my favorite budget-friendly white wines year after year. The wine is very racy, high acid, and extremely fresh–even three years from vintage. Notes of underripe kiwi, white peaches, and sweet melon abound. The acid is really kicking on this wine, and has a streak of minerality that keeps the wine interesting. This wine really shows better than an average wine at its price would. $10.99

Score: A-

Vina Encina Rosado 2017:

I don’t love this wine. The nose has a bit of sour apple, pear, and some minerals. The mouth is a bit disjointed for me. It starts to go sweet, and start to taste like candy. Not my cup of tea. I would not buy this vintage of this wine. $10.99

Score: C+

Herenza Rioja Crianza 2012:

This is the mid-level Rioja made by the winery (I will be tasting the lower-level version this weekend) and this is an extremely good wine for the price. The wine features smoke, mineral, back fruit, and a strong acid backbone that keeps everything in check. The mouth has ripe plums, earth, fresh tobacco, and leather. The tannins still need some time to settle on this wine and it should be decanted for about an hour if enjoyed now. $25.00

Score: A-

Herenza Rioja Riserva 2010:

I love this wine. The nose features cigar ash, floral notes, plums, and maybe some orange zest as well. The wine is extremely complex. The mouth is all cherry, with earth, strong acidity and pleasing tannin structure. Even though this wine is almost 8 years past vintage it has loads of time in the tank. It can be enjoyed now with aggressive air, but should wait at least another 3-4 more years in the cellar. Even at $62.99, which is a hefty price tag, this wine is a deep value. This wine is a breath of fresh air compared to a lot of other disjointed and poorly made premium wines. I would load up on this if you can. Also, if you can find the 2009 vintage, that one is even better in my view.

Score: A

 

https://www.gofundme.com/savebennyandjosh

A good friend of mine, a colleague in the wine industry, and a true mensch, is in need of our help.

In addition to being a fantastic purveyor of wines in NYC, the owner of Taste Wine Co. , Gary Landsman is the father of two young children who have been diagnosed with a terrible disease. Both of Gary’s young sons have been diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Canavan’s Disease.

However there is hope. Due to the tireless efforts of he and his wife Jennie, they have been able to raise over $1MM to fast-track genetic therapies for Canavan’s and a host of other diseases that had been previously stuck in laboratory test phases.

In the last push to assemble the full amount of $1.2MM needed to complete the funding campaign, Gary is channeling his wonderful wine education talents into two events. These events will encompass the very best of high-end kosher wine and food, as well as some rare vintage wines that have been donated by a number of generous souls.

The links to purchase tickets are here:

March 3rd event at WSIS in NYC: https://savebennyandjoshwinenyc.eventbrite.com

March 10 event @ Kingsway in BK: https://savebennyandjoshwinebk.eventbrite.com

I would urge everyone who has an interest in tzedaka, medicine, great wine education, or all three to snatch up these tickets before they are gone.

 100% of the proceeds are going straight to the #savebennyandjosh cause to advance cures for rare genetic diseases. Help Benny and Josh as well as many others.

For more information on the campaign as well as Jennie and Gary’s story please see the link below.

https://www.gofundme.com/savebennyandjosh

This is a wine that has never gotten the coverage that it deserves. I have always liked it, and am happy to share my thoughts on it with you.

The wine opens with a ripe nose of juicy melon, pineapple, apricot, and some flinty notes with a hint of butterscotch candy in the background. The mouth is extremely balanced, with bursting notes of ripe stone fruit, a viscous mouth-feel, and enough acid to keep it bright. The finish is full and complex with notes of ripe honeydew, Crème Brûlée, baking spices, and saline lingering on the palate. This is a perfect wine for those looking for a gateway into the world of wine. It’s complex, but yet fruity enough to keep the attention of most drinkers.

This is a perfect white mevushal option that can go well with a wide variety of foods. Personally my favorite pairing is either chicken soup or vegetable lo mein.

Score: A-

Value: A-

This wine is part of a new series being released by Herzog from estate plots and is a step up from their Baron Herzog brand.

 The nose on this wine shows smoked meats, tobacco, and black peppercorn with a more spicy character than I would typically expect from a low price Pinot. There are also classic notes of cherry and raspberry that come through with some vigorous swirling. The mouth is a bit heavy for my taste when it comes to Pinot Noir. It does not exhibit the delicate qualities that a truly beautiful Pinot often will. The fruit is nice enough, but the weight of the wine on the palate is surprising. Also, at this stage the alcohol is coming through a bit too much for me on the mouth (I may revisit this wine in six months to see if it has integrated at all). It’s a bit disjointed with notes of kirsch, mint, and cranberry sauce. All in all this is a success for California Pinot under $20. This wine provides value in a grape varietal that is far too rare on the kosher market.

 Score: B+

 Value: B+/A-

Chateau Les Riganes Bordeaux 2016 ($9.99)

Wow, what a pleasure it is to taste a quality wine that actually retails for sub-$10. The nose opens with some earth, mushrooms, and wet wood, but then it morphs into the coolest combination of raspberry candy and black truffles. I love the nose. The mouth is really well composed with stiff notes of cedar box, cigar ash, and raspberries; with mouth coating tannins and a long finish with a grassy quality. This is a real treat at its price point and I thank Royal Wine for making this wine in a quality manner at this price point.

Score: A-

Value: As good as it gets!

Tzora Winery, located in the Judean Foothills crafts some of the best wine to come out of Israel. The winery employs a unique focus on the quality of the soil and the overall terroir of their vineyards. The winery, under the guidance of Master of Wine Eran Pick, picks the best grapes form the choicest plots in the Judean Hills, to make a wine focused on the terra rosa and limestone soils that are characteristic of the region. They employ a minimal intervention method of winemaking, such that the wine is truly an expression of the grapes, and not oak or other additives.

The winery has a number of lines of wines starting with their entry level Judean Hills line, then their single vineyard Shoresh line, and finally their Misty Hills wine. All of these wines are QPR in their own right as they deliver really good value for the money at each of their respective price points. However, with this post I will focus on their Judean Hills line alone.

 

Tzora, Judean Hills, Blanc 2016 ($29)

This wine is comprised of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Sauvignon Blanc. The wine is perfectly balanced between creamy viscosity and racy acid. The nose opens with a whiff of buttered toast, some Anjou pear, green apples, and a hint of Mediterranean herbs characteristic of all of Tzora’s wines. The mouth is full but focused. Juicy white fruit comes bursting through, peeled pears, peeled apples, white flowers, almonds, toasted sesame seeds, and saline. The minerality that sticks in your mouth on the finish is crazy. This wine strikes a great balance between strong body and precise balance. I love it. This wine would be perfect by itself or with a wide range of fish and poultry.

Score: A

Value Score: A/A-

 

Tzora, Judean Hills, Red 2015 ($31)

For anyone that has read this blog in the past, you know well that I am skeptical of red wines coming from Israel. The style is just generally not my thing. However, this wine breaks the mold.

The 2015 vintage marks a bit of a deviation from previous vintages of this bottle, as the winery has scrapped their Merlot vineyards and is now focusing on Cabernet, Syrah, and Petit Verdot. This vintage is comprised of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Syrah, and 20% Petit Verdot.

The nose on this wine is intoxicating, with notes of red berries, black berries, tons of smoke, cigar box, and smoked meat, with some oregano and herbal notes in the background. The mouth is more sharp than in years past, as it has lost the roundness of the Merlot. Personally, I like the rustic mouth-feel of this wine as it goes well with its rustic notes. The mouth of the wine really tastes like smoked beef, freshly cut flowers, and some cherry with some of the cedar notes come through as well. The tannins are still pretty stiff, but they are approachable. The finish is non-stop; you can still taste the wine 2-3 minutes after sipping. For people looking for a versatile and elegant, yet complex wine at a good price point this wine is fantastic.

Score: A

Value Score: A

Every year there are a number of wines that are produced for the kosher market that retail below the $30 price point which are just amazing and consistent wines, that simply do not get enough recognition. These wines are what I like to call perennial QPR super stars, mainstays of my drinking repertoire that I load up on every time they come out. These wines provide such deep value that they can easily be mistaken for wines at double or triple their price point.

While they don’t get the fanfare that comes along with an eye-popping sticker price, they still provide an extremely satisfying drinking experience. Often times these wines may be worthy of cellaring (or aging) to observe their development and evolution over the course of years.

In order to give these selections the care and treatment that they deserve, and to hopefully increase the purchase and production of such wines in the future, I am going to be doing a multi-part series where I feature these type of wines each week for the next month. The first two wines are personal favorites that I have tasted and re-tasted over the last few weeks.

 

Chateau Fourcas Dupre Listrac-Medoc 2012 – $25

This wine has recently been released in its new 2015 iteration, but I decided that I would check in on its older brother first. This is a chateaux located on the left bank of the Gironde river estuary in the Medoc region of Bordeaux, south and west of the famous wine growing regions of Paulliac and Margaux.

Listrac is an unloved cousin of the other left bank regions as it features more clay and limestone soils than the more well known regions. Unlike the clay soil of Listrac, the gravel soil that predominates other left bank regions allows for superior drainage and subsequently greater depth for the vine root. In gravel, the vine struggles to pick up water and nutrients from the soil below, thus causing the vines to burrow deeper underground. With deeper roots the vines tend to produce grapes with greater concentration and depth of flavor, which in turn results in some of the best wines in the world.

However, this is not to say that all the wines in the Listrac region are subpar. In fact, this kosher example is a superb Bordeaux wine, which is generally age worthy and extremely complex. However, given that it does not carry the brand-name appellation on its label, it does not carry a brand-name price.

The wine itself is extremely slow to open with at least two to three hours of decanting still needed at this stage in its development. The nose is extremely rustic yet elegant, with notes of wet foliage, pipe tobacco, moss and tree bark predominating. The mouth is bursting with juicy red fruit including raspberries and cranberries. As the wine opens, layers of secondary and tertiary flavors come shining through as well including baker’s chocolate, mushroom, and saddle leather. The wine still needs time to develop, as the structure is still really stiff, with ripping tannins that are slowly integrating.

This wine is still available in many retail locations and should be bought up along with the 2015 vintage, which is even more promising. The value of this wine, when you take into account their aging ability and their overall complexity, is off the charts.

Score: A-

Value: A/A+

 

Flechas de Los Andes Gran Malbec 2015- $25

This is one of the few kosher Malbec’s from the world famous Mendoza Valley in Argentina. This wine is absolutely fantastic, opening with a nose of ripe black and blue fruit, cinnamon, mineral, and green bell pepper. The mouth of the wine is well developed with round tannins, nice ripe black fruit, wild blueberries, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of pencil led in the background. This wine would be extremely pleasing to anyone who is southern hemisphere wine lover, as it exhibits juicy fruit with a nice and well-rounded mouth-feel.

Again, this is a reliable wine that is good vintage in and vintage out. I highly recommend this wine as a wine to use to branch out from new world cabernet. This has sweetness of fruit coupled with a layered complexity that can be an excellent gateway into broadening horizons.

Score: A-

Value: A-

When I pair wines I generally try to adhere to one very unpretentious rule: pair good wine with good food. This rule generally leads to enjoyable and interesting pairings, but it does have some limits. When a certain wine has no complimentary qualities to the food being served it may be a bad pairing even if they are each high quality on their own. For example, serving a steak with a light white wine just won’t elevate either the wine or the food, as the flavors and consistencies of the food and wine clash so intensely.

Additionally, there are foods which don’t lend kindly to any wine pairing at all. Green vegetables and salads are notoriously hard foods to pair. Thankfully, however, there are certain wines, that because of their subtle flavor and versatile texture, pair well with a broad range of foods even those which tend to be harder to pair.

Sparkling wines and lighter red wines tend to be the most versatile, pairing well with poultry, game meats, sausages, fish, and an array of side dishes and salads. Two new budget wines to the kosher market in particular, fit the bill for versatile wine pairings…

 

Koenig Cremant d’Alsace NV Brut- $17

For those who love champagne but find it hard to find at a decent price, Cremant or essentially a wine made in the traditional champagne-method but from a different region of France, may be a nice stand in. While no other region in France can match the minerality and the crispiness of a classic champagne house, Cremant can offer a suitable alternative. This particular example in particular has notes of green apple, and freshly baked bread, some flint, and a pleasant hint of smoke on the nose. The mouth is crispy and yeasty, but does not quite pack the punch of a blue-chip sparkling wine. However, for the minimal investment of $17 it certainly outpaces all other inexpensive kosher bubbly alternatives. I highly recommend this bottle as a light accompaniment to chicken or fish, or simply as a nice aperitif.

 Score: B+

Value: A-

 

Vitkin Pinot Noir 2016 – $23

Pinot noir, when done correctly can be a wildly pleasing, complex, and versatile wine that pairs well with meats, poultry and fish. The varietal is known to produce a light body, low tannin wine with a subtle flavor that can be complex and rich when made from grapes from high quality terroir. Israel, with its harsh summers and nascent wine growing industry, has had difficulty with the slow ripening, thin skinned grape. Many Israeli pinot noirs do not taste like anything at all like the Burgundian classic. Some are overripe and incredibly hard to drink, others are very high-quality wines, but exhibit more of their Israeli terroir then a varietally-true profile. For example, at the higher end of the range, Gvaot Winery’s pinot noir is an incredibly luscious wine, and one that I enjoy on special occasions, but it does not taste like a true pinot noir. It has a much fuller body than typical pinot and has even been blended with a small amount of robust petit verdot in certain years.

Vitkin on the other hand is one of the only Israeli pinots that is varieitally true. It exhibits a beautiful light cherry color with notes of violets, ripe cherry, and wet earth on the nose. The acidity keeps the wine fresh with a beautiful mouth of sour cherry, light green pepper, and under-ride plum accompanied by a subtle floral undertone that runs throughout the wine. This wine is exceptional with cheese, smoked meats, poultry and salmon. The wine is incredibly easy to drink but also is complex enough to savor.

 

Score: A-

Value: A-/A

 

 

A couple of Saturday night’s ago I had the privilege to taste through some interesting summer wines with some of my closest friends. The results were extremely interesting pretty much across the board. However, prior to getting into the wines themselves I would like to note a few important concepts that were running through my mind as I tasted through this flight of wines.

Kosher Wine Quality VS Price in White and Rose Wine

I have written this on the blog before, but I would like to take the time to make this point front and center. Generally, the quality of kosher white and rose in the budget category far exceeds the quality of red wines in the same price category. The reason for this is simple, kosher red wine is almost always more expensive than kosher white wine. The reason lies in the simple concept of supply and demand. Since most kosher drinkers don’t appreciate the nuances of white and rose wine, there is less demand. This allows the savvy budget consumer to buy up white and rose wines that far outperform their red wine counterparts in terms of quality per dollars spent. Classic examples of noble grape varietals such as Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Riesling are available to the kosher drinker for relatively modest prices with some exceptions that usually occupy the dessert wine or sparkling wine segment. Go and get them!

What’s the deal with Rose?

Many new wine drinkers may wonder how this strange middle ground wine between white and red wine is made. The answer is fairly simple, and emanates from the fact that color in red wine is derived from the skins of the wine. There are three primary methods by which the amount of pigment from the grape skins can be limited to create a pink hue.

The Maceration Method

This method is used in areas of the world where primary production is either rose or white wine, and is the most expensive method. In the maceration method, the grapes are pressed and let to macerate with their skins for a limited amount of time in order to leach out a small amount of the pigmentation. Following the separation of the juice from the skins, the skins are thrown out or used as fertilizer in the vineyard. This method is prevalent in areas famous for their rose wine such as Provence, in the south of France.

The Saign’ee Method

Saign’ee literally means “to bleed” in French, which is essentially what this methods involves. When red grapes are harvested, crushed and put into a tank to ferment, a certain amount of juice may be bled off of the tank and used to make rose wine. This juice is from a larger batch of red wine but by virtue of it being bled off from the rest of the juice early, it only retains a small amount of pigment from the skins in the original juice. This method is used in regions where primary production is red wines, such as Napa Valley.

The Champagne Method

As the name connotes this method is used most often in sparkling wines and involves the actual blending of red and white wines together to create a rose wine. The pink wine blend is then put into bottles or tanks for secondary fermentation responsible for the carbonation in the final product.

The Wines

Galil Mountain Sauvignon Blanc, 2015 (Shmitta):  $15

This wine has notes of zesty lemon and lime on the nose, along with grapefruit pith, green herbs (characteristic of Israel), oregano, basil, and some salty mineral notes in the background. This wine is as clean and crisp as it gets, it’s beautifully complex and sharp. The palate is no different, extremely fresh and clean with a pleasing background of minerality. This is a full bodied Sauvignon Blanc that will stand up to a wide variety of cuisine, from rich dairy foods to poultry.

Score: A-

Value Score: A-

Consensus Score: A/A-

Consensus Value Score: A/A-

 

Ramat Negev Autumn Sauvignon Blanc, 2016: $18

This wine is really not a summer wine, but it was included here as it was my first experience with it, although I suppose the name should have tipped me off! This wine is off dry with some residual sugar evident on the palate. That being said this wine would go over well with the new wine drinker as it has some complexity but it’s a bit sweet and low in alcohol. The wine itself has an aroma of dried flowers, rose petals, and ripe stone fruit. The mouth has some acid and has some balancing freshness as it opens in the glass, with notes of green apples and baking spices dominating.

 

Score: B

Value Score: B+

Consensus Score: B/B+

Consensus Value Score: B

 

Borgo Reale Rose, 2016 $13

This was one of the most pleasing wines of the evening, and at the modest price it’s a real winner. The wine has a nose of mineral, parsley, watermelon, pineapple, and lemon thyme. The mouth is all crisp fruit and fresh herbs. This wine has enough acid to bring it all together without overpowering. It’s very easy drinking with some nice complexity of flavors. This wine should be best enjoyed with light meals and early on in the season as I don’t think this level of enjoyment will last terribly long.

Score: A-

Value Score: A

Consensus Score: A-

Consensus Value Score: A/A-

 

Chateau Bellerives Dubois Bordeaux Rose, 2016: $11.99

This wine has a nose of flowers, pineapple, strawberry, cherry, and cranberry. The wine also has a slate characteristic that shines through on the nose. I did not find the wine to have a terribly expressive mouth, but it has some faint red berry flavors with pleasing acidity and good balance. A nice wine, but I was not overwhelmed.

Score: B

Value Score: B+

Consensus Score: B

Consensus Value Score: B

 

Dalton Alma Crimson Rose, 2016: $22

This wine has a curious nose of oak and butter, almost like an oaked chardonnay. The wine is interesting for a rose as its fairly full bodied, and not what I was expecting. The mouth is crazy all-spice, oak, butter and some red fruit. This wine is really not for summer and may be a bit off balance for my palate. This may go ok with turkey or grilled game meats that demand a more full bodied wine. I felt that this wine missed the mark and was a bit unfocused.

Score: B-

Value Score: B-

Consensus Score: B-

Consensus Value Score: B-

 

Flam Rose, 2016: $29.99

This was the disappointment of the night; the wine really did not live up to the price or to the quality of previous vintages. The wine had a nose of rotting flowers, red candy, overripe fruit, and an odd minty note. The mouth was flat with less acid than I would expect. The flavor is herbaceous with saline, citrus in the background. This wine will really not hold up in my estimation as it’s lost a lot of freshness since my last tasting back in February at the KFWE show.

 

Score: B

Value Score: C+

Consensus Score: B

Consensus Value Score: B-

 

La Ferrage, Cote de Brouilly Beaujolais, 2013: $25

This wine was included in the summer wine post even though it is crazy versatile, because it is meant to be enjoyed slightly chilled and does exhibit some of the freshness needed in a summer wine. The wine has light notes of roasted meat, cigar box, gun powder, blue fruits, and peppercorns on the nose. The wine is bone dry and light in body, with a nice acid structure. Flavors of pencil led, cinnamon, and light red fruit dominate the refreshing palate.

 

Score: A-

Value Score: A

Consensus Score: A

Consensus Value Score: A

 

L’chaim!