My day Tuesday, 17 Apr 2007 was devoted largely to traveling to, visiting and doing tastings at Chateau Golan. My thanks to winemaker Uri Hetz and to the staff of the winery for a fascinating tasting and their many courtesies (including at least one very good French cheese after the tasting)
Best
Rogov
A fully modern winery located on Moshav Eliad on the southern Golan Heights, overlooking the intersection of the Yarmuch and Rokad rivers, Chateau Golan released their first wines from the 1999 vintage and the winery continues under the hand of Oregon and California trained winemaker Uri Hetz.
Vineyards owned by the winery currently yield Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petite Sirah, Petit Verdot, Carignan, Grenache, Sauvignon Blanc, Mouvredre and Viognier grapes. In the planning stages are vineyards planted in Roussane, Touriga Nacional and Grenache Blanc. Production is currently about 65,000 bottles and potential future production is estimated at somewhat over 100,000 bottles annually. To date the winery has released wines in one series, Royal Reserve, that including the proprietary blend, Eliad.
As reflected in the tasting notes that follow, the 2005 vintage is going to prove splendid for the winery and the wines of 2006, although good, even excellent, will lack both the boldness and the aging potential of their 2005 brothers and sisters. More important, winemaker Hetz continues to put his personal signature on his wines, perhaps more than any other winemaker in the country showing us the charm of Old World wines from the distinctly New World.
As reading my tasting notes, keep in mind that the 2006 barrel tasting notes were made from as yet unblended components. The projected tasting notes are thus my own and time will tell how accurate they are.
Royal Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 (Barrel Tasting): Medium-dark garnet, with a hint of sweetness on the nose, turning firm on the palate with mouthcoating tannins and hints of wood. High alcohol here but no sense of hotness as the wine opens to light oak and mocha, those supporting currants, blackberries and a hint of vanilla bean that adds a nice touch and tannins and fruits rising on the finish. Best 2009-2012. Tentative Score 88-90. (Tasted 17 Apr 2007)
Royal Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005 (Advance Tasting): One of those "oh wow" wines that you come across from time to time. Almost impenetrably dark garnet in color, showing an intriguing combination of intensity, concentration and elegance A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc, opening with spicy, mocha-tinged blackcurrants, those yielding to blackberries, herbs and light oak. Hints of light sea salt and leather on the super-long finish make the wine intriguing. Perhaps the best yet from the winery. Best 2009-2015. Score 94. (Re-tasted 17 Apr 2007)
Royal Reserve, Syrah, 2006 (Barrel Tasting): Tasted from components but already promising to be ripe, fruity and floral. Medium-dark garnet in color, medium- to full-bodied, with a generous but softly tannic structure and spicy wood in fine balance and showing blackberry, spices, a light veggie overtone and a hint of at what this stage feels like lime peel. Promising refinement. Best 2009-2012, perhaps longer. Tentative Score 89-91. (Tasted 17 Apr 2007)
Royal Reserve, Syrah, 2005 (Advance Tasting): Showing even better than at barrel tastings Blended with 3% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged in large French barrels for 11 months. Dark, rich and plush from first attack, opening to show a tempting array of spicy blackberry, raspberry, red currants and pomegranate fruits those matched nicely by hints of citrus peel. Bold, with distinctly Old-World charm showing a light greenness, minerality and tantalizing meaty notes. Long and generous. Drink from release-2012. Score 92. (Re-tsted 17 Apr 2007)
Royal Reserve, Geshem, 2006 (Barrel Tasting): Tasted from yet unblended components, those including Grenache and Syrah now developing separately. Medium dark garnet towards royal purple, showing moderately soft but mouth-coating tannins and tantalizing dusty oak, those yielding to blueberry, plum, vanilla and bitter-sweet chocolate. Not concentrated but plush, with flavors that linger long and gently on the palate. Best 2008-2012. Tentative Score 90-92. (Tasted 17 Apr 2007)
Royal Reserve, Geshem, 2005 (Advance Tasting): Medium dark garnet, a blend this year of 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah, reflecting its aging in French oak for 11 months with a light, pleasingly musky overtone Opens with a near raspberry liquor nose, that settling down to reveal oak-accented aromas and flavors of blackberries, cherries and black pepper. Deep and with impressive length, without ever feeling heavy on the palate. Best 2008-2014. Score 93. (Re-tasted 17 Apr 2007)
Royal Reserve, Merlot, 2006 (Barrel Tasting): Medium-dark purple in color, medium-bodied with soft tannins and opening with a green, veggie nature but that moving quickly in the glass to currants and damson plums, all with an exotic spicy note that creeps in from mid-palate and lingers through the finish. Vibrant and just complex enough to grab the attention. Best from release-2010. Tentative Score 88-90. (Tasted 17 Apr 2007)
Royal Reserve, Merlot, 2005 (Advance Tasting): A thoroughly modern but still "old-worldish" wine, with good acidity, gentle wood and fruits in good balance. Showing a bit green now but that opening to currant and blueberry fruits, those complemented nicely by mocha, chocolate and vanilla. Look for a long, lightly spicy finish. Balance, harmony and finesse here. (Note to myself: Why does this wine remind me of the Merlot of Sicily's Cusomono winery?) Drink from release-2010. Score 90. (Re-asted 17 Apr 2007)
Royal Reserve, Eliad, 2006 (Barrel Tasting): Deep garnet towards royal purple with orange reflections. Full-bodied, intense and concentrated, opening with a core of raspberry and red currant fruits, going on to black cherries. With ripe tannins, a hint of saltiness that tantalizes, a ripe and complex wine in which the oak plays only a minor role. Best 2009-2012, perhaps longer. Tentative Score 91-93. (Tasted 17 Apr 2007)
Royal Reserve, Eliad, 2005 (Advance Tasting): Another absolute winner from the vintage. Aged in oak French oak for 13 months, a blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Syrah, opens with rich almost syrup-like fruits on the nose, goes on to show depth and grace. Soft tannins, light smoky wood, find-grained tannins in fine balance with berry, black cherry, currants and licorice. Drink from release-2012. Score 93. (Re-tasted 17 Apr 2007)
Royal Reserve, Sauvignon Blanc, 2006 (Advance Tasting): Light golden in color, aromatic, bright and lithe but showing fine concentration and balance. On the nose and palate good balance between ripe fruit, smart acidity and a silky texture echoing lime, passion fruit and the barest hint of spicy oak that go on to a long finish. Drink from release. Score 90. (Tasted 17 Apr 2007)
Also tasted from barrels, but destined for blending and not for varietal releases
Cabernet Franc, 2006 (Barrel Tasting): Dark garnet, with a distinct veggie nature and hints of boiled peanuts on the black fruits here. Intriguing. (Tasted 17 Apr 2007)
Petit Verdot, 2006 (Barrel Tasting); Super-dark garnet in color, a dense, almost chewable wine, opening slowly to reveal plum, blackberry, coffee and earthy-herbal aromas and flavors. (Tasted 17 Apr 2007)
Petite Sirah, 2006 (Barrel Tasting): The only debate with this wine is whether to call it "huge" or "immense. Inky purple towards black in color, rich, loaded with eucalyptus, plums, black cherries, sage and meaty overtones. Big enough to tame the tannins here. (Tasted 17 Apr 2007)
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