On Wednesday, 26 January, 2005, an early morning train brought me comfortably to Binyamina (by the way, I give increasingly high scores to the Israeli Railroad because it is getting more and more easy and more and more comfortable to get to many places in the country by train) and from there I made my way to Binyamina Wineries for a tasting.

I've been around long enough to remember the bad old days of Eliaz, the winery that was first located on this site, and for those not familiar with or not old enough to have tasted those wines, let me tell you, that was pretty poor stuff indeed. I remember the buyout in 1994, the appointment of Ilan Hassan as the new CEO and the enthusiasm and hope he brought with him, and in the intervening decade I have watched as he and now current winemaker Sasson Ben-Aharon have brought the quality of the wines up, slowly but steadily. Happily the upward movement in quality continues.

If you do visit Binyamina ask to see the new chais (barrel cellar). Gone now are the old huge vats and the not too clean aromas that used to be in this outmoded and almost god-forsaken cellar and in their place a beautifully designed cellar, an aesthetic delight, fully temperature and humidity controlled and with a collection of primarily French and American barriques that house the better wines of the winery.

Continuing to undergo modernization, the winery produced about 2.8 million bottles in 2004. Following are my various tasting notes from my visit. Keep in mind that the winery produces wines in several series – those of interest being in the Special Reserve, Tiltan and Binyamina series. The winery also owns and produces the wines of "The Cave".

Oh yes…as to the coffee served during my visit – "eh"

Best,

Rogov

The White Wines

Binyamina, Sauvignon Blanc, Special Reserve, 2004 (Advance Tasting): Unoaked, medium-bodied, with grassy, herbaceous and citrus flavors this is clean, crisp and refreshing wine opens nicely on the palate. Drink now. Score 85. (Tasted 26 Jan 2005)

Binyamina, Sauvignon Blanc, Special Reserve, 2003: Light straw colored, medium-bodied and with crisp acidity, this unoaked white offers up generous pineapple, citrus and grassy flavors. Opens nicely in the glass and also shows a light and appealing asphalt overlay. Drink now. Score 85. K (Re-tasted 26 Jan 2005)

Binyamina, Sauvignon Blanc, 2004 (Advance Tasting): Fresh and well balanced, with refreshing acidity backing up tropical fruit, green apple and light floral aromas and flavors. An unoaked good quaffing wine. Drink now. Score 84. K (Tasted 26 Jan 2005)

Binyamina, Chardonnay, Special Reserve, 2004 (Barrel Tasting): Aged sur lie in French barriques, with a lively golden color and crisply refreshing spicy pear and apple fruits, this medium- to full-bodied white shows appealing nectarine and vanilla flavors on the moderately long finish. Drink now-2007. Tentative Score 86-88. K. (Tasted 26 Jan 2005)

Binyamina, Chardonnay 2004 (Advance Tasting): Unoaked, youthful, fruity, fresh and friendly, not particularly strong on the nose but with tempting flavors of peaches and nectarines. Appealing and easy to drink. Drink now. Score 85. K (Tasted 26 Jan 2005)

Binyamina, Viognier, Special Reserve, 2004 (Barrel Tasting): Aged sur lie in 80% new barrels and 20% formerly used with Chardonnay, with gentle acidity that yields to buttery-mineral nuances and with lemon, apple aromas and flavors and a lightly earthy note on the finish. Best Viognier from Binyamina to date. Drink now. Tentative Score 85-87. K (Tasted 26 Jan 2005)

Binyamina, Emerald Riesling, 2004: Semi-dry, with floral aromas and flavors of nectarines and citrus, faulted primarily because it is a bit on the sweet side without balancing acidity that might have made it refreshing. Drink up. Score 82. K. (Tasted 26 Jan 2005)

Binyamina, Muscat, 2004 (Advance Tasting): Semi dry, not so much floral as it is herbal, with hints of mint on the citrus and summer fruits. Not overly sweet and perhaps best as an aperitif. Drink now. Score 84. K (Tasted 26 Jan 2005)

The Red Wines

Binyamina, Cabernet Sauvignon, Special Reserve, 2003 (Barrel Tasting): Medium to full-bodied, dark garnet in color, with still firm tannins because of its youth, but already showing ripe plum, blackberry and cherry fruits and a gentle overlay of spicy oakand an appealing herbal overtone on the finish. Drink 2005–2007. Tentative Score 86-88. K. (Re-tasted 26 Jan 2005) Score 86. K

Binyamina, Cabernet Sauvignon, Special Reserve, 2002 (Advance Tasting): Despite a year between tastings, this medium- to full-bodied wine continues to show firm tannins that seem not to want to ingegrate and a hint of sweetness that runs through. There are some dark, minty fruits here but those are a bit stingy. Perhaps better with time. Score 85. K. (Re-tasted 26 Jan 2005)

Binyamina, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2003: My earlier tasting note holds firmly: Aged partly in American and partly in French oak, this medium to full-bodied-wine shows dusty tannins that promise to integrate well, along with currant, berry and light earthy notes. Look for a hint of cinnamon on the moderately long finish. Best from 2005–2007. Score 86. K. (Re-tasted 26 Jan 2005)

Binyamina, Syrah, Special Reserve, 2003 (Barrel Tasting): Royal purple in color, medium- to full-bodied, with soft tannins, sweet cedar wood, black cherries, plums and a lightly earthy background. Well balanced, long, generous and showing promise. Tentative Score 86-88. K. (Tasted 26 Jan 2005)

Biymanina, Shiraz, 2003 (Advance Tasting): Blended with 2% of Viognier, this medium-bodied, deep garnet wine reflects its 12 months in oak with soft tannins and a light vanilla overlay on spicy plums on light herbal-earthy background. Drink from release-2006. Score 86. K (Re-tasted 26 Jan 2005)

Binyamina, Merlot, Special Reserve, 2003 (Barrel Tasting): This dark cherry red medium-bodied wine is not overly complex but has soft tannins and good balance between those, wood and fruits. Look for hints of licorice and chocolate on the berry-cherry fruits. Drink now. Tentative Score 86-88. K. (Re-tasted 26 Jan 2005)

Binyamina, Merlot, Special Reserve, 2002 (Advance Tasting): The wood once felt here has resided nicely and the wine now shows good balance between lightly smoky oak, soft tannins andfruits. Look for black plums, black cherries and berries here, all with a light spicy overlay. Not overly complex but appealing. Drink from release – 2006. Score85. K. (Re-tasted 26 Jan 2005)

Binyamina, Merlot, 2003: Dark royal purple in color, this lightly oaked, medium-bodied wine shows generous but yielding tannins well balanced by wood and fruits. Good currant, raspberry and plum aromas and flavors along with a hint of cocoa on the finish. Drink now–2006. Score 86. K (Re-tasted 26 Jan 2005)

Binyamina, Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot-Shiraz, Special Reserve, 2003 (Barrel Tasting): Dark garnet red, full-bodied and deeply tannic at this stage but showing good balance between tannins, wood and fruits, already opening to show currant, berry and plum fruits, those intertwining nicely with hints of tobacco and chocolate. Tentative Score 87-89. K. (Tasted 26 Jan 2005)

The Cave, Merlot, 2002 (Barrel Tasting): Firm, concentrated and well balanced with a tight band of toasty oak, currant, and herbal aromas and flavors needing time to come together. Tentative Score 87-89. K. (Tasted 26 Jan 2005)

The Cave, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2002 (Barrel Tasting): Dense and compact but smooth and generous, with chewy tannins and a rich array of berry, currant, vanilla and spices that come together in a long finish. Tentative Score 87-89. (Tasted 26 Jan 2005)