I was at the new facility of Carmel at Dalton and although no wines are yet being made there was very impressed with the state-of-the-art equipment and design as well as with thoughts of what this may well mean for quality in the future. I then visited the wineries at both Zichron Ya'akov and Rishon le Tzion in late February, my purpose to do barrel and advance tastings as well as a few re-tastings.

Following are my notes of wines that are in advanced enough state to make valid predictions. I also tasted quite a few wines from quite a few varieties, some of which will make their way into their own Regional or Single Vineyard wines, others of which will be used in blending but in those cases my tasting notes will have to hold until the wines are in far more advanced state than they are now. What I will say, however, is that some of those very early tastings were very, very impressive.

Best,
Rogov

Single Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvingon, Zarit, 2003 (Barrel Tasting): Dark garnet, with firm, near sweet tannins that yield nicely in the glass to reveal an appealing touch of rustic earthiness that adds dimension to rich, ripe black fruits. Complex and concentrated. Best 2007-2011. Tentative Score 89-91. K (Tasted 24 Feb 2005)

Single Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Kayoumi, 2004 (Barrel Tasting): Rich, ripe and well balanced, with complex and concentrated berry, plum, cassis, mineral, sage and cedar aromas and flavors that firm up to become somewhat tannic on the finish. Best 2007-2011. Score 88-90. K (Tasted 24 Feb 2005)

Single Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, Schech, 2004 (Barrel Tasting): From a so-far not yet well known vineyard on the Golan Heights, this red lives up nicely to the stereotypes of what makes a wine "feminine". Soft, round and caressing, elegant without being intense, full-bodied without being concentrated and with tempting aromas and flavors of black cherries, currants and anise. Best from release-2012. Score 88-90. K (Tasted 24 Feb 2005)

Single Vineyard, Shiraz, Kayoumi, 2003 (Barrel Tasting): Firm and well-structured at this time and with balance that bodes well for a soft and caressing wine. Rich tannins, vanilla, chocolate and mocha together with currant, blackberry and anise flavors and aromas and flavors that linger nicely. Best from release-2010. Score 88-90. K (Tasted 24 Feb 2005)

Regional, Petite Sirah, Judean Hills, 2004 (Barrel Tasting): Deep ruby towards garnet, an intense and vibrant wine, ful-bodied, still rough around the edges but worth watching as it should open to reveal ample tannins well balanced by wood and flavors and aromas of black cherries, currant and mocha. Best 2007-2010. Score 88-90. K (Tasted 24 Feb 2005)

Single Vineyard, Chardonnay, Kayoumi, 2004 (Advance Tasting): Bright and lively but with enough complexity to catch your attention. Developed in 300 liter barrels, this medium-bodied white shows aromas and flavors of citrus peel , vanilla pastry cream and brioche all of which linger nicely on the palate. Drink now-2007. Score 90. K (Tasted 24 Feb 2005)

Single Vineyard, Sauvignon Blanc, Ramat Arad, 2004 (Advance Tasting): Light golden-straw in color with a surprisingly pink tinge, medium-bodied, unoaked and remarkably light on the palate. Bright, clean and crisp, with fresh citrus, tropical fruits and appealing herbal overtones leading to a moderately-long finish. Drink now-2006. Score 88. K (Tasted 24 Feb 2005)

Regional, Limited Edition, 2003 (Barrel Tasting): Once again a Bordeaux blend but this year of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Petit Verdot, 16% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Somewhat more wood than in the 2002 release but that balanced nicely by soft tannins and complex aromas and flavors of gooseberries, raspberries, currant, spice and cedar wood. A bit rough around the edges yet, so set this one aside for further cellaring. Best 2007-2012. Tentative Score 90-92. K (Tasted 24 Feb 2005)

Regional, Chardonnay, Har Tavor, 2004 (Barrel Tasting): Medium bodied, buttery and with appealing aromas and flavors of bitter oranges and tropical fruits. Good balance between acidity, wood and fruits. Drink from release-2007. Score 86-88. K (Tasted 24 Feb 2005)