Monday, 5 Feb 2007, found me on the train to Beer Sheva, from there with winemaker Eran Goldwasser making my way to a tasting at Yatir winery. Since it released its first wines from the 2001 vintage, Yatir has been considered a rising star, almost immediately earning a name for excellent and expressive wines. Despite the youth of the winery, it is a rising star no longer. Yatir is a star that has risen, now clearly one of the best wineries in the country and following a natural evolution that takes it in directions that are simultaneously more gentle, more elegant and more contemplative while continuing to carry the signature of their clearly talented winemaker. For the record, current production is about 120,000 bottles annually and growth in the next two-three years is estimated at about 20%.

My thanks to Eran Goldwasser for his courtesies, for a fine tasting and for the humous and beer that we shared afterwards at the Bedouin Market in Beer Sheva.

Best
Rogov

Advance Tastings

Ya'ar Yatir, 2005 (Advance Tasting): The winery's flagship wine and rightly so. This year a Bordeaux blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 135 Petit Verdot and 10% Merlot. Aged in 1/3 new and 2/3 old wood barriques for 15 months, this deep royal purple wine casts intense orange and green reflections. Soft tannins integrating beautifully and the intentionally gentle hand with the wood come together nicely to let the wine open with spicy berry and cassis aromas and flavors, those gong on to show blackberries and an underlying and fascinating melody of bitter herbs. Long, generous and headed for elegance. Drink from release if you wish but best only from 2009-2014. Score 93. (Tasted 5 Feb 2007)

Yatir, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005 (Advance Tasting): Blended with 15% of Shiraz, dark garnet, with purple and orange reflections, showing fine balance between gentle spicy wood and mouth-coating tannins that are integrating nicely. On first attack blackberries and currants, those yielding to raspberries, spices those with light overlays of earthiness and leather all with a hint of what at one moment feels like lead-pencil and the next cigar box. Long, generous and destined for elegance. Approachable at release but best from 2009-2014. Score 92. K (Re-tasted 5 Feb 2007)

Yatir, Shiraz, 2005 (Advance Tasting): Showing even better than at barrel tastings. The minute this one hits your nose and palate you know that it could be nothing but Shiraz. Unusual for the winery because it is made entirely from a single variety, but this one is beautiful enough that I'll forgive the winemaker that little impulse. Dark, almost impenetrable garnet in color, intentionally aged in old oak barriques in order to let the typicity of the variety show, opens with meaty and herbal aromas, those yielding nicely to let the cherry, red currant and berry fruits shine through and finally, creeping in comfortably a nice hint of saddle leather. Long, generous and destined for what I can only call "intense elegance". Best from 2009-2014, perhaps longer Score 93. K (Re-tasted 5 Feb 2007)

Yatir, Blended Red, 2005 (Advance Tasting): A blend of Merlot, Shiraz, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot (35%, 37%, 16% and 12% respectively). Aged in oak for 12 months, this still young wine shows firm tannins and lightly spicy wood, those in fine balance. Starts with a rich blackberry nose and then goes on to aromas and flavors of wild berries, currants, and anise, all on a gently herbal background. Approachable from release but at its most elegant from 2009-2012. Score 91. K (Tasted 7 Feb 2007)

Yatir, Sauvignon Blanc, 2006: Fermented in stainless stell and then transferred to used oak for only 3 months in order to keep the crisply fruity of the wine intact, this light golden straw colored, medium-bodied wine sits gently on the palate, its fresh acidity highlighting pineapple, citrus and light grassy overtones. Easy to drink yet with a good touch of elegance. Drink from release. Score 90. K (Tasted 7 Feb 2007)

Barrel Tastings

It should be noted that my 2006 barrel tastings were of component parts and not of final blends.

Yatir, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006 (Barrel Tasting): Tasted from three as of yet unblended components, each from different vineyards. Potentially at the core of the future blend a dark, fruity, softly caressing wine; with one share given by an almost brutally tannic and concentrated wine; and the third by an almost contemplative wine, one so full and deep that you can almost get lost in it. Projecting (and this is half the fun and challenge of barrel tastings) to that future blend, a rich and extracted wine, with generous blackberry, currant, black cherry and wild berries that will be highlighted by mocha, vanilla and cedar-wood overtones. Watch this one for true elegance. Potentially the best yet from Yatir. Best 2010-2015, perhaps longer. Tentative Score 93-95. (Tasted 7 Feb 2007)

Yatir, Merlot, 2006 (Barrel Tasting): Dark and dense enough that you might think you could put it in your fountain pen, but even at this early stage of its development showing admirable depth, length and complexity. On the nose and palate layer after layer of currants, black cherries, chocolate, mocha all backed up by tannins that are simultaneously soft and powerful. Best 2009-2014. Tentative Score 92-94. K (Tasted 7 Feb 2007)

Yatir, Shiraz, 2006 (Barrel Tastings): Tasted from two samples. The first- an Australian clone that shows medium- to full body, firm but yielding tannins and a distinct hint of peppermint over spicy blackberry, black cherry fruits, all well focused and showing hints of exotic spices and white pepper. The second- from a French cline (call that one Syrah if you like) this one with far softer tannins but no less depth, unfolding to show blackberry, prune, meaty and dark chocolate. Enormous potential here for a wine that will come to its peak shortly after release but should cellar comfortably until 2015. Tentative Score 93-95. (Tasted 7 Feb 2007)

Yatir, Cabernet Franc, 2006 (Barrel Tasting): Deep royal purple in color, full-bodied, and showing faithful to the variety, showing complex black cherry, blackberry and cassis fruits, those accented by spices, cedar wood, coffee and hints of tar and vanilla. Potentially supple and elegant but probably destined for blending. Tentative Score 89-91. K (Tasted 7 Feb 2007)

Yatir, Petit Verdot, 2006 (Barrel Tasting): Deep purple, a powerhouse of a wine, with still intense tannins, concentration and complexity. On the nose and palate layers of plum, blackberry, pomegranate, coffee and earth, those already showing hints of smoky oak. A lovely example of a varietal that is not often bottled on its own. Tentative Score 92-94. (Tasted 7 Feb 2007)