Winemaker Notes
Try pairing this wine with full flavored beef or chicken dishes.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2013 Grand Vin is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (62%), Petit Verdot (22%), Merlot (13%) and Cabernet Franc (3%), aged for 20 months in 50% new French oak barrels. It comes in at 15% alcohol. The wine is unfined and unfiltered. Adding some concentration and fullness to the Petit Castel recently reviewed, this coats the palate and fills the mouth with fine fruit. A bit tight on the finish right now, with its alcohol and oak showing just a bit, it resolved nicely with aeration, the fruit emerging steadily. Becoming increasingly delicious as it opened, this is a Grand Vin that shows some muscle and structure, but it is mostly about the lush and delectable fruit. The tannins were well controlled and the wine is elegant, but those things are pretty easy to find with Castel. However, I'm not sure I've had a Grand Vin that was tastier. The longer it was open, the better it got, the oak blowing off, the alcohol relegated to the inconsequential. It also began to show some purity and lift to the fruit. This is a big mouthful and a potential superstar. You can approach it now if you really must, but that's a bad idea. It is not anywhere near peak; show some patience. It probably will round into form around the end of the decade. Even then, however, it may have considerable time left and the ability to gain complexity in the cellar. There's a lot of everything here--it just needs a little settle-down time.
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Wine Spectator
A firm and elegant red, with flavors of dried berry and cherry, accented by notes of savory herbs. Made in a Bordeaux style, offering toasty details on the finish, showing cedar and spice box hints. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Kosher. Drink now through 2019.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
With a rich history of wine production dating back to biblical times, Israel is a part of the cradle of wine civilization. Here, wine was commonly used for religious ceremonies as well as for general consumption. During Roman times, it was a popular export, but during Islamic rule around 1300, production was virtually extinguished. The modern era of Israeli winemaking began in the late 19th century with help from Bordeaux’s Rothschild family. Accordingly, most grapes grown in Israel today are made from native French varieties. Indigenous varieties are all but extinct, though oenologists have made recent attempts to rediscover ancient varieties such as Marawi for commercial wine production.
In Israel’s Mediterranean climate, humidity and drought can be problematic, concentrating much of the country’s grape growing in the north near Galilee, Samaria near the coast and at higher elevations in the east. The most successful red varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah, while the best whites are made from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Many, though by no means all, Israeli wines are certified Kosher.