Winemaker Notes
Castel Gran Vin is a classic, elegant wine, bearing deep coloring and a concentrated and complex bouquet of blackberries, spices and fine (yet tangible) tannin. This is a balanced wine, with a velvety smoothness and a long clean finish. It is recommended to decanter the wine before serving.
This wine is Kosher for Passover
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
This intensely savory and balsamic Bordeaux blend has stunning intensity and balance, the very fine tannins building to an imposing climax, yet it remains fresh and animating right through the very long finish. This has shaken off the first flush of youthful berry fruit and is now just beginning to enter the next phase when it’s a delight to drink wines of this kind. Wonderful velvety texture at the long, very precise dry finish.
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Wine Spectator
Bold and polished, with cassis and red berry flavors that are silky on a well-defined palate. Stylish and pure, this shows elegant balance between sweet fruit and toasty cedar, leafy tobacco and spice elements, with energetic drive through the lengthy finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Kosher. Drink now.
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.