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
The ripe blackberry fruit leaps out at you on the nose, but this Bordeaux blend also has a lovely minty freshness. Plenty of toasty oak, but the wine’s enveloping richness scoops it up as if it were nothing. Then the powdery tannins build and the wine shows you its plush and fascinating sides. Very long finish with delicate hints of caramel and resin.
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Wine Spectator
Sleek and full of character, with cool, gravelly minerality underlying brambly red fruit and black plum flavors. Cedar and charred mesquite add bass notes, with singed incense, bay leaf and black pepper bringing a savory, earthy dimension. A brightness persists through the dense, complex finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2030. 3,700 cases made, 700 cases imported.
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.