From the IsraelWines.co.il site:
The Wine Advocate’s first generic tasting of Israeli wines resulted in a resounding success, which will encourage the whole industry. The Wine Advocate is the mouthpiece of Robert Parker, the world’s most powerful and influential wine critic.
No less than 14 wines scored over 90 points. This has always been the mythical barrier between a good international class and a world class wine. Much to the frustration of Israeli wineries, the Wine Spectator magazine has only once scored an Israeli wine with more than 89 points. Furthermore, Robert Parker has not tasted and written about Israeli wines until now.
According to the Wine Advocate, a wine scoring between 90 – 95 points, is: “An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines.” So the tasting represented a real breakthrough. It showed that Israeli wines have arrived on the world map as quality wines in their own right. Also the leading eight wines were all kosher. This has finally layed to rest, once and for all, the prevailing stereotype that a kosher wine, by definition, cannot be a world class wine.
The best red wine of the tasting was Yatir Forest 2003, Judean Hills, Yatir Winery with 93 points.
The best white wine was ‘C’ Blanc du Castel 2005, Judean Hills, Domaine du Castel with 91 points.
The best dessert wine was Yarden HeightsWine 2005, Galilee, Golan Heights Winery with 93 points.
Ninety three points is the highest ever score awarded by Robert Parker to any wine produced in the Eastern Mediterranean (including Greece, Lebanon & Israel.) It also equals the best ever score awarded by Robert Parker for a kosher wine. (The Covenant Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 from California also received 93 points.)
The most successful wineries were:
Carmel & its subsidiary Yatir, which together achieved over 90 points for no less than four wines.
Castel scored over 90 points for all three of its wines.
The Golan Heights Winery, and its subsidiary Galil Mountain combined, achieved over 90 for three wines
The surprises were the excellent scores achieved by Pelter, Tulip and Tzora.
The wines were selected for the tasting by a panel of Daniel Rogov, Israelis pre-eminent wine critic, ex sommelier Avi Ben Ami and wine personality, Yair Hajdu. The logistics was handled by Hezi Levy and John Zion. The tasting was conducted by Mark Squires, part of Robert Parker’s team, and the great man himself tasted the better wines. The conclusion by Mark Squires included the following words: “The corner has been turned qualitatively. Israel has a real wine industry that deserves consumer attention. These are attractive wines with typicity and some distinction. Many are classic and charming and the best will impress anyone.”
The leading scores are listed below.
There have been two key events in the evolving revolution of Israeli wine. The first was the founding of Carmel by Baron Edmond de Rothschild in 1882, using French expertise. This was the beginning of a modern Israeli wine industry. The second was the founding of the Golan Heights Winery in 1983, using Californian expertise, which heralded the quality revolution. It could be that the Parker/ Squires/ Wine Advocate tasting is the next major event which heralds an international, quality recognition. This 2007 tasting may have a similar effect on the future direction of Israeli wines, as the famous 1976 tasting had on Californian wines.
2003 Yatir Winery Yatir Forest 93
2005 Golan Heights Winery Gewurztraminer HeightsWine Yarden 93
2006 Tzora Vineyards Or Dessert Wine 92
2004 Domaine du Castel Grand Vin 92
2005 Domaine du Castel ‘C’ Blanc du Castel 91
2003 Golan Heights Winery Katzrin Yarden 91
2003 Galil Mountain Yiron 90
2003 Yatir Winery Cabernet Merlot Shiraz 90
2004 Carmel Winery Limited Edition 90
2005 Tulip Syrah Reserve 90
2004 Pelter Shiraz T Selection 90
2005 Domaine du Castel Petit Castel 90
2004 Clos de Gat Syrah Sycra 90
2005 Carmel Winery Gewurztraminer Sha’al Vineyard 90
2 responses so far ↓
WTG // December 28, 2007 at 7:42 am
Great Stuff Avi! While it was not ALL positive it is certainly a step in the right direction and your conclusion that it could “have a similar effect on the future direction of Israeli wines, as the famous 1976 tasting had on Californian wines” put a big smile on my face.
Keep up the fabulous writing & lets go Israeli wine!!
Avi // December 28, 2007 at 12:01 pm
That I admit that I didn’t write - it’s from an article on israelwines.co.il - which has much great Hebrew material, but is lacking in English — as is much of the Israeli wine world.
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