Month: February 2018

 

https://www.gofundme.com/savebennyandjosh

A good friend of mine, a colleague in the wine industry, and a true mensch, is in need of our help.

In addition to being a fantastic purveyor of wines in NYC, the owner of Taste Wine Co. , Gary Landsman is the father of two young children who have been diagnosed with a terrible disease. Both of Gary’s young sons have been diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called Canavan’s Disease.

However there is hope. Due to the tireless efforts of he and his wife Jennie, they have been able to raise over $1MM to fast-track genetic therapies for Canavan’s and a host of other diseases that had been previously stuck in laboratory test phases.

In the last push to assemble the full amount of $1.2MM needed to complete the funding campaign, Gary is channeling his wonderful wine education talents into two events. These events will encompass the very best of high-end kosher wine and food, as well as some rare vintage wines that have been donated by a number of generous souls.

The links to purchase tickets are here:

March 3rd event at WSIS in NYC: https://savebennyandjoshwinenyc.eventbrite.com

March 10 event @ Kingsway in BK: https://savebennyandjoshwinebk.eventbrite.com

I would urge everyone who has an interest in tzedaka, medicine, great wine education, or all three to snatch up these tickets before they are gone.

 100% of the proceeds are going straight to the #savebennyandjosh cause to advance cures for rare genetic diseases. Help Benny and Josh as well as many others.

For more information on the campaign as well as Jennie and Gary’s story please see the link below.

https://www.gofundme.com/savebennyandjosh

This is a wine that has never gotten the coverage that it deserves. I have always liked it, and am happy to share my thoughts on it with you.

The wine opens with a ripe nose of juicy melon, pineapple, apricot, and some flinty notes with a hint of butterscotch candy in the background. The mouth is extremely balanced, with bursting notes of ripe stone fruit, a viscous mouth-feel, and enough acid to keep it bright. The finish is full and complex with notes of ripe honeydew, Crème Brûlée, baking spices, and saline lingering on the palate. This is a perfect wine for those looking for a gateway into the world of wine. It’s complex, but yet fruity enough to keep the attention of most drinkers.

This is a perfect white mevushal option that can go well with a wide variety of foods. Personally my favorite pairing is either chicken soup or vegetable lo mein.

Score: A-

Value: A-

This wine is part of a new series being released by Herzog from estate plots and is a step up from their Baron Herzog brand.

 The nose on this wine shows smoked meats, tobacco, and black peppercorn with a more spicy character than I would typically expect from a low price Pinot. There are also classic notes of cherry and raspberry that come through with some vigorous swirling. The mouth is a bit heavy for my taste when it comes to Pinot Noir. It does not exhibit the delicate qualities that a truly beautiful Pinot often will. The fruit is nice enough, but the weight of the wine on the palate is surprising. Also, at this stage the alcohol is coming through a bit too much for me on the mouth (I may revisit this wine in six months to see if it has integrated at all). It’s a bit disjointed with notes of kirsch, mint, and cranberry sauce. All in all this is a success for California Pinot under $20. This wine provides value in a grape varietal that is far too rare on the kosher market.

 Score: B+

 Value: B+/A-

Chateau Les Riganes Bordeaux 2016 ($9.99)

Wow, what a pleasure it is to taste a quality wine that actually retails for sub-$10. The nose opens with some earth, mushrooms, and wet wood, but then it morphs into the coolest combination of raspberry candy and black truffles. I love the nose. The mouth is really well composed with stiff notes of cedar box, cigar ash, and raspberries; with mouth coating tannins and a long finish with a grassy quality. This is a real treat at its price point and I thank Royal Wine for making this wine in a quality manner at this price point.

Score: A-

Value: As good as it gets!

Tzora Winery, located in the Judean Foothills crafts some of the best wine to come out of Israel. The winery employs a unique focus on the quality of the soil and the overall terroir of their vineyards. The winery, under the guidance of Master of Wine Eran Pick, picks the best grapes form the choicest plots in the Judean Hills, to make a wine focused on the terra rosa and limestone soils that are characteristic of the region. They employ a minimal intervention method of winemaking, such that the wine is truly an expression of the grapes, and not oak or other additives.

The winery has a number of lines of wines starting with their entry level Judean Hills line, then their single vineyard Shoresh line, and finally their Misty Hills wine. All of these wines are QPR in their own right as they deliver really good value for the money at each of their respective price points. However, with this post I will focus on their Judean Hills line alone.

 

Tzora, Judean Hills, Blanc 2016 ($29)

This wine is comprised of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Sauvignon Blanc. The wine is perfectly balanced between creamy viscosity and racy acid. The nose opens with a whiff of buttered toast, some Anjou pear, green apples, and a hint of Mediterranean herbs characteristic of all of Tzora’s wines. The mouth is full but focused. Juicy white fruit comes bursting through, peeled pears, peeled apples, white flowers, almonds, toasted sesame seeds, and saline. The minerality that sticks in your mouth on the finish is crazy. This wine strikes a great balance between strong body and precise balance. I love it. This wine would be perfect by itself or with a wide range of fish and poultry.

Score: A

Value Score: A/A-

 

Tzora, Judean Hills, Red 2015 ($31)

For anyone that has read this blog in the past, you know well that I am skeptical of red wines coming from Israel. The style is just generally not my thing. However, this wine breaks the mold.

The 2015 vintage marks a bit of a deviation from previous vintages of this bottle, as the winery has scrapped their Merlot vineyards and is now focusing on Cabernet, Syrah, and Petit Verdot. This vintage is comprised of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Syrah, and 20% Petit Verdot.

The nose on this wine is intoxicating, with notes of red berries, black berries, tons of smoke, cigar box, and smoked meat, with some oregano and herbal notes in the background. The mouth is more sharp than in years past, as it has lost the roundness of the Merlot. Personally, I like the rustic mouth-feel of this wine as it goes well with its rustic notes. The mouth of the wine really tastes like smoked beef, freshly cut flowers, and some cherry with some of the cedar notes come through as well. The tannins are still pretty stiff, but they are approachable. The finish is non-stop; you can still taste the wine 2-3 minutes after sipping. For people looking for a versatile and elegant, yet complex wine at a good price point this wine is fantastic.

Score: A

Value Score: A