Tasting Notes 7 found

Finally got around to uncorking this one. Scotch whisky color, mature, slightly oxidized nose of medium length. Full bodied white, now rather simple, yet utterly drinkable. All in all, I missed this one's peak... (483 views)

$ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $

Quite buttery/woody on the nose, and the oak is still noticeable on the palate. I think this one needs at least another year or two to show its true colors. It's got enough fruit and acidity so hopefully the oak will integrate. I have additional bottles so I'll wait and see... (2042 views)

$ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $

I've been impressed by this vintage of "C" ever since I tasted a sample at the winery and I'm thrilled that the final wine is the same stuff and just as impressive. The white Castel usually starts out very buttery (which explains the oak complaints in some other notes although the flavor really results from the malolactics, not the oak) and needs a few hours in a decanter to clarify itself, but this one is uncharacteristically appealing from the get-go, just ever-so-slightly lactic which is more than compensated for by the linear precision. (2337 views)

$ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $

This wine was giving off light subtle aromas of pear and green apples. A simple wine that was fun to try, but the acidity was unbalanced and a bit harsh on the back end. (2061 views)

$ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $

Tight nose. Light mouthfeel with mild butter, vanilla, and oak notes. Not much fruit. Pretty boring. (2068 views)

$ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $

This was very disappointing. The red Grand Vin was excellent, deserving of a 91ish grade, and I was expecting something similar from the white. No way. The nose was muted and almost non-existent. The palate was all barrel and no fruit. Vanilla and some roasted nuts. I like roasted nuts, but only when there's fruit to back it up. In place of fruit, the mid-palate had a bitter flavor which contnued into the aftertaste. It wasn't really awful, but was a lot worse than I had hoped. I finished the glass, so it gets 83 points, and I've had a lot worse, but I would not pay money for this. (1955 views)

$ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $

My first experience of Israeli Chardonnay and of this region. Slightly woodier than I prefer, but very good nonetheless. Per labels:
Domaine du Castel is an estate West of Jeruslem at an altitude of 2,400 feet. The vineyards are planted at a density of 6,700 vines per hectare and produce very small yields. The grapes are handpicked and the must is barrel fermented and aged 12 months on its lees in French oak. Unfined & unfiltered. Abv 13.5%.

Per www.castel.co.il:
the vineyards are at an average altitude of 700 m, and are densely planted on slopes and deep valleys facing the sea and the prevailing summer winds. The deep valley vineyards enjoy cooler temperatures and shorter hours of sunshine, which are excellent for good maturation. Most winters it snows but not heavily. In summer the average daily temperatures are lower than is customary at this altitude and there is a good breeze even on the hottest days. The nights are damp and cool and the days are very dry, which is excellent for mold prevention. This temperature difference between day and night averages 10 degrees C, and can be as low as 16 degrees C, which creates excellent conditions for ripening, preserves acidity and encourages good phenolic maturation. The vineyard is 13 hectares, 26% of which is Chardonnay. The planting density is 4,500 to 7,000 plants per hectare, with an average production of 55 hl per hectare. A very limited use of irrigation (100 ml between May & September) produces highly concentrated grapes. The Chardonnay has a sustained yellow colour, a rich buttery bouquet, a good acidity and is full & round, with plenty of yellow tropical fruit and roasted almonds. It is well balanced and mouth coating. It is barrel fermented in 2/3 new French oak and aged sur lie with frequent bâtonnage. (1290 views)

$ FIND THIS WINE on WINE-SEARCHER.COM $