I was sure that I already rated this wine... after all, it is my 3rd 2018 bottle out of 8. Better late than never & it only got better (the winery states that it will reach its peak within 3 to 5 years... I guess they know 😊).
Bright dark red color, with shades of purple.
Medium plus body, medium acidity, soft but still present tanines. Nice structure👏
Mildly but very nicely aromatic, mixture of black & red fruits, barrel & spices👏
Same mixture on the palate, in a very balanced & enjoyable way.
Nice wine🍷
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The wine is definitely in the drinking window but could go a few more years.
The nose was typical of Israeli reds with ripe red fruit but in the mouth was far more gentle with some of the red fruit but also gentle tanins, herbs and all pretty well balanced.
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No worse than Grand Vin 2015. Full body, deep purple color. Intense aroma of ripe fruits, sweet spices and herbs. Plum and black cherry palate complemented by replete but juicy finish. Rich and bold but rather impressive than complex, well balanced, gentle acidity and soft tannins. Tasted with roasted veal and French fries. Open one hour ahead. Serve 18ºC - 20ºC. Drink now while young to end of the decade.
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This wine is a blend of 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Petit Verdot. I heard a lot about this wine and at the start, to me, this wine is too ripe. It is not enjoyable out of the bottle, and that is fine, maybe it will improve. For now, the nose on this wine is ripe, not date-juice ripe, but very ripe, and more than I like, with rope black and blue fruit, with loads of roasted herbs, smoke, and dirt. The mouth on this medium to full-bodied wine is ripe, and it comes in layers at you with good extraction and concentration, but again, too ripe, with searing tannin, nice enough acidity, with good graphite, but the ripe blackberry, plum, and cherry are really too ripe, showing hints of date, along with olives, vanilla, and more roasted oregano and mint, too much oak for me, it shows as really sweet cedar. The finish is long, really ripe, with hints of green from the roasted herbs, tobacco, and cinnamon. We will see where this wine goes over the Shabbat, but for now, this one needs time or just move on. Over Shabbat, this wine did indeed improve and the large spot of sweetness did mellow, what really impressed me the most was its ability to last over the Shabbat and only get better. Maybe this is a wine that can last for more than a few years - only time will tell. Drink from 2022 until 2025.
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Domaine du Castel, Petit Castel, 2018: Decanted 2 hours. Dark garnet towards royal purple in color. The nose shows ripe blackberries, blueberries and cherries with hints of roasted herbs, rich tobacco as well as a hint of vanilla. Medium to full-bodied, with nice extraction. On the palate, ripe but controlled black and blue forest berries, black plums, graphite, a touch of spice, nutmeg, medium acidity, vanilla bean with slightly powdery tannins and notes of dark chocolate on a long and rich finish. While 2017 was a let down, this is probably the best Petit Castel since the 2014 vintage, controlled, balanced and structured for a few years of development. It might become even a little better than the 2013 did. 14% Abv. Drink 2021-2026. 91+
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10/2/2023 - MosheDehsoM Likes this wine: 93 Points
I was sure that I already rated this wine... after all, it is my 3rd 2018 bottle out of 8. Better late than never & it only got better (the winery states that it will reach its peak within 3 to 5 years... I guess they know 😊).
Bright dark red color, with shades of purple.
Medium plus body, medium acidity, soft but still present tanines. Nice structure👏
Mildly but very nicely aromatic, mixture of black & red fruits, barrel & spices👏
Same mixture on the palate, in a very balanced & enjoyable way.
Nice wine🍷
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5/29/2023 - Tsvimark Likes this wine: 92 Points
The wine is definitely in the drinking window but could go a few more years.
The nose was typical of Israeli reds with ripe red fruit but in the mouth was far more gentle with some of the red fruit but also gentle tanins, herbs and all pretty well balanced.
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4/11/2023 - Jahersh Likes this wine:
nice. Not as much complexity as expected, but very good balance, good acid, and nice dark fruit without being overoaked.
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12/8/2022 - Gwgwggww Likes this wine: 90 Points
Balanced and elegant. Not particularly exhilarating but overall good.
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1/17/2022 - Jahersh Likes this wine:
delicious, well balanced, med acidity, med tannins, dark fruit not too ripe, oak notes on the finish.
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5/23/2021 - vlzat wrote: 91 Points
No worse than Grand Vin 2015. Full body, deep purple color. Intense aroma of ripe fruits, sweet spices and herbs. Plum and black cherry palate complemented by replete but juicy finish. Rich and bold but rather impressive than complex, well balanced, gentle acidity and soft tannins. Tasted with roasted veal and French fries. Open one hour ahead. Serve 18ºC - 20ºC. Drink now while young to end of the decade.
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8/4/2020 - raccah wrote: 89 Points
This wine is a blend of 55% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 15% Petit Verdot. I heard a lot about this wine and at the start, to me, this wine is too ripe. It is not enjoyable out of the bottle, and that is fine, maybe it will improve. For now, the nose on this wine is ripe, not date-juice ripe, but very ripe, and more than I like, with rope black and blue fruit, with loads of roasted herbs, smoke, and dirt. The mouth on this medium to full-bodied wine is ripe, and it comes in layers at you with good extraction and concentration, but again, too ripe, with searing tannin, nice enough acidity, with good graphite, but the ripe blackberry, plum, and cherry are really too ripe, showing hints of date, along with olives, vanilla, and more roasted oregano and mint, too much oak for me, it shows as really sweet cedar. The finish is long, really ripe, with hints of green from the roasted herbs, tobacco, and cinnamon. We will see where this wine goes over the Shabbat, but for now, this one needs time or just move on. Over Shabbat, this wine did indeed improve and the large spot of sweetness did mellow, what really impressed me the most was its ability to last over the Shabbat and only get better. Maybe this is a wine that can last for more than a few years - only time will tell. Drink from 2022 until 2025.
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5/9/2020 - Gabriel Geller Likes this wine: 91 Points
Domaine du Castel, Petit Castel, 2018: Decanted 2 hours. Dark garnet towards royal purple in color. The nose shows ripe blackberries, blueberries and cherries with hints of roasted herbs, rich tobacco as well as a hint of vanilla. Medium to full-bodied, with nice extraction. On the palate, ripe but controlled black and blue forest berries, black plums, graphite, a touch of spice, nutmeg, medium acidity, vanilla bean with slightly powdery tannins and notes of dark chocolate on a long and rich finish. While 2017 was a let down, this is probably the best Petit Castel since the 2014 vintage, controlled, balanced and structured for a few years of development. It might become even a little better than the 2013 did. 14% Abv. Drink 2021-2026. 91+
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