clear statement.
Carmel Winery/PR
The portfolio of Carmel Winery, one of the two largest wineries in Israel, is full of wines, at all price levels.
From cheap supermarkets to high and expensive wines.
From wines intended for the poor to wines for connoisseurs.
The current review is focused on those that are not in the supermarket, and represent a practice committed to maximum expression of variety and terroir.
Yeftah Peretz, Carmel's chief winemaker, signed the variety of very different styles.
It can be assumed that the wines reviewed here reflect something of his personal taste and worldview.
All the wines in the review are excellent.
They represent three series, all of which are only available in wine stores - "Vineyards" (80 shekels), "Single Vineyard" (120) and Signature (150-160).
For all of Avi Efrati's wine series,
the two "Vineyards" wines reviewed here, white and red (Chardonnay and Syrah-Grenache), represent very good to excellent value for money and their quality is equivalent to wines that are NIS 20 to 40 more expensive.
The "Single Vineyard" wines (Riesling Har Avital and Chardonnay Tel Mahfi) go up a notch and provide an abundance of quality that places them as relevant to any high and meaningful meal.
"Signature" wines (concrete boat and Mediterranean) are tall and impressive for not a lot of money.
This is exactly what a large and respected winery should know how to provide alongside its mass consumption wines - unconventional and high quality wines, with a clear statement, at reasonable prices.
The practice is classic, committed to "old world" values with clear Mediterranean accents.
Sipping them with appropriate proximity provides pure pleasure.
Look for them in the wine shops.
for life!
Carmel, Vineyards, Yehuda Mountains, Chardonnay 2022
Balances acidity.
Vineyards, Yehuda Mountains, Chardonnay 2022 of Carmel/Eyal Kern
It is impossible without a few words about astringency:
100% Chardonnay from vineyards in the Jerusalem Corridor (introduction to Beitar, Shur and Beit Zeit) in the Judean Mountains.
Fermentation and aging for several months on the lees in French oak barrels.
golden color
White and yellow fruit nose, herbs.
Medium-full body.
13% alcohol by volume.
Some?
80 shekels.
Best for:
fish, calamari, pasta, chicken.
What the reviewer says:
good fruit, not too extroverted, pleasant balancing acidity, sharpness, precision, very high gastronomic factor.
Chardonnay-chardonnay.
A food wine that provides an equally great value for the shekels.
Inhale!
Value for money:
4.5/5 (excellent).
In nine words:
there are few local bricks that provide such quality for NIS 80.
Nana Winery
In nine words?
One of the best white Israelis that a hundred shekels can buy
To the full article
Carmel, Vineyards, Yehuda Mountains, Syrah-Grenache 2021
Relatively easy.
Vineyards, Judean Mountains, Syrah-Grenache 2021 of Carmel/Eyal Kern
It's impossible without a few words about astringents:
80% Syrah from the Mavo Beitar vineyard and 20% Grenache from the Shork vineyard, both in the Jerusalem mountains.
Fermentation and gentle pressing in stainless steel tanks and then 14 months in French oak barrels.
Slightly oval red color, on the nose red fruit and spices.
Medium body.
15% alcohol by volume.
Some?
80 shekels.
Best suited for:
beef tartar and carpaccio, grilled, chicken, pizza.
What the reviewer says:
pleasant fruit, plenty of spices, plenty of character.
The 15 percent alcohol is not noticeable on the palate.
There is a relative lightness (the body is only medium), the wine is not "chewy" and its purpose is, obviously, to accompany the food well and not dominate it.
Although it belongs to the category of relatively light wines and is intended for relatively light food, it will also hold well any respectable steak.
Like its predecessor in the review, the Chardonnay from the Yehuda Mountains, this is a wine that best expresses the terroir of the Yehuda Mountains.
Value for money:
4/5 (very good).
In 11 words:
Mediterranean from the Judean Mountains with plenty of character and beauty of value for money.
Carmel, Single Vineyards, Mount Avital, Riesling 2022
Unequivocal minerality.
Single Vineyards, Mount Avital, Riesling 2022 of Carmel/Eyal Kern
It's impossible without a few words about astringency:
100% Riesling from the Mount Avital vineyard in the north of the Golan Heights.
Fermentation and aging for six months in French oak (50%) and stainless steel (50%) barrels.
golden color
On the citrus nose, white fruit (green apple) and a little tropical fruit.
full body.
12% alcohol by volume.
Some?
120 shekels.
Best suited for:
ceviche, fish tartare, spicy Asian food, sushi and sashimi, fish in butter sauce and pork-based dishes.
What the reviewer says:
a muscular and "built" body.
At this stage of the wine's life, very young in Riesling terms, the outstanding characteristic is the fruity one - citrus, flowers and more;
Along with a sweeping, very good balancing acidity.
Next to these, an unequivocal, magical minerality is also evident.
As good and proper Riesling is, two to seven years from now, the petrol factor will also develop.
An excellent wine with great versatility when it comes to pairing with food.
It will be fascinating to sip it again in two-three years (and again in 5-6 years).
Value for money:
4/5 (very good).
In 15 words:
a serious Riesling that will last a lifetime, which is excellent already but it will be fascinating to meet it in a few years.
Carmel, Single Vineyards, Tel Mahfi, Chardonnay 2022
Massive body.
Single Vineyards, Tel Mahfi, Chardonnay 2022 by Carmel/Eyal Kern
It's impossible without a few words about astringency:
100% Chardonnay from a vineyard near Tel Mahafi in the north of the Golan Heights.
Fermentation and aging on the lees for six months in French oak barrels.
Deep golden color.
Citrus and flowers in the nose.
full body.
13.5% alcohol by volume.
Some?
120 shekels.
Best suited for:
fish and seafood.
oysters
Lobster, pork.
What the reviewer says:
massive body, prominent acidity profile, sharp and excellent.
White fruit (green apple and pear), mineral touch, hints of salinity.
Chardonnay is serious and full of character and presence.
Value for money:
3.5/5 (good).
In eight words:
serious and impressive Chardonnay with no less than lovely acidity.
Carmel, Signature, concrete boat 2019
The wine selection.
Signature, concrete boat 2019 of Carmel/Eyal Kern
It's impossible without a few words about astringents:
100% Syrah from the Ein Zeitim/Idra vineyard in Dalton, the Upper Galilee.
Fermentation and aging in concrete tanks.
without wood
Deep red color and slightly transparent.
On the nose red, black fruit and spices.
Medium body.
14.5% alcohol by volume.
Some?
150 shekels.
Best for:
steaks, aged cuts on the bone, lamb chops.
And also dark chocolate, strawberries, semi-hard cheeses and mature cheeses.
The reviewer's comment:
A tall red in which a choice was made to forego the use of wooden barrels is a wine of the "winemaker's choice" genre - one that reflects his personal stamp.
Certainly in Israel, a place where the taste of the general public is oriented towards wood and more wood.
This boat wine, no less wonderful, explains how great a large and industrialized winery allows its professional also degrees of freedom.
It is a wine whose natural varietal characteristics remain almost without the addition that comes from the wood.
It maintains relative lightness, fruit and spice characteristics that are present, elegant and restrained;
And a great level of clarity and cleanliness.
It goes well with meats of any kind, but the writer of these lines sipped it alongside chocolate and strawberries.
it was great.
Value for money:
3.5/5 (good).
In seven words:
sometimes you can give up wood in favor of concrete.
Carmel, Signature, Mediterranean 2020
Power versus softness.
Signature, Mediterranean 2020 of Carmel/Eyal Kern
It's impossible without a few words about astringency:
54% Carignan, 29% Grenache, 16% Tanat and 1% Syrah from vineyards in the Galilee, the mountains of Judea and Samaria.
Each of the wines was aged for 7 months separately and after the creation of the blend, the entire wine was aged for an additional 8 months (a total of 15 months of aging).
Deep dark red color.
On the nose red fruit, some black fruit, spices and Provence herbs.
Medium-full body.
15% alcohol by volume.
Some?
160 shekels.
Best suited for:
lamb chops, lamb and mutton casseroles, beef cuts aged on the bone.
Reviewer's note:
It's always fun to meet Carmel's classic Mediterranean blend, which was released to the market after considerable aging in barrels and further aging in the bottle.
Body not completely full and fruit not fully loaded.
Excellent acidity.
Plenty of layers of seasoning, complexity, elegance, velvety, power versus softness and lots of character and style.
Value for money:
3.5/5 (good. Not cheap but provides equivalent value to local wines that cost significantly more).
In six words:
a piece of wine for (relatively) not a lot of money.
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