Integrity, commitment to values, quality and modesty.
Wortman Winery/Wortman Winery
It is impossible not to love the Wartman Winery from Haifa.
The winemaker and owner Chai Wartman creates wines in which the common denominator for all is integrity, commitment to values, quality and modesty.
The operational area of the winery is in the lower city and the visitor center is in the family's house, in the neighborhood in Carmel.
The wines come from vineyards in the Shafia Valley, at the foot of Carmel.
They are located stylistically deep in the Mediterranean Sea.
That means you won't find Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot here.
Their place is taken, for example, by the Carinian, the Syrah and the Melbak.
The production is restrained, clearly letting the terroir and the variety speak;
All the wines are organic and are very good to excellent.
Their pricing is one of the sane imaginable compared to Israeli boutique wines.
All of Avi Efrati's wine series
have many goodies in the current tasting, including "Peti Shafia 2019", the basic and charming red, and "Levant Adom 2020", the two workhorses of the winery.
Alongside them, "Levant Laban 2023" also provides pure pleasure.
The two "exits" of the tasting are "Pat Nut Rosé 2022", sparkling in the old method that you can't stop sipping after opening it, and "Ruch Kadim 2022", which was created entirely in a clay tank (as opposed to an oak barrel) and is still closed at the moment but will surely be wonderful after Obsolescence.
A true winery with wines that provide pure pleasure, at really moderate pricing.
We don't need more than that.
for life!
Wortman, Patty Shafia 2019
character and complexity.
Petty Shafia 2019 by Wortman/Wortman Winery
It's impossible without a few words about astringency:
64% Carignan, 20% Petit Verdot and 16% Malbec from vineyards in Emek Shafia, in Carmel.
14 months of aging in large (300-500 liters) old French oak barrels.
Crimson red color.
Red fruit and spices on the nose.
Medium body 14% alcohol by volume.
Some?
95 shekels.
Best suited for:
carpaccio and beef tartare, minute steak, kebab.
The reviewer's comment:
relatively light, with pleasant fruit, a touch of graceful seasoning and a significant, surprising and pleasing amount of character and complexity.
Value for money:
4.5/5 (excellent).
In six words:
one of the best local reds in the "over a hundred" category.
Villaboa Winery
In terms of price, quality and fun - this is a French that everyone will enjoy
To the full article
Wortman, Colomber 2023
Good dryness.
Colomber 2023 by Wortman/Wortman Winery
It's impossible without a few words about astringency:
95% Colomber and 5% Sauvignon Blanc from the Shefia Valley vineyard.
Natural fermentation in large oak barrels and continued aging for five months.
Golden-straw color.
On the nose white fruit, citrus (lime) and flowers (nectar).
Medium body.
11.5% alcohol by volume.
Some?
120 shekels.
Best suited for:
fish and seafood.
What the reviewer says:
pleasant and restrained fruit, delicate and precise acidity, good dryness.
An unmistakable mineral note.
sharpness and softness.
A wine that has character and quality coefficients that cannot be mistaken.
Very high gastronomic factor.
Value for money:
3.5/5 (good).
In five words:
a very successful son, born to eat.
Wortman, Levant Adom 2020
Lovely fruit.
Levant Adom 2020 by Wortman/Wortman Winery
It's impossible without a few words about astringency:
50% Grenache, 35% Carignan and 15% Morbadar from the Shafia Valley in Carmel.
3 weeks of fermentation in small stainless steel tanks with frequent manual stirring and then 16 months of residence in large wooden barrels (400-500 liters).
Red color slightly oval.
Black, red fruit and spices on the nose.
Medium-full body.
13.5% alcohol by volume.
Some?
120 shekels.
Best suited for:
steaks.
What the reviewer says:
lovely fruit, good balanced acidity, a touch of unmistakable earthiness and Mediterranean seasoning, soft tannins, long finish.
Value for money:
4/5 (very good).
In 11 words:
what more could we ask for from a local red in the 120 NIS category?
Actually not much.
Wortman, Pat Nat Rosa 2022
Fun sourness.
Wortman's Pat Nut Rosé 2022/Wortman Winery
It's impossible without a few words about astringency:
a natural sparkling, based on 100% Petty Verdo from the Shafia Valley in Carmel, made with the "Ancestral Method" - natural fermentation for 12 weeks in stainless steel tanks and another four months in bottles.
The first fermentation is stopped by refrigeration and the continuation takes place in the bottle.
Pink color slightly orange.
Red fruit nose.
Light-medium body.
12.5% alcohol by volume.
Some?
125 shekels.
Best suited for:
fish, seafood, white meats, hard and semi-hard cheeses.
What the reviewer said:
good fruit, full of flavors but not too busy, pleasant acidity, good balance, with a relatively gentle bubble.
Pat Nutt is full of charm, without a lot of pretension but with a lot of style in the context of the genre and without promoting too blatant funkness.
Fans of the genre will love this wine.
Value for money:
2.5/5 (real).
In four words:
pure pleasure for fans of the genre.
Wortman, Malbec 2020
Abundant fruit.
Malbec 2020 by Wortman/Wortman Winery
It's impossible without a few words about astringency:
85% Malbec and 15% Petit Verdot came from Emek Shafia in Carmel.
14 days of fermentation in small stainless steel tanks with frequent manual stirring.
17 months of loving French oak.
Red-purple color.
Black fruit and flowers on the nose.
Medium-full body.
13.5% alcohol by volume.
Some?
130 shekels.
Best for:
Aged cuts of beef on the bone, casseroles.
What the reviewer says:
Abundant, rich fruit.
A wine that tends towards round and soft;
The most accessible of the current tasting wines, yet it has depth factors, nuances and complexity that even experienced sippers will know how to appreciate.
Value for money:
4/5 (very good).
In four words:
relatively accessible and obviously of high quality.
Wortman, Roach Kadim 2022
Lots of character.
Roach Kadim 2022 of Wortman/Wortman Winery
It's impossible without a few words about astringents:
60% Syrah and 40% Senso from the Shafia Valley in Carmel.
Fermentation for 50 days in whole clusters in a clay jar from Italy until pressing and an additional 12 months of aging.
deep red color.
On the nose red fruit and plenty of spices.
Medium-full body.
13.5% alcohol by volume.
Some?
130 shekels.
Best for:
Aged cuts of beef on the bone.
cauldrons
Reviewer's comment:
A wine that represents Hai Wortman's playground.
Whole clusters, for the presence of additional flavors of the raw material other than grapes;
And a clay pot as a receptacle for fermentation and aging, instead of a wooden vessel.
The wine is still closed and its tannins are intense, even after a long fermentation, but there is no doubt that this is a great wine.
Plenty of fruit that will clearly open and round out later, lots of seasoning and lots of character.
Two more years under proper storage conditions will bring the potential to fruition.
Expiration period of five to seven years.
Given the purchase and storage in a wine refrigerator, this is a real bang for the buck.
Value for money:
4.5/5 (excellent).
In two words:
buy and hold back.
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