misserdos

There was a man who lived on a kibbutz and had a dream to set up a winery. That kibbutz was Tzora, in the cool hills not far from Jerusalem, and the winery he started, and which bears the same name, is thriving today.

The man was Ronnie James – he didn’t live to see the success of his brainchild, but his memory lives on in the winery logo and he is remembered with fondness and reverence. In fact, as I look at the large painting of him in the tasting room, I get a feeling that in some sense he still very much runs this show. And then I recall that another winemaker in the Judaean Hills, Ze’ev Dunie of Seahorse, has named his signature Chenin Blanc after this man – James… one of my favourite Israeli wines.

Twenty-five years ago, Ronnie James decided that, instead of selling grapes like everyone else did, he was going to make his own wine. Small-batch winemaking was still in its infancy in Israel at the time, with literally only a handful of people experimenting with the promising but challenging task.

For a while Ronnie’s endeavour remained a one-man show, but finally in 2006 investments were made and the winery hired a professional winemaker, Eran Pick, who today is the first and to my knowledge only Master of Wine in Israel. Eran’s vast experience belies his years: not only has he completed the extremely rigorous MW degree, the Ph.D. of the wine trade, he has also worked in a number of top wine regions around the world from Bordeaux to Australia. His mission is to continue Ronnie’s commitment to creating wines that express the terroir, the land they came from. And so Tzora’s wines have character. As Eran says, he is trying to capture the fragrance of the herbs and spices that grow wild in the breezy Judaean Hills.

Tzora has about 15 hectares of vineyards and they only use their own grapes to produce wine – 100,000 bottles a year. We taste a range of whites and reds; Judean Hills, Shoresh, and Misty Hills are the three labels.

The Judean Hills white is a very crisp, citrusy, refreshing wine based on Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. Care has been taken to avoid obvious oaky notes. The wine is light and lean, with terrific acidity – characteristics it shares with the Shoresh white, a similar blend but here the Sauvignon Blanc dominates. This latter wine, however, is made in 100% oak and the effect is noticeable: softer pear drop, toffee and caramel flavours mingle with the lively, sharp fruit and acidity. Eran’s goal has been to reduce body and alcohol levels, and this approach is clearly reflected in all his wines.

Tzora’s most important wine is the Shoresh red. We taste the 2016 vintage, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Petit Verdot. It’s a toasty, spicy, savoury wine, with the lean character familiar from the whites. ‘Lots of flavour without the heaviness’ was Eran’s motto here.

Misty Hills, their top wine, is produced in very small quantities. At 280 NIS (70 USD) it is pricy but superb. We taste the bright ruby 2015 vintage and it is dazzling. It’s so together, so balanced, with all the intensity and complexity one could wish for. Great flavours, great youthful exuberance, herbal finish – a very attractive wine.

Not only are Tzora’s wines stylish and interesting, but the winery itself is worth a visit. The visitors’ centre and the gardens are beautifully designed, the massive table in the tasting room leaves quite an impression, and we were very warmly received by the winemaker himself, who even opened a couple of special bottles for us.

Tzora, a kosher winery, is a member of the Judean Hills Quartet, a fairly recent joint initiative of four wineries from the region to promote internationally their beloved Hills and the amazing wines produced there. The other members of the Quartet are Domaine du Castel, Flam, and Sphera – a very prestigious team indeed!

Warm June evening at the Herzliya marina, just north of Tel Aviv. Sunset, clear skies, cool breeze, sea and sailing boats – the perfect setting for a tasting of summer wines.

The white and rosé wines featured at the event came mostly but not exclusively from Israel. My main interest, however, lay in Israeli wines, especially producers and labels I had not encountered before. I was not disappointed. Even if not all the wines were amazing, they were all well made and I came across an interesting range both of grapes and of styles.

One new label I discovered was Mare by MAIA, a boutique branch of Tulip winery. MAIA is an acronym for ‘Mediterranean Approach, Israeli Art’. While I don’t think the name is really accurate, as the wines I tasted were not Mediterranean in their style at all, I enjoyed them precisely for that reason. Mare White was a blend of Marsanne and French Colombard, and Mare Pink was made from Carignan and Mourvèdre. Both had fairly low alcohol levels for a Mediterranean wine, and that is probably due to early harvest – which was also reflected in the lack of fruitiness in the wines. Israeli wines, if carefully made, have a lot of fruit to offer due to the warm climate and the easy ripening. The fruit in the Mare wines was, in contrast, very subdued, the sugar very low, and they were more serious than charming, which I thought made them interesting and unusual. Kosher

Barkan’s 2015 Viognier was a pleasant surprise. For a producer that never impressed me as focusing on quality but rather on quantity, they have come out with a varietal Viognier that explodes with intense apricot and peach flavours but still remains fresh and light. While there’s much – perhaps a bit too much – oak here, it doesn’t take away from the enjoyment. A fun wine. Kosher

While Barkan’s wine was good, Kishor’s 2014 Savant Viognier seemed to me to be in an altogether different league. It was all elegance and sophistication – a beautifully made wine! The intensity of fruit is somewhat lower but all in all it’s a more balanced, more refined wine. Kishor is an interesting winery in Western Galilee. They are based on a kibbutz called Kishorit, a community specifically set up for special needs adults, who run all the businesses of the kibbutz, including the winery. Assisting in the winemaking is expert consultant Itay Lahat. Their other lovely whites include Kerem Kishor, a fresh and fruity blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier, and Savant Riesling, an off-dry, delightful varietal wine, which the winemaker promised me is not only very pretty now but also ages beautifully. Kishor’s wines generally are on the spot and made with great care and attention. Kosher, and highly recommended!

Carmel is one of the giant wineries in Israel, but apart from cheap entry-level stuff they also produce some serious high-end wine. Below are some that I have not tasted before.

2 Vats Rosé is a blend of Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre. It’s a tasty, stylish wine with good acidity. Its sister the 2 Vats White is made from Muscat, Gewürztraminer and Colombard, and it’s just perfect for the summer, with lots of flavours of grapes, rose petals, and the inevitable lychee. The Kayoumi 2011 single vineyard Riesling blew me away with a fantastic intensity of aromas and flavours and great, refreshing acidity. A tasty, loveable wine. All kosher

My conclusion: it’s worth keeping an eye out not only for new boutique wineries in Israel but also for new brands by large, well-known producers, as some of them will surprise. One grievance is that many wineries don’t update their websites and I searched in vain for information on their latest creations – shame, shame…