Not too long ago, I wrote about the newly released rosé wine of winemaker Gaby Sadan's Shvo Winery. That thread can be found here Yesterday, I made my way to the village of Gush Halav (Jish) to visit Sadan and to do one advance tasting and a series of barrel tastings.

There is a certain pleasure in visiting state-of-the-art wineries, the sometimes massive amounts of sparkling clean stainless steel vats and walkways, the hyper-impressive equipment, the superbly well organized barrel rooms offering a fine visual and aesthetic impression. Sadan's facility is anything but state-of-the-art. The winery is set in a rented building, part of which at one time housed a storage and packing facility for apples, part of which seems at some time in the past to have served as home to an ironmonger. The air cooling system is old and makes quite enough noise to make conversation difficult, the floor or the barrel room is wet because that is how humidification is carried out, and to add to the sense of scubbiness is Sadan's rather large, black eleven year old dog who takes great pleasure in licking the face of those who seem friendly enough to enjoy such treats.

All of which is just fine, however, because despite what may appear as scrubby at first glance hides the realities that here is a fine winemaker who has decided not at this stage to invest his funds in glamour but in his vineyards and the equipment that is truly necessary. Relying mostly on second year 400 liter oak casks rather than 225 liter barriques, and using custom-made food-grade plastic vats for initial fermentation and then for malolactic fermentation before the wines are transferred to oak, Sadan may or may not be consciously aware that he is putting forth a major social and winemaking statement. What is fully apparent, however, is that this may be the most exciting new boutique winery to open in the last decade.

Even Sadan's Upper Galilee vineyards set only five minutes from the winery at an altitude of 800 meters (2650 feet) are now planted in Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah, Barbera, Petit Verdot, Muscat Canelli, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. Not quite the local "norm", as there is not a Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon vine to be found. Sadan chuckles as he recalls the day that he actually found two vines of Cabernet Sauvignon and unprooted those by hand. Harvesting is done entirely by hand, the grapes placed in small plastic containers as they make their way to the winery.

Nor is Sadan's vineyard techniquequite "the norm", for he has chosen with his Grenache and Mourvedre grapes to rely largely on a bush vine system. The more usual system in Israel is to train vines to follow steel wires that are connected by metal posts in the ground. Doing bush vines (more technically the Gobelet system) involves using no wires or other supports systems, keeping the trunk of the vine fairly short and allowing the leaves to form an umbrella-like natural canopy that shields the grapes from too strong direct sunlight, allows fine exposure to the air and serves as a natural protection for the grapes. The system, although tried and true is uncommon in Israel but is found quite regularly in the southern parts of the Rhone Valley, Provence, Languedoc and parts of Burgundy.

Going a step further in his individuality, Sadan relies entirely on natural yeasts for his fermentation. That may be somewhat risky and indeed may slow down the fermentation process dramatically but Sadan, as other winermakers who use this system, feels it will allow the grapes and thus the wines to show at their natural best.

Sadan is widely thought of as one of Israel's most talented winemakers. After having garnered formal education at the University of Dijon and garnering experience in Bordeaux, Burgundy, California and Australia, Sadan returned to his native Israel, first for a prolonged period as one of the winemaking team at the Golan Heights Winery and then as the founding winemaker at the then newly opened Galil Mountain Winery.

To date only a first wine, that the 2009 rosé made from Barbera grapes, has been released. A Sauvignon Blanc has been bottled and will be released in the near future. The reds from the 2009 harvest are now in oak and will be released in another 18-24 months and the 2010 harvest is starting today. Releases from the 2009 vintages will be of about 20,000 bottles, that jumping to about 40,000 bottles in 2010. Future plans will take the winery to production of 100,000 bottles annually.

As to my barrel tastings, Sadan's plan at this time is to have his first red release a blend which means of course that I was tasting components of a wine not yet fully "designed". That is to say, final blend is yet to be determined. What I can say is that Sadan seems to have chosen his grapes, their level of tannins, their body to complement each other as his blend is made. What I can also say is that these were among the most exciting barrel tastings I have had, each grape showing beautifully and reflecting what promises to be a wine of excellence and interest. Now, of course, along with Sadan and my readers, I have to wait and see precisely what that final blend will be. I will most assuredly follow this new venture with care.

My thanks to Gaby Sadan for a fine tasting and for his good company.

Three final notes, one at least partly amusing, one fully serious, before my tasting notes and one simply as a matter-of-fact.

(a) During my tour of the vineyard with Sadan we both tasted grapes of each variety as they are ripening on the vine. A pleasurable experience from which one can learn a great deal but as occasional confessions are in order, unlike some vintners and winemakers, I have no ability whatever to make predictions about future wines from tasting grapes in the field.

(b) When talking about prices, Sadan reflects his anger and frustration at some of the prices being asked for wines in Israel. He makes a very good point, one with which I fully agree, that the benchmark for pricing as it relates to quality should be the Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon wines. In Sadan's phrase, "if it is not as good as those and won't age like those, don't you dare charge that much or even more". He and I also concur that at least several small wineries are demonstrating a good deal of chutzpah in their pricing strategies. At least for now, his own whites and roses will sell for about NIS 75-80 or so and his reds will all be under NIS 100 per bottle.

(c) Because the vast majority of reds tasted from barrels are destined for blending, no projected drinking windows are given in the tasting notes. Each of the varities tasted is worthy of a varietal release and the tentative scores are based on that reality. After the barrel tasting notes – a surprise awaits.

Best
Rogov


Shvo Vineyards, Chenin Blanc, Upper Galilee, 2009 (Barrel Tasting): Nearly a year after harvest and, due to the reliance of entirely indigenous yeasts, still fermenting but already showing true to the variety. Medium- to full-bodied, plump, with white peach, melon, quince and fresh ginger root notes on first attack, those yielding comfortably to notes of brioche and toasted almonds. Long and generous. Drink from release-2013. Tentative Score 89-91.

Shvo Vineyards, Barbera, Upper Galilee, 2009 (Barrel Tasting): Barbera as it should be, with fine but not at all exaggerated extraction, showing round, soft and medium-bodied. Deeply aromatic opens with raspberry and strawberry notes, those going on to reveal blackberries and hints of pepper. With velvety tannins and an abundance of fruit this would make an elegant varietal release but is most probably destined as a portion of the winery's blended release. Tentative Score 89-91.

Shvo Vineyards, Grenache, Upper Galilee, 2009 (Barrel Tasting): Dark royal purple in color, bright, fruity and juicy, showing traditional Grenache aromas and flavors. Full-bodied with soft, near-sweet tannins and notes of spicy wood parting comfortably to reveal cherries, red plums, raspberries and an appealing hint of rhubarb. Ripe, generous, well balanced and long, almost surely to be one of the major representatives in the winery's blended wine. Tentative Score 91-93.

Shvo Vineyards, Mourvedre, Upper Galilee, 2009 (Barrel Tasting): Super dark, almost impenetrably dark garnet, full-bodied, with still biting tannins and generous wood waiting to settle in but already showing structure and balance between those and fruits. As the wine matures look for it to be supple and generous, with currant, pomegranate, mineral and notes of damp earth on the nose and palate, the fruits rising very nicely to an open-textured finish. Tentative Score 91-93.

Shvo Vineyards, Syrah, Upper Galilee, 2009 (Barrel Tasting): Deep royal purple in color, full-bodied opening with red fruits those going to blackberries and purple plums all on a background of cigar tobacco and freshly tanned leather. As the wine develops look as well for near-sweet raspberries on note and palate. A powerful and concentrated wine but one that is not overbearing in any way and showing the potential for elegance and moderately long-term cellaring. Tasted from tree separate barrels, all showing traditional Syrah varietal traits. Tentative Score 92-94.

And now the surprise, for as a critic I have long acknowledged that barrel tastings are one of the most challenging sets of tasting for one is not so much tasting a wine as tasting the future of that wine. All of which becomes even more tricky when trying to imagine how the final blended wine will turn out. What the heck – damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead – as I'm going to make my projected guess as to how the wine will be after blending, additional barrel age and bottle age. In a year or two I'll know either how wise or how foolish I was.

Shvo Vineyards, Blended Red, Upper Galilee, 2009 (An imaginary projection): A blend primarily of Grenache and Mourvedre with small percentages of Syrah, Malbec and Barbera, the Barbera adding aroma and a sense of lightness, the Malbec adding a tempting herbal note, the whole coming together in ways that beguile and charm, framing its appealing red and black berries nicely. Full-bodied and generously but softly tannic, with fine balancing acidity, from mid-palate on notes of spicy wood, cherries and a hint of rhubarb. Simultaneously powerful and elegant, drinking well from 2012-2019. Tentative Score 90-92.

Finally to a white wine, that one managing to get me wrong on all counts, for on a first tasting I would have sworn that this was a Chenin Blanc with a bit of Sauvignon Blanc blended in. Oy, was I wrong!

Shvo Vineyards, Sauvignon Blanc, Upper Galilee, 2009 (Advance Tasting): Light gold with orange and purple reflections, full-bodied, a bold wine with light notes of persimmon and chamomile that float through from first attack to the long finish. Slowly fermented with indigenous yeasts, opens to show peach and aproicot fruits, those supported by notes of roasted hazelnuts, brioche and paraffin. Crisply dry with fine balancing acidity, with a notes of heather and Hymetus honey on the long, long finish. This one will age nicely. Not for everyone but those who do enjoy it will do so with gusto. Drink from release-2015, perhaps longer. NIS 75. Score 92.

Shvo Vineuyards, Rosé, Upper Galillee, 2009: Made entirely from Barbera grapes and allowing absolutely minimal contact with the skins to allow a light coloring and then allowing fermentation to take place relying on wild yeasts. Light salmon pink in color, light- to medium-bodied, a smooth, ripe and generous wine, remarkably well balanced with appealing plum, cherry, berry and raspberry notes and even a light hint of tannins, all leading to long and supple finish. Not many rosé wines earn scores of 90 or higher but this is one of the best I have ever tasted and comfortably earns its score of 91. At NIS 75 excellent vaue for money.

Oh yes….Sadan is also planning on making a sparkling wine, that from Chenin Blanc grapes and by the method Champanoise. Alas the wine is still in fermentation and with the stink attendant to that, impossible to taste at this stage