The 2004 GRAND RESERVE is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot and 5% Shiraz, from a 28 year old vineyard in the upper Galilee. The wine comes in a massive bottle weighing more than 4 pounds full, and the price tag is pretty hefty, too, although in fairness, the wine is held a long time and late released. The wine was aged under a 200% new oak plan--in large barrels for 48 months, moved into new barrels after 24 months. Before you recoil in horror, be fair and taste the wine. It surprised me. This debut vintage, meant to be produced only in special years, is scheduled to be released for the first time in August, 2009. Despite the suspect oak treatment, this wine holds its balance rather well and is not quite as one-dimensional as it first seemed—although it can certainly seem that way at times, depending on when you catch it. The oak is certainly there and obvious, giving this wine some vanilla and minty nuances, but the wine survives it well, managing to seem rather bright and lively, relatively speaking, in light of the long time in barrel. It is softly textured and ready to drink on release. Despite its “ready” demeanor, it held up very well to extended aeration, becoming rather delicious over time, with some fruit asserting itself as well—not just the oak-related flavors. As time went on, I liked this more than I thought I would from reading the description, but it is probably fair to note that a little less oak would likely help rather than hurt this wine. The real competition for this bottling in this winery’s lineup this issue is with the private label MEM, which is better focused and more vibrant, if not quite as sexy. Note: At the time this was sent to me, bottled but pre-release, the winery advised that the name of this wine may yet change a little. Drink now-2016. Alexander is an under-the-radar pick for those looking beyond the most familiar Israeli names. “The Great” series is a premium, late released wine. The latest release of that brand is the 2005 Cabernet; the 2006 will not be released until next year. The Grand Reserve is one step above it—late released and produced only in exceptional years. Although Israeli wines as a group provide relatively few bargains, there are some decent price to quality ratios here for the low and mid-level wines. Many will be about as happy with the regular Reserves as with the upper level wines. More or less unknown in the USA due to its lack of an importer until recently, this winery has some potential. Not all of these may be available quite yet. Prices given are estimates of what they will be in the marketplace—they may yet change.Importer: Bayfield Importing, Long Island City, N.Y.; tel: (718) 482-0200.
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