EVENTS AND NEWS

Golan Heights Winery Releases New Single Vineyard Reds

May 20, 2005

 

The Golan Heights Winery announces the release of its first single-vineyard red wines: Yarden El Rom Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 (SRP $45) and Yarden Ortal Vineyard Merlot 2001 (SRP $35).

The wines are now available in the US market as of April 2005. These new wines join Yarden Odem Organic Vineyard Chardonnay 2002, the winery’s first single-vineyard wine, released last fall.

Made under the practiced eye of Victor Schoenfeld, the winery’s chief enologist, these new Yarden wines reflect the unique terroir of their respective vineyards in Israel’s cool, northern Golan Heights, which offers high altitudes, volcanic soil, and a moderate climate. Schoenfeld sees this exceptional terroir reflected in the bottle. “These wines have a certain kind of local feeling in them,” he says. “Through them, you can get a sense of this complex region.”

The Vineyards

The El Rom Vineyard is located in the northern Golan Heights, at an altitude of 1,100 meters (3,609 feet) above sea level. The area is part of the “Valley of Tears,” the site of a fierce tank battle between Israel and Syria in 1973. Ten years later, in a real life example of “turning swords to plowshares,” the scarred remains of tanks were hauled out of the scorched earth and vineyards planted. The well-drained soil is deep and volcanic, which fosters intensive growth in years when there are late spring rains. Yarden El Rom Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, with grapes grown in four parcels within the vineyard. Two of these, the highest in elevation, were planted in 1983, the year the Golan Heights Winery was founded, and the other two were planted in 1985. “Although we initially thought that this area was too cold for the Cabernet Sauvignon grape,” Schoenfeld notes, “we found that the relatively low angle of the slope (running north to south) helps to warm the vineyard parcels, and by shaping the vine’s vegetation, we ensure maximum exposure to the sun, resulting in excellent quality.”

The Ortal Vineyard, also in the northern Golan Heights, is at an altitude of 800 meters (2,625 feet) above sea level. Ortal is the most southerly situated vineyard on the Golan Heights to still receive snowfall each winter. The soil is rocky and volcanic. Yarden Ortal Vineyard Merlot 2001 is 100% Merlot, made from grapes grown in four parcels inside the Ortal vineyard. The first parcel was planted in 1989, two intermediate parcels were planted in 1990, and the fourth in 1993. The rows of vines are planted on a slope facing southwest, which causes irregular sun exposure. However, even with these differences, it is possible to achieve unified ripening by shaping the vine and bunches.

The Wines

Yarden El Rom Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 matured for 18 months in oak barriques, two-thirds of which were new. This is a lush and powerful wine, with full, concentrated flavor and a long finish. It has a complex nose and palate of blueberries, cassis, and fresh blackberry with notes of earth and spices rounded out by a hint of fresh herbs. While ready to enjoy now, this wine will continue to evolve in the bottle for the next several years and will keep its character for 10-15 years. Yarden El Rom Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2001 pairs beautifully with full-flavored foods such as roast beef with red wine reduction sauce, grilled lamb chops, or veal stew.

Yarden Ortal Vineyard Merlot 2001 matured for 14 months in oak barriques, two-thirds of which were new. This is a highly aromatic wine, dense and full-bodied with a long finish. It offers a voluptuous nose of blueberry jam, plums, sweet spices and chocolate balanced by notes of citrus, herbs, fresh flowers and rich oak. Ready to drink, the Yarden Ortal Vineyard Merlot 2001 will continue to evolve over the next decade, if properly stored. Enjoy this wine with rich foods such as roasted squab, venison, or cumin-spiced lamb stew.

These wines will be distributed to specialized wine shops and selected restaurants in an elegant six-bottle wooden case. A special wooden case of the three single-vineyard wines—El Rom, Ortal, and Odem—will also be offered for sale.

Yarden wines are distributed nationally through Yarden, Inc. For ordering information please contact Yarden, Inc. at (212) 605-0478.

 

Available for Download:   Golan Heights Winery Releases New Single Vineyard Red Wines ( Word-Format)

Contact

Golan Heights Winery
Yarden, Inc.
575 Madison Ave., Suite 1006
New York, NY 10022
Tel: 212-605-0478
Fax: 212-605-0479
Email: hhassin@aol.com

Visit their Website:
www.yardenwines.com

 

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