Carmel Winery: Where Wine Started in Israel
Today’s exciting wine scene in Israel owes much to Carmel, the country’s first and largest winery. The first vineyard at Carmel winery was planted using French rootstock at Rishon LeZion, southeast of Jaffa, in 1882 by Baron Edmond de Rothschild, owner of Bordeaux’s Chåteau Lafite Rothschild. Today, Carmel produces a wide range of wines, from economy to super premium in quality and price; its top of the line wines are world class. Under Chief Winemaker Lior Lacser, formerly with Michel Roland’s Chåteau Bon Pasteur, the French influence continues at Carmel. Our tasting notes on these wines are reported below. We earlier reviewed the wines of one of Israel’s outstanding boutique wineries, Yatir, also owned by Carmel.
Unfortunately, Rothschild’s first vineyard succumbed to phylloxera and had to be replanted with American rootstock, just as was done in Bordeaux. This was the humble beginning of what is today is one of the world’s most exciting wine regions. Israel now has 5000 hectares under vine with wineries, both large and small, producing high quality wines. While Israel’s boutique wineries command much of the wine world’s attention, large wineries like Carmel have continued to quietly and consistently improve and today produce distinctive premium wines drawing on Bordeaux and Mediterranean varietals. Although established in the last century, Carmel is in many respects still a young, innovative winery showing tremendous potential.
Carmel’s 1400 hectares of vines represent over one-quarter of Israel’s total. They’re spread throughout Israel from the Upper Galilee in the north to the Negev in the south. Carmel sources grapes from some 300 vineyards of individual producers, kibbutzim and moshavim. It produces wine from four major wineries: Rishon Le Zion Wine Cellars located south of Tel Aviv, Zichron Ya’Acov Wine Cellars located south of Haifa (pictured below), the Kayoumi Winery in the Upper Galilee, and Yatir Winery in the northeastern Negev. Carmel was also the first winery to plant vineyards in the Negev. Zichron Ya’acov, originally built in 1892, remains the largest winery in Israel and is equipped to produce commercial and handcrafted boutique wines. All of Carmel’s wines are Kosher.
Carmel produces more than a million cases of wine a year ranging from its super premium Carmel Limited Edition and Carmel Mediterranean to Selected, its largest selling economy brand. It also produces single vineyard premium wines under the Kayoumi label and “terroir-driven” varietal wines under its second label called Appellation. French-trained Lior Lacser, Carmel’s Chief Winemaker since 2005, has winemaking experience in Australia, Burgundy and Bordeaux.
The wines reviewed here include a broad selection of Carmel Winery’s premium and super premium wines. The Appellation series consists of medium-priced, single varietal commercial wines mainly from the Upper Galilee; these wines combine fruit with earthy nuances in an easy drinking style. The Kayoumi single varietal premium wines are a cut above The Appellation series in quality. They are fruit forward and elegant on the palate with lovely nuances of flavor and refinement. The top of the line flagship Carmel Limited Edition and the Mediterranean are both outstanding wines combining high quality fruit, complexity of flavors and elegance and are also age worthy. The Sha’al single vineyard Late Harvest Gewurztraminer is world class.
Importer: Royal Wine Corporation, Bayonne, NJ
This article is one in a series of wine review articles on Israel being written by the International Wine Review. Previous articles cover wines of the Jerusalem Hills (including the wines of Yatir), Israeli boutique wineries, and the wines of Adir and Recanati. The next article in the series will review the wines of the Golan Heights Winery and Galil Mountain Winery.
Tasting Notes and Ratings:
Carmel Winery 2009 Chardonnay Appellation Upper Galilee ($27) 87
This easy going, medium-straw colored Chardonnay offers aromas of pear and melon with citrus zest. It is medium-bodied and fresh tasting with moderate fruit flavors and a touch of vanilla on the palate with a dry finish. It is partially fermented and aged sur lie in French oak barriques for 6 months.
Carmel Winery 2006 Merlot Appellation Upper Galilee ($27) 87
This is a rustic wine made of 85% Merlot ad 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has dark plum fruit with notes of leather and earth. Aged for 12 months in French oak, it has round tannins and a medium finish. The grapes are sourced from vineyards in the Upper Galilee.
Carmel Winery 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Appellation Upper Galilee ($27) 88
This is an easy drinking Cabernet Sauvignon of black currants, forest floor and herbal aromas and flavors. It displays soft round tannins and a long finish. The grapes are sourced from vineyards in the upper Galilee.
Carmel Winery 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz Appellation Upper Galilee ($27) 88
This 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Shiraz blend offers black currant and leafy aromas on the nose. Aged for 12 months in French oak, it is soft on the attack with notes of leather, roasted meat and herbs. Well balanced with round tannins on the finish.
Carmel Winery 2006 Petite Sirah Old Vines Appellation Judean Hills ($30) 87
This 100% Petite Sirah reveals earthy boysenberry and forest floor aromas on the nose. Aged for 14 months in French oak barriques, it is full-bodied on the palate with moderate fruit flavors and dry tannins on the finish. The grapes for this wine are sourced from 35+ year old vines from the Judean Hills.
Carmel Winery 2007 Kayoumi Shiraz Upper Galilee ($44) 90
The Kayoumi 100% Shiraz exhibits a deep ruby hue and aromas of black fruit, roasted meat and tobacco. Aged for 15 months in French barriques, it is silky on the palate, as well as complex and layered with nuances of black and red berries, coffee, mushrooms and forest floor. The grapes for this wine are sourced from Carmel’s Kayoumi Vineyard located in the foothills of Mount Meron.
Carmel Winery 2007 Kayoumi Cabernet Sauvignon Upper Galilee ($44) 90
The Kayoumi 100% Cabernet Sauvignon offers aromas of dark plum fruit and black currants on the nose. It is elegant on the palate and provides rich ripe fruit with some interesting herbal and chocolate notes. Aged for 14 months in French barriques, it shows a silky texture with good concentration and a long finish. This wine is made of grapes sourced from Carmel’s Kayoumi Vineyard.
Carmel Winery 2007 Carmel Mediterranean Israel ($60) 91
This Mediterranean inspired blend displays a dark ruby purple color and offers complex aromas of red and blackberry fruit, smoke, earth, forest floor, cinnamon, and leather. Aged for 15 months in French barriques, it provides layers of flavor with slightly dry tannins and a long satisfying finish. The blend consists of 37% Carignan, 26% Shiraz, 20% Petit Verdot, 15% Viognier and 2% Shamron. The grapes are sourced from Carmel’s vineyards from all over Israel including the Upper Galilee, Zichron Ya’acov, Judean Hills and the Negev.
Carmel Winery 2007 Carmel Limited Edition Upper Galilee ($80) 92
The Limited Edition is Carmel’s super-premium flagship wine. A Bordeaux style blend, it is opaque ruby purple in color and offers aromas of black and red fruit and toasted oak on the nose. Aged for 15 months in French barriques, it is soft and elegant on the palate with highlights of violets, chocolate, licorice and tobacco. It is nicely structured and persistent on the palate. The blend consists of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot, 5% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc.
Carmel Winery 2007 Sha'al Single
Vineyard Late Harvest Gewurztraminer Upper Galilee 375ml ($30) 91+
The Sha’al Late Harvest Gewurztraminer exhibits a beautiful golden amber color and has aromas of apricot and ripe lychee. On the palate it reveals a round and honeyed mouth feel with moderate sweetness and very good acidity on the finish. The grapes for this wine are grown in the Sha’al Vineyard and harvested in late October. The wine is fermented at low temperature at Carmel’s boutique winery in Zicron Ya ‘acov. Try this beauty with figs or white cheese or just enjoy it on its own.
Michael Potashnik and Donald Winkler
International Wine Review
July, 2011