Freddy R. Troya

8.9

Jerusalem Heights Cabernet Sauvignon–Merlot 2023 – Judean Hills, Israel 🇮🇱

Overview
A bold red blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon · 50% Merlot that expresses the rugged power and elevation-driven intensity of the Judean Hills rather than classic Bordeaux balance. Cabernet brings structure, dark fruit depth, and firm backbone, while Merlot contributes mid-palate weight, savory flesh, and dark plum richness. This is not a plush or polished style, it leans muscular, serious, and expressive of place. Elevated intensity, concentration, and tension suggest strong aging potential, with the wine expected to show even greater harmony by 2028+, though approachable now with air.

Aromas & Flavors
Black cherry, ripe plum, cassis, and dark blackberry. Savory notes of dried herbs, black pepper, cedar, and warm stone. Subtle earthy undertones with hints of tobacco leaf and dark cocoa. The profile leans deep and structured rather than sweet or fruit-forward.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus to full-bodied with firm, youthful tannins and a dense core. Structured, slightly angular on opening, softening with air. Fresh acidity keeps the power in check while maintaining lift. Long, savory finish with persistent dark fruit and spice. Built for food and cellaring.

Food Pairings
Grilled lamb chops, beef short ribs, ribeye steak, roasted duck, slow-braised meats, mushroom-driven dishes, aged hard cheeses, and Middle Eastern spice-forward cuisine. Benefits from decanting 1–2 hours.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is not a crowd-pleasing, plush red, it’s a serious, punchy expression that rewards patience and attention. I love how it shows its regional muscle and personality instead of chasing polish. A bottle for slow evenings, hearty food, and watching a young wine stretch into its future potential.

Did You Know?
The Judean Hills sit at higher elevations with limestone soils and strong diurnal shifts, producing wines with firm structure, savory character, and excellent aging capacity. Cabernet and Merlot here often show more tension and mineral grip than their softer New World counterparts. — 5 months ago

Michael Coscetta

9.1

Delicious and unique — 3 years ago

JJ Hornblass

9.0

We drank the Adom 2016, a petite syrah, petite verdot, sirah and grenache blend. #kosher — 5 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Zwebner Estate Vineyard 35.40.2 Red Blend 2015 Bethlehem, Israel

Dark ruby in color with a soft purplish rim.

Fruity nose of blueberries, black plums, sour cherries, sweet raspberries, vanilla, licorice, oak, leather, earth, pencil lead, wet leaves, alcohol, vinaigrette, dark chocolates, tobacco and peppercorn.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with raspberries, sweet strawberries, wood, spices, earth, vegetables, graphite, peppercorn, leather and tobacco.

Medium plus on the finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is a very enjoyable GSM blend from Israel. Showing nice complexity with a nice mouthfeel.
Reminds me of a Spanish Garnacha blend.

I had it last year, and it is drinking nicer now. Would benefit from a few more years in the bottle.

Needs 90 minutes to open up properly and show complexity.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a charcuterie board of cheeses and meats.

A blend of 47% Syrah, 35% Grenache and 18% Mourvedre.

Grapes are grown in the Judean Mountains at 2500 feet elevation, and aged for 12 months in French oak barrels.

15.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$40. — 7 years ago

TheWineStalker

9.5

Dark red heading in the direction of turning brick, with a blackish dense center. Lots of wood on the nose at first, but recedes after opening up to blackberries, black licorice, mocha, mint and vanilla. Medium to full bodied, lush and smooth in mouthfeel, with soft tannin and low acidity. Flavors of red currant, cranberry and red licorice. Then there's mocha, mint and vanilla again. It finishes so smoothly and elegantly, with cranberry and cedar. — 9 years ago

Tatiana G

9.0

A juicy and smooth light to medium bodied wine with the perfect amount of acidity. — 11 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Razi’el – Red Blend – 2021
Jerusalem – Haute Judée (Judean Hills), Israel 🇮🇱

Overview
A beautifully crafted Mediterranean red blend dominated by 70% Syrah, 25% Carignan, and 5% Grenache, grown at high elevation (≈700 meters) in the Judean Hills near Jerusalem. Hand-picked fruit, fermented with care, and aged 18 months in French oak, this bottling is a striking example of how Israel’s terroirs can mirror, and sometimes rival, the finesse of top Rhône estates. A Not “Mevushal” wine.

Aromas & Flavors
Dark berries, plum skin, violets, roasted herbs, cracked pepper, and a touch of smoky mineral. The Carignan brings juiciness and lift; the Grenache contributes subtle red-fruited charm.

Mouthfeel
Silky yet structured, expressive yet refined. Medium-plus body with excellent balance and tension. The finish is long, smooth, and beautifully integrated, remarkably elegant for a warm-climate blend.

Food Pairings
Lamb shawarma, herb-roasted chicken, grilled eggplant, beef kebabs, mushroom ragù, or Provençal stews.

Verdict
A sophisticated, Rhône-inspired red with Israeli soul. Juicy, polished, and impressively detailed, far more refined than many expect from the region. This is a world-class offering and a standout in the Kosher category. A Not “Mevushal” wine that truly delivers.

Did You Know?
Razi’el is produced by the Ben Zaken family of Domaine du Castel, one of Israel’s most influential wineries. Planted in limestone-rich, high-altitude vineyards, the site naturally channels a Rhône-like profile, cool nights, rocky soils, and intense sun exposure working together to produce wines of concentration and elegance. — 7 months ago

"Odedi"

9.2

Zwebner Estate Vineyard Judean Mountains 35.6.18 Red 2017, Bethlehem

#KosherWineSunday

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, black plums, currants, raspberries, light oak, spices, chocolates, licorice, coffee, tobacco leaf, herbs, earth, peppercorn and black tea.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 6 year old red blend from the Judean Mountains in Israel, is showing nice complexity with a soft mouthfeel. Elegant and spicy.

Fruit forward right out of the bottle, and even better after an hour of airtime.

This Single Vineyard is good by itself or with food. A great sipping wine.

I Had the 2015 a few years ago, and it is very consistent. Delicious stuff.

A blend of Grenache, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged in French oak barrels for 12 months. Kosher.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$50. — 3 years ago

Iwan

9.1

Passover wine no. 1. Bordeaux blend from the Judean Hills near Jerusalem. — 7 years ago

Christian Pardo

10

Very smooth easy drinking, nice Jerusalem wine — 9 years ago

with LeAnn

Joshua Rynderman

9.1

I love a good Viognier! The nose is quite lovely but restrained, with peaches and cream, honeysuckle, and sweet straw. Really impressive acid for a Viognier, the spicy notes linger long on the palate. Excellent fun! — 9 years ago

Ichiro Kawachi

9.0

No this is the Viognier from Judean Hills. With Mauricio @ Jerusalem. Concentrated raisins — 10 years ago

Sean Grullon

9.4

Jerusalem cab? Awesome balanced nose; plummy but not too fruity, well-balanced oak and subtle dill notes. Well-integrated tannins and tasty finish. — 11 years ago

Sagee Aran

8.9

Dull in color, pinot nose, pallete flat. Maybe too early of the drinking window. — a year ago

Sam Friedland

8.9

Cherries. Very pleasant, 13%. — a year ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Matar by Pelter Petit Verdot 2016, Israel

#kosherWineSunday

Inky in color with a short reddish rim.

Fruity nose with blue and black fruits, light oak, tobacco, coffee, metals and spices.

Full-bodied with medium acidity and long legs.

Dry on the palate with black currants, plums, cooked cherries, oak, licorice, light vanilla, tobacco, crushed peppercorn, espresso, spices, herbs, light earth and black tea.

Short tangy finish with soft tannins and tangy cranberries.

This 7 year old Petit Verdot from Israel is still drinking nicely. Rich and tangy with a soft mouthfeel. Spicy with nice complexity.

Showing black fruits on the mid palate, and very tangy on the finish.
Interesting.

Intense, and better with food. Will pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

100% Petit Verdot grapes from the Jerusalem Mountains were aged for 18 months in French Oak barrels. Kosher.

14.3% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$50. — 3 years ago

Guy Gueta

10

One of the best I hade in the last years — 6 years ago

Cheryl Rubin

9.5

2014- what a delicious wine! Beautiful and nuanced merlot tasting like a fine Bordeaux from the Judean Hills outside Jerusalem. — 8 years ago

Sam Friedland

8.9

Very nice Israeli wine from Jerusalem mountain range. Needs more years to develope. Perfect for the Rosh Ha Shana meal! 2014 — 9 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Eldar Winery Pinot Noir 2013 Judea Mountains, Israel


Nice ruby in color with a wide reddish rim and an orange hue.

Big fruity nose of blackberries, black currants, sweet cherries, earth, green vegetables, pencil lead, tar, forest floor, peppercorn, oak, oregano, flowers, alcohol, licorice, spices and cola. Very nice complexity on the nose.

Medium plus in body with medium plus acidity and gorgeous long legs.

Fruity on the palate with blackberries, sweet plums, cherries, wood, licorice, spices, dark chocolates, black pepper earth, sage, peppermint, tobacco, Indian spices, black pepper, earth and tar.

Long finish with soft, smooth tannins and raspberries.

This is a very nice Pinot Noir from Israel. Very unique and well-balanced with nice complexity.

Drinking very nicely now with a soft mouthfeel. Overripe feel on both nose and palate. A Great mouthfeel with a spicy long finish. I loved the long finish. Pretty complex and interesting.

This 100% Pinot Noir, has lots of both old world and new world notes. Reminds me a little of the Belle Glos Pinot Noir.

Good right out of the bottle and better with some airtime. Took an hour to properly open up.

A very small production of 300 bottles from a boutique Winery in the Judean mountains.
Late harvest grape picking, and aged for 14 months in all new French oak barrels.

A Delicious Pinot Noir from Israel.
Thank you, Sean, for sharing.

16% alcohol by volume. — 9 years ago