Grapes for this Merlot are grown in vineyards set in the hills of Jerusalem and Northern Galilee, where the diverse soil composition, ranging from deep red alluvial loam to porous marl, lends the grapes an intensely fruity character.

Review

Wine Enthusiast April 2011 86 Points Merlot 2009 - 86 points, Wine Enthusiast ------------------------------------------ Here’s a bright, fruit-forward Merlot with notes of small black berries, black cherry and cassis accented by soft fruit cake spice. Balanced and drinkable with soft tannins and a solid finish. ------------------------------------------ Wine Advocate February 2010 Merlot 2008 - Wine Advocate ------------------------------------------ The 2008 Merlot is a pleasant wine, with some ripe tannins on the finish and good flavor, primarily a touch of sweet vanilla and licorice, although with air an herbal nuance pops up, too... a sweet-ish, friendly wine, particularly if encountered young. ------------------------------------------ Wine Spectator 2008 Merlot 2006 - Wine Spectator ------------------------------------------ Shows red plum and berry flavors, with some roasted notes. Medium-bodied, with a smoky finish. ------------------------------------------ San Francisco Chronicle April 4, 2008 The Chronicle Wine Selections: Kosher Wines ------------------------------------------ Winemaker Gil Shatsberg - a UC Davis graduate - and owner Lenny Recanati are making wine in Israel's Hefer Valley. This earth-driven 100 percent Merlot has aromas with floral overtones along with mint, chocolate, earth, shiitake mushroom and berry. A touch of grainy tannins on the palate is balanced by bright berry, sour plum/tart cherry, black pepper and hint of oak. The moderate finish ends with slightly grainy tannins. ------------------------------------------ Wine Enthusiast April 2008 ------------------------------------------ A round and spicy Merlot. Dark plum and blackberry flourish while fleeting nuances of tobacco glimmer on the medium-length finish. The silky texture and soft tannins are sure to please those with a gentler palate. ------------------------------------------ Wine Review Online September 11, 2007 88 Today's Featured Wine ------------------------------------------ Bright cherry flavors swamp your taste buds and then give way to alluring earthy elements. Not big and heavy, it shows a wine need not be muscular to be noticed. And on top of all that, it is a bargain. ------------------------------------------

Wine maker notes

Select grapes are hand-picked in mid-September. Following a gentle crushing, the grapes undergo a cold maceration prior to fermentation to preserve their rich fruit character. The resulting wine is aged eight months in French and American oak barrels before bottling and release.

Food pairing

Well matched with grilled red meats, poultry and flavorful pasta dishes, as well as a variety of Mediterranean-style entrées. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Producer

The Recanati Winery was founded in 2000 by a group of wine lovers led by Lenny Recanati. Their goal was to create a new winery for the production of quality Israeli wines at reasonable consumer prices. The Winery established its home in the Hefer Valley and is furnished with state-of the-art wine-making equipment. The most important requirement in the production of quality wines is always the quality of the grapes. Dr. Pini Sarig, an international vine growing expert, was instrumental in assisting the winery in locating excellent vineyards as well as plots of land with vine-growing potential, where new vineyards were planted. Most of the vineyards from which the winery receives it grapes are in the Manara and Kerem Ben-Zimra regions in the Upper Galilee, a high region with an ideal climate for the cultivation of quality wine grapes. Additional growing areas are the Ella Valley and the Lower Galilee, which have a warmer climate that is conducive to producing the different grape varieties that provide additional nuances to our wines. Most of our red wines are made from the noble Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot varieties. However, the winery is involved in cultivating and assimilating additional varieties that have great potential, such as Cabernet Franc, Shiraz and Syrah, Barbera, Zinfandel and Petite Syrah. Our white wines are produced with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, French colombard and Emerald Riesling Our winemaking process is leaded by our head winemaker, Gil Shatsberg, a graduate of the Viticulture and Enology Program at the Davis University of California. Shatsberg accumulated vast experience while working in California and Israel. He had become Recanati’s Head winemaker on January 2008, replacing Lewis Pasco and continuing his goal - making the best out of the fabulous Mediterranean terroir Recanati winery has in hands. Shatsberg is known to the Israeli wine lover’s public as the winemaker and founder of ”Amphorae”, one of Israel’s best boutique winery. His deeply ingrained sense of commitment to realizing the full inherent potential of the grapes is a significant contributing factor in the success of our wines. Our winemaking team includes a second winemaker, Ido Lewinsohn, a graduate of the Viticulture and Enology Program at the University of Milan. Prior to his arrival to our winery, Lewinsohn has worked in different wineries in Australia, France and Italy, among them the prestigious ”Sassicaia” in Tuscany. Recanati wines are marketed in leading wine stores and restaurants. New export markets have been developed, and Recanati exports its quality wines to ever growing markets in the United States, Canada, Australia, Japan and Western Europe. The winery looks back on its achievements in its initial years with great pride and sense of satisfaction, yet does not rest on its laurels and continues to cultivate new vineyards, invest in research in agricultural and enology and, most importantly, to produce wines with enormous love, while continually striving to enhance its products.