Boutique Israeli Wines - Castel Winery, Grand Vin

The Grand Vin Castel, from Domaine du Castel - a blended red wine, made from Bordeauxlese grape varieties - is truly a great wine.

Israeli wine critic Daniel Rogov scores this boutique wine a 92 'exceptional' and describes it as 'full-bodied, with generous, gently caressing tannins and notes of spicy oak that part to make way for blackcurrant, blackberry and blueberry fruits, those supported by notes of mocha, orange peel and a delicate note of black olives that comes in on the long finish. Long, generous and coherent.'

The 2008 Grand Vin has long cellaring potential, and can be drunk now through 2014.

Domaine du Castel is a family estate founded as a micro-winery in 1988 by Eli Ben-Zaken. The first wine was released in 1992 in only 600 bottles. Since then, the winery's production has grown to 100,000 bottles annually.

The vineyards and winery – with a barrel room that holds 500 barriques - are located in Ramat Raziel, about 17 km (10 miles) west of Jerusalem.

Situated in the Judean Hills, the fields lie at an altitude of 700 m(2300 feet) in one of Israel’s biblical - and best - wine regions. Varieties used include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Chardonnay.

The winery put out a kosher version of its Grand Vin in 2002, and since 2003 all wines made by Domaine du Castel have been kosher.