'Deep garnet in color, opens with a fruit-rich nose, goes on to show generous wild berries, black currents and spices, those on a medium-to full-bodied frame with gently gripping tannins and light cedar notes' is how Israeli wine writer Daniel Rogov described this boutique wine in his Guide to Israeli Wines 2010.
Rogov scores Dalton's 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon 88-90 ('highly recommended' to 'exceptional') and notes that while it is released ready to be drunk.
Dalton's Cabernet Sauvignon is aged in French and American oak barrels for nine months. The deep red wine can be paired with a wide variety of dishes.
The Dalton Winery is a fully modern operation founded by the Haruni family in 1993, located in the Upper Galilee. The winery has vineyards in Kerem Ben Zimra and several high-altitude sites along Israel's northern border.
Winemaker Na'ama Mualem, who trained in Australia and California, currently produces Israeli wines in seven series: Reserve, the age-worthy Single Vineyard, Safsufa Vineyards and Dalton Estate wines, and the Alma, Canaan and Dalton series, of similar varieties but intended for early drinking.
With the 2006 vintage, a wine was released under the Matatia label that seemed destined to become the winery’s flagship wine.
Grapes include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Barbera, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscat. First production was 50,000 bottles, current production is about 880,000 and the target for 2010 is one million bottles.
Dalton has earned a consistently good name for high-quality kosher wines, providing excellent value for money.