Covenant Israel Syrah (OU Kosher) 2014
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Wine
Enthusiast -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
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Winemaker Notes
Covenant Israel Syrah is full-bodied and ripe, with rich plum, black cherry and blackberry flavors at the fore. The wine also has a spicy, anise-like undercurrent that adds interest. It’s all framed in soft, silky tannins that give good structure but are extremely accessible even in the wine’s youth.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Deep garnet in color, this wine delivers aromas of black cherry, raspberry, and juniper berry. Slightly chewy tannins are matched by good acidity and depth of flavor, with notes of blackberry, black plum, chocolate, fresh ground pepper and clove working their way across the palate. The smooth finish culminates in lingering bright cranberry flavors.
Editors' Choice -
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Syrah is a library wine coming in at 15.4% alcohol. This is holding well in terms of the fruit not decaying. In that sense, it is fresh. In other senses of the word, it is not. It's big, ripe and jammy, with a hint of harshness on the finish. Mostly, though, the texture is creamy. There's not a lot of finesse or lift to the fruit, but for those who like fruit bombs, this will no doubt be a big success. This full-bodied red needs a food pairing to match in order to show its best. It should hold well for several more years, at least. We'll take that in stages, though, and be conservative. The price listed here merely reflects the current release price of new vintages.
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Tasting
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In 2011, a trip to Israel by Covenant founders Jeff Morgan and the late Leslie Rudd sparked a desire to make wine in Israel as well as in California, where they have made Covenant wines since 2003. The wine regions of Israel so reminded them of France’s Rhone Valley as well as some of their California vineyards. The call of Israel proved so strong, that they made their first vintage of Covenant Israel in 2013. Since then, the Covenant Israel project continues to be an amazing journey for them, one that they are happy to share with you in your wine glass!
Marked by an unmistakable deep purple hue and savory aromatics, Syrah makes an intense, powerful and often age-worthy red. Native to the Northern Rhône, Syrah achieves its maximum potential in the steep village of Hermitage and plays an important component in the Red Rhône Blends of the south, adding color and structure to Grenache and Mourvèdre. Syrah is the most widely planted grape of Australia and is important in California and Washington. Sommelier Secret—Such a synergy these three create together, the Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre trio often takes on the shorthand term, “GSM.”
With a rich history of wine production dating back to biblical times, Israel is a part of the cradle of wine civilization. Here, wine was commonly used for religious ceremonies as well as for general consumption. During Roman times, it was a popular export, but during Islamic rule around 1300, production was virtually extinguished. The modern era of Israeli winemaking began in the late 19th century with help from Bordeaux’s Rothschild family. Accordingly, most grapes grown in Israel today are made from native French varieties. Indigenous varieties are all but extinct, though oenologists have made recent attempts to rediscover ancient varieties such as Marawi for commercial wine production.
In Israel’s Mediterranean climate, humidity and drought can be problematic, concentrating much of the country’s grape growing in the north near Galilee, Samaria near the coast and at higher elevations in the east. The most successful red varieties are Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Syrah, while the best whites are made from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Many, though by no means all, Israeli wines are certified Kosher.