Recanati Reserve Marawi (OU Kosher) 2016
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Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
The wine is citrusy, with a wonderful acidity and distinct minerality. This wine is a pure, ancient and candid expression of the Israeli terroir.
This wine is Kosher for Passover
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2016 Marawi was aged for six months in 90% used French oak and comes in at 12% alcohol. There was no malolactic fermentation. This shows fine concentration, a lush, velvety mouthfeel and a hint of mushrooms on opening. All good, but I just wanted a little more verve. Retasting it a couple of times more over the next hour showed some. Not that this will ever be a crispy white, but the grip on the finish became more appealing. It acquired a little distinction. This may well be the best yet for the Marawi, but as in the past, let's be a little conservative and see if it can hold and develop. To justify my enthusiasm, it needs to do so. For the moment, let's lean up. It may yet improve.
Other Vintages
2019-
Wine
Spectator
The story of the Recanati Winery, a producer of high-quality Mediterranean wines, begins with a profound bond with the Land of Israel coupled with a passion for fine wine. With the creation of the winery in 2000, Lenny Recanati’s life-long dream to produce truly world-class wines was on its way. The dream was to bring quality Israeli wines to wine lovers in Israel and overseas and to make the Recanati Winery synonymous with international excellence in the world of wine. Now a four-time invitee to the prestigious Wine Spectator NY Wine Experience, a showcase of the world’s top 250 wineries, that dream is coming to fruition.
Recanati’s philosophy is to produce wines that will best express the local terroir. The winery has vineyards in the Upper Galilee, the Golan Heights and the Judean Hills, among the best growing areas in the country. There is a focus on unique Mediterranean varieties such as Petite Sirah, Marselan and Carignan and ancient native varieties with Biblical roots like Bittuni & Marawi, while simultaneously nurturing classic international varieties.
There are hundreds of white grape varieties grown throughout the world. Some are indigenous specialties capable of producing excellent single varietal wines. Each has its own distinct viticultural characteristics, as well as aroma and flavor profiles.
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.