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by Manos Angelakis
In a previous article (see Wines from Israel), I mentioned that there are wines now produced in Israel that are of world-class quality, worthy of the attention of all wine drinkers. A number of these wines happens to be kosher.
I recently had lunch at Capsouto Freres (451 Washington Street, 212-966-4900), a very nice, classic bistro in New York’s TriBeCa district that has excellent food and a great wine list, with Mort Hochstein, one of LuxuryWeb’s contributing writers, and Eli-Gilbert Ben-Zaken, the owner and winemaker at Domaine du Castel, a small, boutique Israeli winery that produces about 100,000 bottles per year.
Jacques Capsouto, one of the three brothers that own the restaurant, is an accomplished oenophile that has created an imaginative wine cellar with wines from only three countries, the US, France, and Israel. Now, French and American wines can be found in almost every restaurant in town; it is Mr. Capsouto's collection of Israeli wines that caught my attention. About 20 of the over-150 wines available at the restaurant are Israeli, and amongst them were the Castel product that Eli wanted us to taste. “C” 2004 Chardonnay, a pale gold hued wine with a buttery vanilla nose, good acidity, and plenty of tropical fruit on the palate, and Petit Castel, the winery’s second wine, a blend of mostly Merlot with a soupçon of Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2003 Petit Castel that I had with a perfectly broiled “black and blue” fillet was a deep hued, young, fruity wine, very aromatic, with plums, cherries, violets, and a hint of cedar on the nose. The slight fattiness of the fillet needed the backdrop of tannin to truly dazzle the palate. A perfect lunch, which by the way finished with a dreamy Soufflé.
I’m looking forward to tasting Castel’s Grand Vin, the premium Castel red; a Bordeaux-styled blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Since Castel’s second wine is so good, I presume that the first will be outstanding.
To your health!
© March 2008 The Oenophile Blog. All rights reserved.
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