Yarden - Katzrin (Israel)		1990	Golan Wineries

1/95. Tonight with the leftover of yesterday's dinner we opened another bottle of this rare wine. Last tasted Feb-95.
The Katzrin wine was made only in 1990 to commemorate a decade of the Golan wineries. The entire production was 4790 bottles. It is a Bordeaux-style mix of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It cost about $30 when it was available on the market for a short period more than two years ago.
COLOR: Deep dark-red, hardly any clearing towards the rim.
NOSE: Substantial fruit! Softer yet more complex than that of a pure Cabernet. Wood (vanilla, caramel) is quite apparent, though not overwhelming the fruit. A touch of (not-disturbing) bret is also there.
TASTE: Fruity, mouth-filling yet lightish. Acidity (a rare commodity around here) and tannins both felt. Very good taste, if not yet integrated.
LENGTH: Surprisingly long finish! First a sourish freshness, followed by a bitter, tannic overtones.
TEXTURE & BALANCE: Medium body, extremely well-balanced with fruit, acidity and alcohol all in abundance. Better structure than 'flesh', though hard to judge due to the prominent tannins.
OVERALL: An excellent+ wine that needs a few more years to show its best. I'll try another in a year.
MARK: 17+/20.aaaaaaaaBUY MORE? Non e possibile :-(

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Copyright 1996-2003.
Jacob "Yak" Shaya.