Wine Advocate 92 points (Dec 2007)
The 2004 Grand Vin is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, unfined and unfiltered and sourced from a vineyard at an altitude of 2,400 feet. It was aged for 24 months in new French oak. It is beautiful. It adds another layer or two of depth to the Petit Castel, and seems sumptuous. It is a bit oak-softened, and oak-obvious, but that should largely integrate with some age as the wine has a sufficient mid-palate to soak it up. In fact, with 90 minutes in a decanter, the fruit asserted itself to the point where the oak was inconsequential. The wine became elegant and increasingly graceful. The wine is accessible, but it has tannins on the back end which become more assertive after an hour or so. This should hold nicely in the mid-term. It is bursting with flavor and simply delicious, reminding me of a good California Cabernet Sauvignon at the outset, despite the nod to things French in the name and labeling, but becoming more Bordeaux-like as it airs out. There is just a hint of olive on the back end, which is not noticeable early on, and only pops up with aeration. This is always delicious, as well as beautifully constructed and sensually fragrant. I will be interested to see how and if it develops in the cellar, which is the only open question, but it is worth noting that it drank quite well for awhile on Day 2 also, and the hint of green did not become prominent. This is certainly a short-list contender for Israel’s "Best Bordeaux-blend.” Drink 2008-2015. |
