Gvaot Herodion Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot 2006

Is the wine worth the money

by Adam Neustadter

Issue of January 29, 2010/ 14 Shvat 5770

A new buzzword of late in the wine industry is “boutique wineries.” Wineries come in different levels of “boutique.” Production amounts can range anywhere from a few thousand bottles to a few thousand cases. As is the case in many small businesses, the operating cost, and thus the bottle cost, can be more expensive then it otherwise might be. However, some people feel that the attention paid to each and every detail - something that usually only happens in a small production environment - is worth the small increase. The question is, are they right? I will attempt to answer the question.

The winery is Gvaot. It is located on what I call “The Route 60 Wine Trail,” a long stretch of road that is home to half-a-dozen boutique wineries. On the initial big sniff, there are definite notes of cherry, plum, and some deep berry fruit. After a little bit of patience, it develops a bitter chocolate hint with a perfume aroma, giving it a smell almost akin to a pretty wine. The oak really comes out after about 20 minutes.

A slight heat sensation on the palate quickly fades. The medium bodied red starts off very soft and fruity. Only after about half-an-hour do the tannins really begin to develop. They are balanced well by the intense fruit that becomes the dominant texture of the wine.

One of the things that really surprised me about this wine is the finish. It is longer than I would have expected with a pleasant flavor as well.

So now we get to the ever-gnawing question. Is it worth the money? Well, in Israel, you can find this for NIS 115-125. That’s a good price for the wine. I would even say it’s a great price for the wine. However, in the U.S., I believe this would be between $40 and $50, if you can find it. At that price, it might be questionable. I’m going to say yes at $49. Once you get into the $50’s and $60’s, you need to step it up a notch. Who knows? Maybe they will. I should point out that the winery has a higher tier line called “Metsuda” about which I have not yet written. We’ll have to wait on that one.

As I mentioned, “boutique” usually goes with small production. For this wine, I believe the output is somewhere around 4000 bottles in total. It may be worth it to have a store ship it to the U.S. from Israel.

Adam Neustadter is a partner in decantingisrael.com, has taught about wine and was a sales executive for Royal Wine Corporation for 15 years until his aliyah in 2006. He and his family live in Chashmonaim.