Kosher Critic: Oh Brother!

When I get together with my brother-in-law, Yossi, our conversation is usually about the newest wines on the kosher market. When I found out that we would be attending the same wine tasting in Manhattan I was excited. Now I would be able to hear if he had a different angle on the Gotham Wine pre-Pesach tasting.

I arrived for a selection made up of seven flights consisting of six wines a piece. Never one to adhere strictly to the swish and spit methodology of wine tasting, I found that by flight five my taste buds had been mildly compromised by inebriation. I took some time to clear my head to experience the rest of the wine tasting and sample an excellent cross section of the Gotham selection.

I was most impressed with the 2006 Shiloh Mosaic. This blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc augmented with Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, and Petit Verdot, has been receiving a lot of buzz in the world of kosher wine and once sampled it is apparent why. The Mosaic's appearance is a deep and beautiful purple with a heavy nose of oak and berries. Its flavor is silky, sharing the same tart berry quality of its aroma, as well as a complex tobacco and herb note. Truly living up to its name, the Mosaic is comprised of flavors artfully pieced together into a gorgeous masterpiece.

Also among the more interesting wines was the 2007 Yarden Rom. This blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, has a rich caramel note followed by a fruitiness that is beguilingly sweet. The flavor then takes on an extra layer of herbs, coffee and oak. The overall effect is a very full and almost overpowering flavor, but one that pulls back just short of going too far. For me I found the Rom to be truly delicious and I am looking forward to drinking it again.

Yossi found his most interesting wine to be the Edom Ruby. It is to wine, what a rouche is to beer, which is to say smoked. It had a deep smoky meaty flavor that would pair well with foods like deli and hamburgers. Many would find this to be an abomination in wine but I am of the ilk that celebrates diverse variety and believes that for (almost) every food and beverage there is a function and so it is simply a matter of finding the appropriate combination of foods to eat while drinking this bizarre wine.

Yossi and I had breakfast together this week and over a really nice Brut Cuvee by Hagafen we discussed the wine tasting in more depth. While we had both enjoyed it, Yossi alerted me to the fact that many of the tables had held back on some of their better selections only offering them to certain attendees.

This in conjunction to the selection of wines being picked more for hype then for distinct personality, made for an tasting that was very good in its own right but not the standout event it used to be. Still Gotham Wine has been hosting their tasting for eight years now and respect must be paid for their contribution to the kosher wine scene. Gotham always strives to provide high-end kosher wines and help educate as best they can on the subject. Because of this I will make a point of attending next year in the hopes that Gotham Wines pre-Passover Extravaganza will be returned to its once-former glory.