Domaine du Castel Petit Castel 2023

Kosher wine. Drink now or cellar for up to 9 years. No need to decant before serving. The Petit Castel is the second wine of Domaine du Castel and it is made in a classic Bordeaux-style from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec grapes sourced from the estate’s finest plots. Following vinification the wine is aged in French oak barrels for 12 months and then matured in concrete tanks for an additional 4 months before bottling. On the nose there are seductive hints of crushed dark berries, wild roses, and leather while the first sip reveals a rich full body, smooth tannins, and bright streak of acidity which will help the wine to age gracefully over the next five years or so. The excellent balance between ripe fruit flavours and firm structure make this a great wine to pair with food, especially red meat dishes like a fine steak, beef stew, or even game. Domaine du Castel was founded in 1988 by Eli Ben Zaken who had emigrated to Israel from Milan and purchased a small farm near Jerusalem. He planted the first modern vineyard in the Judean Hills and received an incredibly positive response to his first wine, the Grand Vin, which he still produces in very limited quantities.