Yarden Katzrin 2003

The 2003 Yarden Katzrin continues the tradition of a great wine produced only in outstanding vintages. The rich, intense wine combines ripe black cherry and plum with blackberry and cassis, all layered with earth, spice and vanilla. Hints of fresh herbs and oak are also detectable.

While it may be difficult not to drink this win now, as it is already so delicious, the wine is worth waiting for. It will continue to improve for years to come and should stay in great shape for fifteen to twenty years from the vintage.

We wait for a really festive occasion to open a bottle of Yarden Katzrin and try to pair it with elegant, richly flavored foods. We enjoy it with slowly roasted prime rib, carved appetizingly at the table or gently grilled rack of spring lamb.

The Harvest

A cold and wet winter, with precipitation about one third higher than normal, preceded a cool March and April. After a warm May, moderate temperatures set in for the remainder of the 2003 season. Unusually stable temperature and weather patterns resulted in our longest ever vintage of 17 weeks. The optimum conditions and relaxed harvest pace allowed the harvesting of each vineyard block at its peak of ripeness and flavor.

The 2003 Yarden Katzrin is made from 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc. The Cabernet Sauvignon comes primarily from Ramot Naftali Vineyard in the Upper Galilee and El Rom Vineyard in the northern Golan. The Merlot comes primarily from the Sha’al Vineyard in the northern Golan and the Cabernet Franc from the Allone Habashan Vineyard in the central Golan Heights. The wine aged as individual lots for eighteen months in new French oak barrels. Then the wine was blended and put back in the same barrels for another six months for a total barrel aging of twenty-four months. Yarden Katzrin was bottled without filtration in March 2006.

Analytic data

Brix		26.1
% Alcohol		14.5
Acid(gr/L)		6.0
Ph		3.57
Sweetness		DRY

Growth Area
The Appellation

The Galilee (or Galil) is the most northern, and generally considered the best, appellation in Israel. The highest quality area within the appellation is the Golan Heights (or simply the Golan), the coldest region in Israel. The vineyards on this volcanic plateau rise from 400 meters (1,300 feet) above sea level to 1,200 meters (3,900 feet) and receive snowfall in the winter. The Golan Heights Winery is located in the town of Katzrin, in the central Golan.

1 bottle, 185.63 6 bottles, 0.00