C blanc du castel 2022 (Domaine du Castel)

Kosher wine. Cellar for up to 9 years. Serve chilled. This stunning single varietal Chardonnay is made in an elegant Burgundian style with the grape must fermented in French oak barrels and matured for a year before bottling. The result is an opulent, generous Chardonnay which opens with seductive notes of vanilla, tropical fruit and roasted almonds. On the palate there is a creamy, smooth texture, full body and ripe stone fruit and mango flavours which linger long on the tongue. The firm structure and intense flavour profile make this wine ideal for ageing over the next five or so years, but it is also ideal to enjoy now alongside roasted chicken, pan-fried fish, or a rich mushroom risotto. Domaine du Castel is widely considered one of Israel’s top wineries despite its humble origins and tiny annual production figures. The story began in the 1970s when Eli Ben Zaken arrived in Israel with his family from Milan and purchased a small farm near Jerusalem. In 1988 he decided to plant the first modern vineyard in the Judean Hills and in 1995 he released his first wine, the Grand Vin, after teaching himself how to make wine from the books of Emile Peynaud.