Deep ruby color; cherry, boysenberry, redcurrant, cassis, plum, blackberry, baking spice, pepper, tea, oak spice, hibiscus on the nose and palate.
Dry; fine tannins with late-palate grip; good balancing acidity. Full body. Rich mouthfeel. Very fruit forward. Blend of 85% cabernet sauvignon, 10% petit syrah, 5% shiraz. Standard vinification; aged aged eight months in small oak barrels. Kosher for Passover, not mevushal. Darom is the second, lower-price label of the Yatir Winery. 13% ABV
Grapes sourced from various vineyards with average elevation of 2,500 feet in the Southern Judean Hills near the Negev Desert. Vines are grown goblet style to protect the bunches and the under-vine soil from direct sunlight and heat of the desert. The elevation provides wide diurnal shift, helping with acidity. The vineyard is located in the Yatir Forest, a man-made forest where the government leases small plots to a local grower collective. Yatir partnered with the collective to grow and manage the vineyards.
The Yatir region today is a product of the vision of David Ben Gurion to make the Negev bloom. Experts warned the region was too dry and too warm to plant trees. Ben Gurion’s response: “Replace the experts.” The resulting forest today is one of the largest in Israel—almost 10,000 acres. The forest is named after the Levite biblical city of Yatir. The winery located in the forest was founded in 2000. The website notes: “this southern winery, located in the heart of the desert, has turned into a symbol of the region. Its wines, which have been repeatedly awarded with high scores, exceptional recognition and medals, have been rated in recent years among Israel’s top wines by local as well as international wine critics.”
Eran Goldwasser is the winemaker. An Israeli, Eran started his wine journey at the University of Adelaide in Australia where he majored in viticulture and viniculture. He worked at several wineries in Australia before returning to Israel to join the Carmel Winery, then to Yatir, where he is in charge of the vineyards and the wine production process.
Yatir Darom by Yatir Cabernet Sauvignon, Judea 2023 is rich, polished, fruit-forward effort with concentrated flavors, rich mouthfeel, amiable tannins and acidity. Over-delivers for the price. Made in southern Israel near the Negev Desert. $30-35
Pairing—Grilled and roasted meats are classic; ribeye, prime rib, other fatty cuts; lamb, roasted rack of lamb crusted with herbs and garlic, lamb chops with spring vegetables, lamb steak. Braised dishes, braised short ribs, brisket, flanken pot au feu. Roasted chicken, duck breast; venison, wild boar, other game meats. Pasta dishes with tomato-based sauces and braised rib stew. Cheese—Aged cheddar, Vermont Cabot Clothbound Cheddar, Keen’s Cheddar, sharp cheddar aged 8-10 years; aged gouda; ossau-iraty, San Andreas from California.. Avoid young, soft goat cheese; creamy, soft-ripened cheese—bries, camemberts, triple-crèmes; parmigiano-reggiano.
