Ideal With
The Wine
The 2017 Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon Allone Habashan Vineyard shows off characters of ripe red and black fruits, along with roasted coffee, chocolate and hints of mint and tobacco. This remarkable single-vineyard Cabernet displays full body, concentrated flavor and lingering taste.
While enjoyable to drink upon release, the 2017 Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon Allone Habashan Vineyard will develop in the bottle over the next number of years, and should stay in excellent drinking condition for over ten years from harvest. A great choice for festive meals, the wine goes wonderfully with pan-seared ribeye steaks,
macadamia-crusted roast rack of lamb, or green lentil curry.
The Vintage
While the winter leading up to the 2017 season started promisingly, with an unusually cold and wet December, total seasonal precipitation finished at only 82% of normal. The lack of late winter rain resulted in restrained vine growth and canopies nicely open to light and air penetration. After an average spring, July saw daily highs 2oC (3.6oF) warmer than usual. Happily, typical weather returned in August, and the absence of weather extremes led to beautiful, and faster than normal, ripening. Ending up as a relatively short eleven-week harvest, 2017 was yet another vintage of excellent quality.
This single-vineyard wine is produced solely from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes harvested from Allone Habashan Vineyard, which is located in the central Golan Heights at an elevation of 600 meters (2,000 feet). The vineyard’s basalt soils have high clay content (~40%), resulting in high water-holding capacity; The percentage of stones increases with depth, aiding in both water drainage and vine root penetration. This historic vineyard, one of the first planted in the Golan Heights, over time became infected with leafroll virus. With its redevelopment beginning in 2011, it has become once again one of the great vineyards in the Golan Heights. This is the first single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon to be released from the Allone Habashan Vineyard, which is now certified for sustainable winegrowing. The wine aged for 18 months in French oak barrels.
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. Golan Heights Winery is located in the town of Katzrin in the central Golan.