AUTHOR: Dave McIntyre TITLE: Mediterranean Bookends: Ribero del Duero and Beit Shemesh DATE: 7/13/2005 09:00:00 PM ----- BODY:

I recently had the opportunity to participate in two tastings of wines from either end of the Mediterranean. The first featured Spain’s Ribera del Duero, an area familiar to any U.S. wine enthusiast for its deep, massive Tempranillo wines. Ribera’s wines are extensively imported into the United States and highly sought after. The second tasting offered wines from Israel’s Beit Shemesh, a little-known wine area whose winemakers were in the States trolling for importers. What struck me most about the second tasting was how much the Israeli wines (which were predominantly Bordeaux varietals) resembled the Duero. There was the same inky color, ripe to overripe fruit (think prunes), high alcohol and high price tags. There was also considerable style and finesse. But I digress. The Ribera del Duero tasting featured Gerry Dawes, a wine writer who lives most of the time in Spain and is a noted expert on its wines. He spent much of his breath railing against “Parkerized” wines, which Dawes called “D.O. Monkton, Maryland,” for the home town of über-critc Robert Parker. Dawes complained of wine writers who follow Parker’s example and give “automatic” high scores to wines that are so dark you cannot see the bottom of the glass, high in alcohol, low in acidity and sappy-jammy-fruity-tootie. I found myself nodding in agreement until I looked in my glass and could not see the bottom, then nearly singed my nostrils on the alcohol fumes wafting from the wine. In fact, many of the 11 wines tasted that day displayed the exact characteristics that Dawes complained of, and most of them succeeded quite nicely, mind you. That’s because they had the fruit to back it up. Most wines made by that model don’t. Some of the Israeli winemakers at the second tasting were virtually shouting, “Try my wine! It’s not kosher!” This was puzzling to me, but I’m in the wrong demographic anyway. The wines ranged from interesting to delicious (all were expensive) and made me wonder what they could do with those vines if they can ever live in peace over there. Some of my favorites from these two tastings: From the Ribera del Duero: Valsardo 2001, $14. 100% Tempranillo. That wine party bore, Brett Barnyard, makes an appearance here, so this might not be for everyone. I liked its earthy nose with hints of leather and licorice, plus its bright cherry and plum fruit. Long finish. Brett was noisier as the party wore on. Hacienda el Monasterio 2001, $30, 75% Tempranillo, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot. Deep color, meaty nose, deep dard fruit and some spice. Big oaky and intense (14.5% alcohol), but quite huge and lovely. Young – it needs 3-5 years. Viña Valdeuro 1998, $24, 100% Tempranillo. Meaty, berry some earthy flavors on an intriguing brandy nose. Sweet and lovely, long finish. Pago de los Capellanes ‘El Picón’ 1999, $Youdontwanttoknow, 100% Tempranillo. I’ll never be able to afford this wine, so I was glad to experience its aromas of pencil and dried orange peel, and the caress of its soft, voluptuous fruit on its loooooong finish …. Sigh. From Beit Shemesh: Flam Syrah 2003, $30. Spiked with 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, this offers classic Syrah olive-smoke flavors with Cabernet backbone. Winemaker Golan Flam also makes a nice Merlot Reserve 2003 ($45) that could pass for Bordeaux. Flam wines available at Wine for All in New York City. Ben Hanna, Shelem Cabernet-Merlot 2003, $n/a. A 50-50 blend with nice aromatics and currant flavors, though a tad pruny and overripe. Domaine du Castel “C” Blanc du Castel 2003, $32. A Chablis-style Chardonnay, quite good and rich. The Petit Castel 2003, $30, is 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, with a jammy nose and delicious spicy, brambly fruit. I did not care for the top-of-the-line Grand Vin 2002, which was port-like and hot.

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