"Dark, almost garnet in color, this full bodied cab suggests appealing aromas of dark fruits, particularly plums and black cherries with hints of pepper and thyme in the background. Try serving these reds alongside a juicy beef tenderloin steak or with lamb dishes." Yonatan Sternberg samples a couple Binyamina reds at a pre-holiday family gathering.
Established in 1952 under the name "Eliaz", the winery that went on to become Binyamina concentrated on the production of sacramental and table wines which offered little interest to the more sophisticated wine drinker. However, in recent year the winery has undergone some major changes.
In 1994 several investors with a vision of transforming the winery into a leading player in the local industry purchased “Eliaz” and renamed the winery “Binyamina”. Since then, the winery has constantly been investing in the latest technology and high quality produce in order to provide their customer with a premium drinking experience.
Today Binyamina’s wines usually offer a good value for money, are continually improving and are sold at some of the top restaurants and wine stores in Israel.
Although the winery is situated in the town of Binyamina, at the foothills of the Carmel mountain, the winery draws grapes from several vineyards throughout the country including: the Judean Hills, the Upper & Lower Galilee, Golan Heights, Dan and Shomron (Samaria) regions.
This week, I decided to serve two of the top Cabernet Sauvignon wines Binyamina has to offer at an important family occasion. By the way, Binyamina also owns a boutique winery called “The Cave”, which produces a red wine of the same name; this is a blend of Cabernet and Merlot grapes and is often considered one of the top wines in the country.
Tasting notes:
Binyamina, Tiltan
Dark, almost garnet in color, this full bodied cab suggests appealing aromas of dark fruits, particularly plums and black cherries with hints of pepper and thyme in the background.
This is truly and interesting concept, the Tiltan (Hebrew for clover) is a blend of three Cabernet Sauvignon’s, produced using grapes which were harvested and then processed in three separate harvest periods (2004,2005,2006). Each of the wines was aged in oak for a different period of time before it was added to the final blend.
Tasting notes:
Binyamina, Special Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005
Royal purple towards garnet, the wine offers generous aromas and flavors of both red and black berry fruits, black pepper and a touch of wood. This Cabernet Sauvignon is full bodied and offers a long and generous finish.
Food Pairing:
Try serving these reds alongside a juicy beef tenderloin steak or with lamb dishes. Another option (which would probably go better with the special reserve) would be to serve the wine with a platter of quality hard cheese.
Binyamina Winery
POB 34, HaNasi St.
Binyamina, 30550
Tel: 04-6388643
