"Along with various salads and dipping sauces, small coal grills are placed on each table and the participants choose their meats and prepare them to their liking..." Yonatan Sternberg partakes in a hedonistic evening of meat and wine at the Katlav Winery near Jerusalem.
Established in 1998 by Yossi Yitach, the Katlav winery is situated in the Nes-Harim village, and nestled among the beautiful Judean Hills near Jerusalem. After learning the fine art of winemaking from a Jewish Persian family in the mid 1990’s, Yossi fell in love with wine and the production process and decided to establish his own winery.
Today, the Katlav winery is almost entirely a one-man-show. Although Yossi purchases some of the grapes from nearby vintners, the majority of the grapes used are harvested in his own vineyards, situated in the nearby Katlav valley. With production levels at approximately 15,000 bottles per annum, Yossi feels that he is still able to give personal attention to each barrel and leave his mark on the wine. Although, he emphasizes the importance of the terroir, the role of the wine maker is still a crucial one. After sampling several wines of his wines, I must say that I agree. Like Yossi himself, it is evident that the wines released by Katlav are full of character, possessing extraordinary characteristics.
In addition to serving as winemaker, owner and vintner for the Katlav winery, Yossi is also head of the Judean Hills Winery Club, and as such promotes the Judean Hills as one of Israel’s top wine regions.
If you are wine fan, a trip to the Katlav winery should be on your to do list. At the winery Yossi combines two of the things which he enjoys most, wine and entertaining. Upon request Yossi organizes hedonistic evenings which include indulging on plenty of wine and fine grilled meats, served in the form of a classic Korean BBQ. Along with various salads and dipping sauces, small coal grills are placed on each table and the participants choose their meats and prepare them to their liking. If you are planning an event, be it a company outing, birthday party, anniversary or any other occasion, this could be the place for you.
Tasting Notes:
Katlav, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2006
Dark ruby red in color, the wine is showing slightly sweet, port like aromas along with aromas of various fruits, particularly assorted red berry fruits.
Katlav, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005
Full bodied, this mouth-filing wine suggests appealing aromas of red and black fruits while in the background hints of spices and oak all leading to a long and satisfying finish.
Katlav, Wadi Katlav, 2006
This red is a blend of several varieties harvested in the nearby vineyards. The wine is medium-full bodied and offers layered aromas of plums, an array of berry fruits along with a touch of oak and pepper.
In my opinion the wines from 2006 are not yet at their peak and would benefit from another year of cellaring. I also enjoyed a barrel tasting from the 2007 vintage, which holds much promise for the future."
For further details:
Yossi Yitach
8 Nes Harim, Israel, 99885
Tel: 02-5701404
E-mail: [email protected]
