Daniel Rogov, Israel’s premier wine critic, has reviewed several great Israeli wines in recent editions of Ha’aretz.

For the hot summertime, rose’s are the perfect wine, even if they have gotten a bad rap. Rogov’s reviews of some great roses are at http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1086863.html
His TNs:

Chateau Golan, Royal Reserve, Rose, 2008: Made entirely from Cabernet Franc grapes, developed partly in stainless steel and briefly in used barriques. Medium-bodied, with appealing red and black berries, strawberries and red currants on a spicy background. Plenty of good acidity here. A more than usually complex rose. Drink now. Score 89.

Tabor, Adama, Rose, Charsit, 2008: Ruby to cherry red, medium-bodied, a lovely rose, fresh, crisp and full of life, with the most positive kinds of tutti-frutti aromas and flavors that include strawberries, raspberries, red currants and just a tantalizing hint of bubble-gum to tease our palates. Rose as rose should be. Drink now. Score 89. K

Recanati, Rose, 2008: Somewhere between rose petal pink and the color of strawberry juice, a blend of 80% Barbera and 20% Merlot with minimal skin contact. Fresh, firm and crisply dry with appealing notes of strawberries, berries and dried cherries followed by hints of white pepper and red licorice on the finish. Sits easily on the palate. Drink now. Score 88. K

Vitkin, Israeli Journey, Pink, 2008: Light cherry red, a rose primarily of Carignan and Syrah with small amounts of Tempranillo and Cabernet Franc blended in. Crisply dry and generously fruity, shows a low nose but opens to appealing aromas and flavors of strawberries, raspberries and black cherries, those with floral and spicy overtones. Medium-bodied, crisply dry and refreshing, strong enough to stand up to chicken and veal dishes. Drink now. Score 88.

Dalton, Rose, 2008: Made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, with very short skin contact. Peach-blossom pink, with wild berry and cassis fruits matched by an appealing hint of grapefruit peel. Off-dry and lively, fine on its own or a good match to fish, seafood and chicken salads. Drink now. Score 87. K

Avidan, Petite Soleil Rose, 2008: A true potpourri, this deep cherry-red wine rose is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Shiraz, Grenache, Carignan and Pinot Noir. Although it seems that just about everything “left over” was used here. the result is a success. The medium-bodied wine shows a fruity nose and appealing raspberry, cassis and cranberry fruits. Think of this not so much as a true rose, but as a light and refreshing red. A fun and easy-to-drink wine. Drink now. Score 87.

Binyamina, Yogev, Rose, 2008: Light rose-petal pink in color, opens quietly but develops nicely after a few minutes in the glass. Good acidity here to keep the raspberry, strawberry and citrus peel notes lively and refreshing. Rose as rose should be. Drink now. Score 87. K

Galil Mountain, Rose, 2008: Light- to medium-bodied and with refreshing acidity, a crisply dry, rose-petal pink colored wine showing an appealing tutti-frutti array of red fruits. Drink now. Score 87. K

Shiloh, Rose, 2007: Somewhere in color between rose-petal pink and cherry-red, a crisply dry rose. A blend of Barbera and Cabernet Franc allowed only short skin contact, showing appealing raspberry, strawberry and blueberry fruits. A most pleasant quaffer, medium-bodied and well enough done to stand up nicely to grilled fish or chicken dishes. Drink up. Score 87. K

Tzora Vineyards, Rose, Gvat HaChalukim, 2007: Made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, pale pink with an orange tint, light- to medium-bodied. Showing berry, cherry and watermelon notes, a dry wine with a creeping hint of sweetness. Drink up. Score 86. K

Rogov also reviews that old favorite (or not, depending on how old you are): Carmel Winery.Today’s Carmel Winery produces excellent world-class wines that are beyond enjoyable — they are heavenly. Rogov has this to say about Carmel:

From time to time I stand back and look at the Carmel Winery with a sense of continued amazement, reflecting on the quantum leap in quality that the winery has made in the last five years. Among the signs that the winery intends to continue in the direction of producing wines of increasing interest to even the most sophisticated wine lovers are the selections in their Regional series, also known as their Appellation series. Simply stated, they are excellent wines at reasonable prices and well worth exploring.

Here is just one TN:

Carmel, Carignan, Old Vines, Appellation, Zichron Yaakov, 2006: A super-dark garnet blend of 85 percent Carignan and 15 percent Petit Verdot. The Carignan comes from 35-40-year-old very low-yield wines with no irrigation. It’s a blockbuster on first attack, but the firm tannins and generous wood settles down nicely to reveal a rich array of plum, red cherry, raspberry and currant fruits all supported nicely by hints of cocoa and spices. Look as well for a generous mocha-rich finish. Drink now-2011. NIS 80. Score 90. K