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A Hidden Obsession
I made an interesting realization today – I have a hidden obsession.
Obsession doesn’t seem to be a good thing, especially when directed at someone. If this is an obsession for something, this is usually a different story.
Can obsession be hidden? Can you not realize that you have an obsession? Does obsession clearly manifest itself, or do we need to engage in a deep self-analysis to realize that we’ve been obsessed?
Okay, please worry not – first, I’m not engaged in obsession research while working on a degree in psychology. Second, we are only talking about my basic, simple, well-known obsession with wine. Nevertheless, today I realized that I had an obsession (a mini obsession? a sub-obsession? you will decide) that was literally hiding in plain sight.
Ten days ago we celebrated the arrival of the Jewish New Year (year 5784 in case you are wondering) – Rosh Hashanah. I always prefer to celebrate Jewish holidays with Israeli wines, but I almost never have any on hand, so I had to take a trip to a wine store. Long story short, I came back with two bottles of wine produced by Shiloh Winery, one of my favorite producers out of Israel.
On a big scale, Israel produces world-class wines. I had been exposed to Israeli wines for more than 25 years as I had been lucky to travel to Israel for work. Lots of Israeli wines are spectacular, but same as everywhere else, you have to go by producers. Some of the best Israeli wines are either not exported at all, or exported in minuscule quantities – and many of them are pretty expensive, especially outside of Israel. So finding good Israeli wines to drink outside of Israel is not necessarily an easy task.
During a dinner at a kosher restaurant in New York 6 years ago, I tasted a red wine called Shiloh Mosaic, and I immediately fell in love with it. The wine was simply a spectacular, rich, and opulent Bordeaux blend – I loved it so much that it made it to the Top Wines of 2017 as number 14. From that moment on, Shiloh literally became my go-to solution for all the Jewish holidays – and yes, you can even say that I became obsessed with it. Another wine from Shiloh, Shiloh Secret Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon made it to my Top 20 of 2020 list as number 18.
As I was getting ready to write this post, I searched my blog for the Shiloh references, and to my surprise, I discovered that Shiloh had been a hidden obsession for a while – for sure way before I thought I “discovered” it in 2017. Shiloh Secret Reserve Shiraz was included in the September 2014 Month in Wines post with a high rating; Shiloh Legend blend was lauded even before that in the May 2014 Month in Wines post. See, nothing can be hidden without becoming apparent – this is how I discovered my hidden obsession.
For this year’s celebration, I went with two wines from Shiloh that I hadn’t seen before – both of them under the Amichai by Shiloh label. As I bought wines at the large wine store, Total Wine, I was sure I would find all the wine information online. However, Shiloh Winery’s website didn’t offer any information about this brand. The distributor’s website offered exactly the same amount of information – zilch. And all my attempts to find any information online didn’t yield any results. Yes, the back labels offered basic facts, such as grape composition and oak regimen, but I was hoping to learn more – the inspiration, why the wines are called the way they are called, you know, the story. I can only assume that the wines represent a new project by Shiloh’s self-taught winemaker, Amichai Lourie, and maybe the project is so new that information didn’t make it to the website. Oh well, at least we got the wine.
I opened these wines for the Rosh Hashanah dinner, and everyone loved them, as both wines were delicious. I managed to save just half of the drop in each bottle so I was able to write my traditional notes the next day:
2018 Amichai by Shiloh Micah Judean Hills Israel (15% ABV, $57, 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot, 15 months in French oak barrels)
Garnet
Currant leaf, sweet cherry, eucalyptus
Cassis, earthy undertones, tobacco, dark, powerful, delicious.
8+, outstanding, will age well for another 10-15 years.
2018 Amichai by Shiloh Solomon Judean Hills Israel (15% ABV, $57, 93% Syrah, 7% Petit Verdot, 15 months in French oak barrels)
Dark garnet, almost black
Dark cherries, blackberries, mineral undertones
Blackberries, tart cherries, firm structure, firm tannins, white pepper, peppery finish, inky and powerful, tannins on the finish. Perfectly balanced.
8+, outstanding. Will age well for another 10-15 years.
Here you are, my friends. My obsession is no longer hidden. And I’m happy to face it, any time. L’Chaim!
Top Wines of 2017 – Second Dozen
? It’s that time again! The year is ending, and it is always fun to look back and reflect on the things which are now becoming the past. Of course, there all sorts of memories linked to the year which is about to depart, the bad, the good (hopefully none of the “ugly”, right?). It’s the good things we want to carry with us, and so this is the primary purpose of this post – well, just a reminder – it is the wine we are talking about here.
The “Top Dozen” posts are a tradition here, ever since the blog has started – here are the links for all the past “Top” lists: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. To build these top lists I usually go through my posts and label journals, as the idea is simple – the lists represent the most memorable wines I came across during the year. Some of the wines were written about, in this case I will offer you a link to the original post. Some of the wines never made it into the posts, but they are still well worthy of being on this list. Also, I can rarely contain myself to the one dozen of wines – in most of the cases, I have to split the wines into the first and second dozen and have two separate posts.
The year 2017 was very happening wine year, full of great discoveries, and thus warranting the two posts. We will start with the second dozen, and then the top dozen post will be coming out shortly. The order of the wines on the list is somewhat random, with the exception of the Top Wine. And yes, building up such a list is never easy – but you derive lots of pleasure along the way. Okay, enough of the introductions – let’s talk about the wines now.
25. 2016 Terlato Vineyards Pinot Grigio Friuli Colli Orientali DOC ($22.99) – I don’t know if “typical” Pinot Grigio exists anymore – you know, the one which resembles more water than wine – but this is not your typical Pinot Grigio. This wine had excellent aromatics and lots of depth on the palate. I also managed to pleasantly surprise some people at a dinner in a restaurant when I ordered this wine. A perfect all occasion white.
24. 2011 Quinta dos Murças Reserva Douro Valley, Portugal ($45) – when it comes to Portuguese red, my preference is at the Reserva level – this is not a random word on the label. The reservas typically offer a much higher concentration of the flavor, and this wine was not an exception – lots and lots of layers on the palate, delicious now, and can age for a long, long time.
23. 2014 Thelema Sutherland Sauvignon Blanc WO Elgin South Africa ($20) – fresh grass with lots of complexity. This wine is not “in your face”, it opens up slowly in the glass (and can stay for a while in a bottle), and it offers way more than just grass and grapefruit. Classic Sancerre level of complexity, perfect on the sunny deck or by a cozy fireplace.
22. 2013 Valdivieso Caballo Loco Grand Cru Apalta, Colchagua Valley, Chile ($35) – cassis berries and leaves combined – does it get any better? Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon are relatives, having a common parent, Cabernet Franc. In this wine, which is a blend of these two grapes, both perfectly contribute their best varietal characteristics, resulting in layered, luscious, velvety smooth wine. Most highly recommended – if you can find it.
21. 2016 Paul Mas Rosé Aurore Pays d’Oc ($8) – Best Rosé ever, eh? For sure when it comes to the QPR, as for measly $8 you get a 1L of a delicious wine, which can brighten up any day, summer or not. Simply delicious – let me leave it at that.
20. 1994 Chateau Lilian Ladouys Saint-Estéphe ($15) – This wine keeps surprising me. It is 23 years old, it doesn’t come from any of the ” x growth” chateaus, and it is simply delicious Bordeaux which still can age for longer – it shows fresh and delicious, literally no sign of tertiary aromas yet. Outstanding.
19. 2016 Troon Riesling Whole Grape Ferment, Applegate Valley, Oregon ($20) – Craig Camp keeps on making unique and different wines. His whole line of wines at Troon Vineyards in Oregon deserves another post, but for now, I want to single out this Riesling which I tried at wine bloggers conference this year. This is what technically people call an “orange” wine, considering the color the white wine would obtain if left in contact with the skin for an extended period of time. “Whole Grape Ferment” in the name of the wine signifies exactly that – and the wine is totally unique. It is a bit closer to sherry than to the regular wine, but at the same time, it still has the bright fruit and perfect acidity. I would happily pair this wine with the steak (I didn’t have the pleasure), as I’m sure it will be delicious. And it will beat most of the wines next to cheese. Find it, let’s talk later.
18. 2007 Salabka Le Diamant Praha Czech Republic (€25) – talk about surprises. Very small vineyard and winery, right in Prague – and a world-class sparkling wine, méthode classique? Yes! I never wrote a post about that visit (which I’m not happy about), but the wine was a pure standout. Vanilla, toasted bread, apples, generous, voluptuous, fresh, and crispy. Outstanding. No chances of finding this wine in the US, but if Prague, which is a beautiful city, is part of the travel destination, don’t miss unique experience at Salabka vineyards and winery.
17. 2015 The Infinite Monkey Theorem Cabernet Franc, Colorado ($21) – my Colorado wine experience was not going great – and then I found this wine, and everything was right with the world. Blackcurrant all the way, excellent acidity, clean, lip-smacking – just an excellent example of the Cabernet Franc capabilities and good winemaking. And that label…
16. 2016 Bodega Javier Sanz V Malcorta Rueda D.O. ($26) – discovered during the Rueda wines seminar at Spain’s Great Match event this year. I couldn’t stop smelling this wine while others already finished drinking it. It had great complexity, the herbs, the flowers, the fruit and the spices (ahh, nutmeg) – this was a type of wine I can smell literally forever. Clean and delicious on the palate too – outstanding.
15. 2011 Turley The Label Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley ($50) – this is not the first time Turley The Label makes the top list. I had a few bottles of 2011 throughout the years, and it continues to evolve, literally getting better and better. This year, the wine was a textbook Cabernet Sauvignon – cassis, mint, eucalyptus – in a perfect, velvety envelope. Delicious and perfectly on par with the very best wines Turley produces.
14. 2014 Shiloh Mosaic Israel ($55) – was literally blown away by the first sip. Israeli wines are unquestionably world class – but this wine was also Mevushal, which means it was pasteurized one way or the other. Typically, you would expect pasteurization to affect the flavor one way or the other, but this was not the case here. Spectacular Bordeaux blend – this is when after the first sip you say “mmmm!” and you don’t put down the glass until it is empty. Then quickly ask for a refill. Superb is the word.
13. 2012 Sandhi Chardonnay Santa Barbara County ($35) – let me be brief – this is the wine to be experienced. I discovered Sandhi wines this year, and while I was initially skeptical because of the whole IPOB juggernaut (I believe the balance can be found equally in wine at 11% and at 17% ABV), this wine was real – sublime interplay of Chardonnay flavors, with vanilla, apple and a touch of butter been in a perfect harmony. Delicious – definitely look for it.
I don’t try to “engineer” my lists in any way (this is not a paid publication, and I have zero vested interest in promoting any of the wines above) – but just take a look at the happenstance diversity here. The wines represent 9 different countries (Italy, Spain, France, USA, South Africa, Czech Republic, Chile, Israel, Portugal), 13 different regions, a bunch of different grapes and the price range from $8 to $55. Can’t wait to see how the top dozen will fare – and that list is coming up soon. Stay tuned…
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