CASTEL GRAND VIN RED 2023

Elie Ben Zaken left a career in medicine to plant vines in the Judean Hills in the early 1990s, helping establish the region as Israel's most serious fine wine address. His Grand Vin blends Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc from Castel's top vineyard plots in those limestone-rich hills west of Jerusalem, where elevation tempers the Mediterranean heat. The wine matures in mostly new French oak for roughly 16 months, then rests in concrete before bottling. Expect blackberry, plum, and cherry with firm but polished tannins and a long finish.