Sagee Aran

9.0

Red brick color, pronounced nose, a little shy on the palate. — 3 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Five Stones Vineyards – Nobility 215a White Blend – 2023
Judean Hills – Israel 🇮🇱

Overview
A tribute cuvée composed of 95% Chardonnay and 5% Sauvignon Blanc, aged in French oak. The 2023 vintage sits beautifully between the richer 2021 and the brighter 2024, showing greater depth, more mid-palate weight, and a remarkably polished finish, arguably the most complete expression of Nobility 215a to date.

Aromas & Flavors
Ripe pear, baked apple, lemon curd, and subtle pineapple, woven with toasted brioche, vanilla bean, and delicate spice. Compared to 2024, this vintage reveals more concentration, smoother integration of oak, and a gentle mineral note that adds refinement.

Mouthfeel
Medium-plus body, rounder and more structured than 2024, with a creamy texture balanced by vibrant acidity. The finish is long, elegant, and beautifully layered, showing the precision of high-altitude Judean Hills fruit.

Food Pairings
Butter-poached halibut, roast chicken with herbs, creamy pasta, seared scallops, or soft Mediterranean cheeses.

Verdict
The 2023 Nobility 215a is the standout vintage, richer than 2024, more focused than 2021, and exceptionally well-balanced. A sophisticated Israeli white showcasing tension, elegance, and depth in perfect harmony.

Did You Know?
“Nobility 215a” honors Sergeant Maj. Yitzhak Tamir, whose radio code (215a) became a symbol of courage during the Yom Kippur War. The wine was created as a tribute to his legacy. — 7 months ago

Stuart Pollack

9.4

Another hit from Tzora. Excellent Sauvignon Blanc provides strong citrus flavors that are perfectly balanced by Chardonnay to create an elegant white wine. — 3 years ago

"Odedi"

9.1

#kosherwineSunday

This is a very tasty Cabernet Sauvignon from Israel. Feels like a Napa Cabernet.

Showing black fruits with cedar, vanilla, coffee, cola, spices, earth, chocolates and peppercorn.

Dry on the palate and fruit forward.

Full-bodied and bold with a nice mouthfeel.

Still young and needs a few years in the bottle to mature properly. Would Age nicely in the next five to seven years. Has good potential to become a 94+ wine.

Entertaining and engaging. Smooth and elegant.

Aged in French oak barrels for 18 months. Unfiltered. Kosher and Mevushal.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$53. — 4 years ago

Iwan

9.0

Lovely Cabernet from Israel, made in an old world style, but still with great fruit. 2012 is drinking well now. — 6 years ago

barak heller hayun

9.0

second bottle for me from hyped boutique shvo vineyard.
non kosher and sustainable, supposedly.

12.5% ABV

pale green 👀

pineapple and hinted flint👃

medium minus body.
medium minus acidity.

tropics and lemon with biterness on the side and some hinted funk 👄

light 🎯 with some juicy feeling.

can't say i was amazed but well done with firm balanced structure.

great vfm (75 nis).

had it all day long while vacationing in a hotel with the family.
as the time passed bitterness was felt more and funkness became dryness.

not my fave style sauvignon blanc but still very good.
hope to try the shvo chenin soon. — 7 years ago

Jason Keefer

9.0

I think my first Israeli wine. A little hot but has a good blueberryish backbone and a bit of floral undertones. — 5 months ago

with Natasha

"Odedi"

9.2

Zwebner Estate Vineyard Judean Mountains 35.6.18 Red 2017, Bethlehem

#KosherWineSunday

Dark ruby in color with a wide reddish rim.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with cherries, black plums, currants, raspberries, light oak, spices, chocolates, licorice, coffee, tobacco leaf, herbs, earth, peppercorn and black tea.

Tangy finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 6 year old red blend from the Judean Mountains in Israel, is showing nice complexity with a soft mouthfeel. Elegant and spicy.

Fruit forward right out of the bottle, and even better after an hour of airtime.

This Single Vineyard is good by itself or with food. A great sipping wine.

I Had the 2015 a few years ago, and it is very consistent. Delicious stuff.

A blend of Grenache, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon. Aged in French oak barrels for 12 months. Kosher.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$50. — 3 years ago

Louis Martin

9.0

Cherry aroma, strong pepper and spice notes, medium bodied, pairs well with pasta. — 4 years ago

David Stein

9.0

An excellent holiday wine! Decent length, balance and body. — 4 years ago

with Bruce

Sagee Aran

9.1

Pronounce nose of delicate perfume. Medium to dark garnet color, pallete with barrel influence. — 5 years ago

Tony Napolitano

9.0

Went well with steak. Had a little "mevushal taste" at first, but opened up and was flavorful and chewy. — 6 years ago

Rich Bluth

9.0

Seriously good blend. — 7 years ago

Sagee Aran

9.2

A barrel aged Chardonnay. Balanced with blossom and full body — 6 months ago

Sagee Aran

9.0

Very tanin. Needs more years — 8 months ago

"Odedi"

9.5

#AgedWineTuesday

Dark ruby in color with a reddish brick rim.

Pretty nose and dry on the palate with nice complexity.

Showing plums, cooked cherries, light oak, spices, vanilla, licorice, chocolates, tobacco, herbs, wet leaves and peppercorn.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and cherries.

This 17 year old is peaking now. Soft and rich, yet elegant. A gorgeous wine.

A great sipping wine to have all by itself, and will also pair nicely with a big piece of steak.

I've had a few vintages of this Cabernet, old and young, but this one was the best so far.

A blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Petit Verdot. Aged in oak barrels for 12 months. Unfiltered and kosher.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

95 points.

$75. — 3 years ago

Bruce Leboff

9.1

Restrained nose - but very full bodied and pleasant dark fruits. Quite tannic but soft on the finish. Nice. Shabbat shalom — 4 years ago

with David

"Odedi"

9.2

It's time for some Merlot on this #MerlotThursday. Here is a delicious one from Israel.

Dark ruby in color with a reddish, cloudy rim.

Strong nose of cooked plums, black currants, light violets, dark chocolates, spices, cedar, earth, vanilla, licorice, tobacco leaf, black coffee and black pepper.

Full bodied and bold with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate and fruity with black plums, cooked cherries, oak, vanilla, currants, tobacco, licorice, light earth, coffee, herbs and peppercorn.

Spicy finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This is a very tasty Merlot from Israel. Fruit forward and rich. Well balanced with nice complexity, tangy and interesting.

This 4 year old is drinking very nicely now. Good right out of the bottle and better with air time. After 90 minutes, the complexity comes in, and it is showing a really beautiful nose after 3 hours of airtime.

Would be nice to revisit it in a couple of years.

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with a charcuterie board of cheeses, vegetables and dried fruits.

Aged in French oak barrels for 20 months. Kosher and not Mevushal.

15.5% alcohol by volume.

92 points.

$50. — 5 years ago

Randy Fuller

9.0

This inky wine’s nose is a strong blast of dark fruit, and I do mean dark. There is spice and oak, along with a strong element of forest floor, perhaps that of the Yatir Forest. The palate is fruit forward, dark fruit forward. The Syrah takes the lead, but the Tannat certainly makes itself known. There is a grapey note in the background which reminds me of Lambrusco a bit. The tannins are firm, but not as forceful as I expected.
— 7 years ago

Adam Baker

9.0

Dry and good! — 8 years ago