Two Reds from Tabor Winery

I recently had two wines from Tabor Winery from the Galilee in Israel. I tried the 2004 Merlot and the 2004 Cabernet from their entry line of "Tabor" wines. These wines each spend 4 months in oak, and are on the market one year after the vintage date. Since the winery is currently on the 2007 vintage, these bottles have had a nice amount of bottle age. I liked the Merlot better, since it was lighter on the oak than the Cabernet, which definitely put off some of my dining partners that evening ("smells like a cigar box," one said). They took a long time to open up, which is a mixed message. Good because the wine blossomed slowly and was able to last for several days after being opened, with no significant drop in quality. The bad news is that if you are having a large party, the wine might not show that well in the first minutes (hour?) after the waiters pop the corks. Given that the wine is mevushal and relatively inexpensive ($8-9 wholesale), this is something to note. Either way, I'm a fan of these wines and would recommend them for dinner parties or where you just want to pop something. The Merlot is good for cooking. Oak fans should check out the Cab.

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