Yossie’s Corkboard

Once again Peraj Ha'abib has returned to be in the list of the best kosher wines of the year according to Yossi Hortwitz.
This renowned kosher wine taster said that the Peraj Ha'abib 2014 is the most sensual vintage of all.
Capcanes, Peraj Habib, 2014: As noted above, Capcanes is one of those perennial contenders for this list with the 2012 earning a top slot last year and the 2014 showcased for this year’s list (I tasted both the 2013 and 2014 this year and, while both would make this list, I personally enjoyed the 2014 more). As always, a blend of the winery’s three varietals – Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Carignan (the latter two also bottled as individual varietals in the La Flor series), with this years blend having more Grenache than usual (45%) and contributing to a more approachable and sensual wine than in prior years. Give the wine 15-20 minutes in the glass and you will be rewarded with a lovely nose redolent with rich red fruit, smoky oak, black pepper, sweet spices, dark chocolate, slate, a bitter tinge of pleasing herbaceousness, graphite and plenty of lavender and floral notes from the Grenache. The full bodied palate nicely fulfills the nose’s promise, with plenty of the same on a backbone of velvety and powerful tannins with hints of blueberry, flinty minerals and extracted black fruit leading into a rich and powerful finish that lingers long with notes of smoky oak, chocolate and anise. One for the ages, this is a rich and layered wine that can be enjoyed now but will also age through 2025, likely longer.