Alexander Syrah

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The 2009 Syrah in fact has 10% Cabernet Sauvignon blended in. Although the label does not call it a Reserve, the winery considers it to be such and on par with its Reserve lineup. The Syrah grapes are sourced from a high altitude Ein-Seter vineyard (690 meters) planted in 2001 in the Upper Galilee and then aged for 20 months in French oak. This is a charming and very elegant Syrah, with good acidity cutting through the oak, which the winery sometimes seems to love too much, but it handles reasonably well. It also has a notable gamey nuance. It does seem a bit on the thin side considering the price range, but it has nice sensibilities. Drink now-2015. Note that the 2007s are current – they were just submitted by the winery. Some of them received extended oak aging, which may partly account for their late submission.Importer: Royal Wine Corp., Bayonne, N.J.; tel: (718) 534-0118

The 2006 SYRAH is attractive and sweet. Just a little earthy, the wine shows its oak a bit obviously. That said, it is very elegant and flavorful, with nice grip on the finish and it drinks beautifully. With air, as a bonus, it acquires some character. NOTE: The winery says that this is a reserve bottling—but the label presented (which may change when it appears in the American marketplace) did not so indicate. In the heading, I stayed with what the front of the label said in this regard—nothing. Drink now-2015. Alexander is an under-the-radar pick for those looking beyond the most familiar Israeli names. “The Great” series is a premium, late released wine. The latest release of that brand is the 2005 Cabernet; the 2006 will not be released until next year. The Grand Reserve is one step above it—late released and produced only in exceptional years. Although Israeli wines as a group provide relatively few bargains, there are some decent price to quality ratios here for the low and mid-level wines. Many will be about as happy with the regular Reserves as with the upper level wines. More or less unknown in the USA due to its lack of an importer until recently, this winery has some potential. Not all of these may be available quite yet. Prices given are estimates of what they will be in the marketplace—they may yet change.Importer: Bayfield Importing, Long Island City, N.Y.; tel: (718) 482-0200.