Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon, Golan Heights 2000 Price $26 Rating 95 Golan Heights Winery (GHW) takes great pride in the announcement that their Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon 2000 took home the Gran Medaglia d'Oro (Double
Gold) at the 2004 annual Vinitaly International Wine Competition which took place in Verona. It was chosen as the best red wine in the competition from the three vintages 1998-2000. This year's competition, comparing almost 3,500 wines from 31 different countries, is now ranked as the largest international wine competition of the world.

Says Schoenfeld, "Even though we consistently receive some of the highest awards that exist in international competition, it was still a bit of a surprise to receive such outstanding recognition. For me, this success reinforces two notions. The Golan Heights is an exceptional wine grape growing area and is capable of producing wines that compete with some of the best appellations in the world. Two, when Angelo Gaja imports your wines, you had better perform." (Currently Angelo Gaja is the exclusive importer of Yarden in Italy.)

Schoenfeld describes his 2000 Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon as having layers of "ripe berry, cassis, and blackberry jam with rich oak and hints of fresh herbs and earth. On the palate, this complex wine's full body reveals additional nuances of cedar and spice, leading to a long, flavorful finish.
It has great aging potential and will continue to improve for up to 15 years, if stored properly."

Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon has been winning international wine competitions year after year, including four top awards at Vinexpo. The only Israeli winery to ever win Vinexpo's top award (previously called the Trophée Or), the Golan Heights Winery has won six to date, five for Yarden reds. Past Trophée Or awards include: Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon 1985; Yarden Merlot 1988; Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon 1989; Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon 1997; and in 2003, the Citadelle Trophy for Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon 1999.

Founded in 1983 in the village of Katzrin in northeastern Israel, the Golan Heights Winery introduced a new era in Israel's 6,000-year-old wine culture by bringing in expert consultants from California, trained in modern winemaking technology and adhering to international quality standards and focusing exclusively on high quality, classic vinifera varieties.

Havens Merlot, Carneros 2000
Price $32
Rating 94
"Twenty years after our first Merlot harvest, those who know the Right Bank of Bordeaux (Pomerol and St. Emilion in particular), consider Carneros to be the "Right Bank" of Napa Valley," said wine grower and proprietor Michael Havens. "Certainly it is the best place in North America to grow Merlot, and for the same reasons, Cabernet Franc."

"Dark, plummy fruit, subtle baking spices, and a definite whiff of fine chocolate materialize in the glass. The structure of the wine is firm, and the finish is already persistent and lively. Given the track record of Merlot from Havens Carneros vineyards, the wine will continue to evolve for many years. This is clearly a Merlot that will continue to evolve for many years in the bottle and emphasizes the refined earthy qualities of the Merlot grape," boasts Havens. "To achieve this, we tend to use vineyard lots with more total tannin, greater volume and texture of mouthfeel, as well as darker fruits, which age in the bottle to lovely forest and spice characters. Texture and length are certainly hallmarks here, backed by dense fruit, but it is greater complexity and structure that define our Reserve."

Havens Wine Cellars, located in Napa Valley, California, produces fine Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Franc selected by top restaurants, wine shops, and specialized retailers around the world. Havens was the first to produce an American Albariño from budwood it planted in Carneros and had the variety registered in the U.S. in 2000. Distinguished by wines with the complexity and refined elegance of their classic European counterparts, Havens Wine Cellars is renowned for its visionary selection of fruit from the cool Carneros region of California and the artisanal direction of an owner-winegrower. For information, visit their website at www.havenswine.com.

Rodney Strong "Symmetry" Red, Alexander Valley 1999
Price $50
Rating 94
"Our vision for Symmetry is to produce a harmonious wine, with full, rich fruit and powerful structure," says winemaker Rick Sayre. "This red greets you with an opulent bouquet of blackberries, ripe dark plums and sweet spices. The wine opens...on the palate with layers of blackberries, cassis and plums framed with accents of dark chocolate and sweet spices. The finish is long, rich and supple."

The blend consists of 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 29% Merlot, and 10% Cabernet Franc. Learn more at www.rodneystrong.com.