Because they reflect the individuality of their winemakers, some of the most interesting wines now come from boutique wineries. Israel is no exception to this rule, and two winemakers (Yair Margalit and Eli Ben-Zaken) have risen to the fore in producing wines of great character, quality and interest, both of whose wines have attained great acclaim.

Both men are charming, each in their own way, and both are obviously talented. I am not at all embarassed to admit to liking both Margalit and Ben-Zaken, finding them both to be intelligent, pleasant and charming, each in his own way, and both devoted to their wines. My likes or dislikes however have no bearing whatever on my evaluations of their wines. To paraphrase A. J. Leibling, "it matters not one hoot in hell what one thinks of this winemaker of the other".

In order to make the current evaluations that follow, I undertook several tastings. At Ben-Zaken's winery in Ramat Raziel, in the heart of the Jerusalem forests, and at Margalit's home in Caesaria, I had vertical tastings of each of the Cabernet Sauvignon wines produced by both wineries. To overcome possible bias from having enjoyed the company of these two delightful men, I also arranged for a series of blind tastings in my own home, in each case tasting the wines of both winemakers together with same vintage year releases of the Cabernet Sauvignons of the Yarden series of the Golan Heights Wineries and the Napa Valley Private Reserve Cabernets of Robert Mondavi.

Finding differences between the wines of the two was not difficult because, as it should be at boutique wineries, the wines of Margalit and Ben-Zaken reflect the history and personality of the winemakers. With regard to style, Margalit is obviously going for wines so heavy and concentrated that they might be thought of as bottomless. More than this, reflecting his love of the wines of Bordeaux and his training and experience in California, his wines have a distinctly French flavor. Ben-Zaken, on the other hand, seems not to have settled in on what will eventually be his permanent style, his wines varying from harvest to harvest in style from Bordeaux to Tuscan, perhaps reflecting to some extent his own distinctly Italian background. That does not lessen the quality or interest of his individual wines but it does mean, among other things, that Ben-Zaken's wines tend to be more subtle, have less tannin and are lighter. They are not, however, less complex.

Whether one prefers one style or the other is much a matter of personal taste. The difference in style does, however, mean that whereas Margalit's wines should be cellared for several years before drinking, those of Ben-Zaken are less of a blow and while perhaps not as appropriate for long term storage, are far more approachable during their youth.

To See My Reviews of the Cabernet Sauvignon Wines of Both Wineries, click on the winery .... Margalit's ... Ben-Zaken

© Daniel Rogov