Tabor Mes'Ha Red, Galilee, Israel

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The 2005 MES’HA (referencing the old name of the Tabor village) is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, and nearly equal quantities of Merlot and Shiraz for the rest, aged 18 months in French oak. The 2005 MES’HA is the winery’s top level wine, but it showed no better, generally speaking, than ’07 Adama lineup and I do think the winery is progressing as time goes on. Although I saw some bottle variations, the last two, including a fresh one obtained from the winery, seemed sound and quite nice on opening, which justifies a decent rating, and it is on those bottles that this is rated. Still, aeration of 90 minutes showed this wine thinning dramatically and becoming a little harsh. It had its merits, including lush texture on opening and some grip on the finish, but I liked it less and less as it aired out. It will hold longer, but for safety, drink this early. Drink now-2013.Most wine enthusiasts are a little wary when they hear about big companies acquiring wineries. Tabor, which started in the late ‘90s and slowly outgrew its boutique status, is a winery that has had Coca Cola as a majority owner for awhile now. It seems to me to be showing improvement and its wines are quite charming. As a group, these wines (at the Adama level and up) are carefully constructed and allow their fruit to shine through without much affectation. They do not always have a lot of depth or concentration. They can seem a bit compact, and as a group, they leave me with some doubts about how well they will age. Yet, while they tend to be on the lighter side and relatively subtle, which makes them easy to dismiss with a quick taste, you’ll admire these for their balance, their purity of fruit and their good price levels. Take them for what they are and you will likely be quite happy. The winery also does something that warms the hearts of geeks—it bottles its mid-level “Adama” series wines with different soil types noted on the label. If nothing else, that makes for some interesting conversations. Some seemed rather different, some didn’t. Time in the glass tended to bring them closer together. Apart from the Adama (fermented in oak and then aged 12 months in oak, 80% French, 20% American) , there is the basic Tabor line (higher yields, younger vines, fermented in stainless steel, maloactic with staves and 4 months in oak for the reds), and the top level Mes’ha bottling (not produced every vintage; usually spending a longer time in 2d or 3rd pass oak, up to 24 months; variable blends based on a selection of the best grapes and plots, late released). With about 200,000 bottles produced in total (amongst all the Adama selections), the Adama line represents about 20% of Tabor’s production.Importer: Kingdom Importers, Philadelphia, PA; tel: (215) 260-4899.

Mes’ha is the name of the Tabor village established in 1901 in the region. This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (82%) Merlot (10%) and the rest Shiraz. At this point in its evolution, it is approachable, although it is youthful, lively, and packs a punch. There is a touch of mint around the edges. The mid-palate is elegant in weight, but there is a lot of juicy, flavorful fruit here. The tannins on the finish provide support and grip, and prove that this is more than a little fruit bomb. In fact, it is impeccably balanced. Drink now-2012. This is Kosher. Importer: Allied Importers, Long Island City, N.Y.