Covenant Solomon 2008 Lot 70 This is a luxury blend of Cabernet Sauvignon from Leslie Rudd’s vineyards on Mount Veeder and the Oakville corridor. Shlomo (Solomon) is Rudd’s Hebrew name. So far, this wine has only been released once. I have not tasted it, but Robert Parker gave it a tentative but impressive 92 to 94 points.Covenant Lavan 2009 A 100% Chardonnay from the Bacigalupi vineyard in California’s Russian River Valley. The wine is fermented and matured in small French oak barrels. This was the first vintage of Covenant’s Lavan (which means “white” in Hebrew). The wine is medium to full bodied, with some tropical fruit notes and a creamy, oaky finish.Red C 2008 Second label wine, made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from a Napa Valley vineyard. It sometimes includes fruit declassified from the Covenant. Not in the same league as Covenant, but it certainly represents better value. Tends to be more fruit forward than the Covenant.
Red C Sauvignon Blanc 2010 This is the latest new addition to the portfolio, from Northern California.
Adam Montefiore works for Carmel Winery and regularly writes about wine for Israeli and international publications. adam@carmelwines.co.il