Carmel Black, Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Galilee, Israel

Chief Winemaker Yiftah Perets’ latest creation for Carmel Winery is their Carmel BLACK wines for their CARMEL SIGNATURE collection of prestigious wines. Carmel BLACK launched in the United States in February 2024 at the New Jersey Kosher Food & Wine Experience, and their Carmel BLACK Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 from Galilee, Israel is another exceptional wine that it is Kosher for Passover and delectable to drink any time. Carmel BLACK Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 is imported by Royal Wine Corp.

Having previously experienced several of Carmel Winery’s wines including Carmel Appellation Cabernet Sauvignon 2020, and Carmel Signature Single Vineyards Volcano Merlot 2020, Evyatar Creek, we knew that Chief Winemaker Yiftah Perets has firmly established his ability to craft high-quality, delectable wines. Their Carmel BLACK Sauvignon Cabernet 2021 from Galilee, Israel is another well-crafted, elegant full-bodied wine with heady aromatic notes on the nose, and a richness of flavors on the palate including dark fruit and berries, cassis, and slight spice notes and a medium finish. This wine is perfect to drink on its own or to pair with a variety of foods.

Carmel BLACK Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Galilee, Israel, Information

Technical Bottle Notes: “Carmel BLACK a carefully curated timeless edition, is a wine that speaks of strength and character, and offers a delectable experience that captivates the senses. Displaying a deep crimson hue, this Cabernet Sauvignon presents aromas of ripe fruit, cassis, and subtle tomato leaf notes, intertwined with warm spices. A full-bodied, velvety wine featuring luscious red fruit flavors, culminating in a satisfying medium finish. Aged for 14 months in French oak barrels in the Carmel Winery Cellars. Yiftah Perets, Chief Winemaker.” 

“CARMEL SIGNATURE is Carmel Winery’s most prestigious wine category. These wines are produced from grapes nurtured and selected with strict precision from Carmel’s top vineyards, with an emphasis on elegance and harmony between all the elements.” 

Tasting Notes:  Carmel BLACK Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 has a rich, deep, dark crimson color and is a decadently bold red wine with cassis, dark fruit, dark berries, and spice notes on the nose, that firmly and lusciously establish themselves on the palate as well. While it is a Kosher wine, suitable for Passover, and is Mevushal, it should be noted that this is an excellent Cabernet Sauvignon to enjoy anytime.

Pairing: This gorgeous Cabernet Sauvignon would pair well with hard cheeses and meat. We first paired the Carmel BLACK Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 with our recipe for Luxury Experience – Rib Eye Steak with Olive Oil and Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Roasted Beets and Carrots in Vidalia Onion “Nests”.

This sensational Cabernet Sauvignon cries out to pair with cheese, and the next day for lunch we paired it with grilled cheese sandwiches made with black truffle cheddar cheese, sauteed asparagus, and sauteed mushrooms on pumpernickel bread. The result was a perfect complement to the wine with the rich earthiness of the truffle cheese and the mushrooms. No matter how you opt to pair the Carmel BLACK Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, whether it be a fancier or simpler meal, it will fully deliver its promise of excellence.

Luxury Experience – Rib Eye Steak, Olive Oil Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Luxury Experience – Rib Eye Steak with Olive Oil and Garlic Mashed Potatoes, and Roasted Beets and Carrots in Vidalia Onion “Nests”
Serves 2

Ingredients for the Steak:

Method: Season steaks with EVOO, salt and pepper. Add a small amount of EVOO to a hot pan, and the steaks and hard sear, then place them in a 425-degree Fahrenheit (218-degrees Celsius) oven to finish cooking according to your doneness preference. Remove pan from the oven, place steak on a plate and loosely cover with aluminum foil. Add wine to deglaze pan, add mushrooms and sauté until wine has almost evaporated. Add steak to the pan and turn in the pan juices.

Ingredients for the Olive Oil and Garlic Mashed Potatoes:

Method: In a large pot, add potatoes to salted water and boil until tender. Drain, peel, then mash potatoes with EVOO, roasted garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.

Ingredients for the Roasted Beet and Carrot Nests:

Method for the Carrots: Add diced carrots to a baking dish, drizzle with EVOO, salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Cover with aluminum foil and roast in a 425-degree Fahrenheit (218-degrees Celsius) oven until tender.

Method for the Beets: Add diced beets to a baking dish, drizzle with EVOO, salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Cover with aluminum foil and roast in a 425-degree Fahrenheit (218-degrees Celsius) oven until tender.

When the carrots and beets are done, mix them together, add lavender honey and fresh chopped parsley, and toss to turn.

Note: We roasted the carrots and beets separately to prevent the beets from “bleeding” color onto the carrots while cooking.

Ingredients for the Vidalia Onion Nests:

Method for the Vidalia Onion Nests: Heat an ovenproof skillet, add EVOO and salt and pepper to pan. Place onion halves cut side down in the pan. Cook for a few minutes on the stove to lightly brown, then cover and place pan in the oven and cook until onions are almost tender. Remove from the pan and let cool for a few minutes. Remove the center of the onions to create a “nest” to hold the roasted beets and carrots. Note: We used a melon baller to remove the center of the cooked onions. Use the cooked centers of the onions for another purpose.

Presentation: Place steaks on the plates and top with sauteed mushrooms. Pipe or spoon mashed potatoes onto the plates and add the Vidalia Onion “nests” filled with the carrot and beet mixture. Garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley. 

Until next time, Cheers and Bon Appetit!

About Carmel Winery 

“Carmel Winery is the historic winery of Israel. It was founded in 1896 by Baron Edmond de Rothschild, owner of Château Lafite in Bordeaux. Carmel Signature – Carmel Winery’s most premium wines. The grapes for these wines receive meticulous nurturing and are produced from Carmel’s most outstanding, carefully selected vineyards. This results in high quality wines, with an emphasis on elegance and harmony between all the elements.” 

Kosher Wine Terminology

For those new to the terminology for Kosher Wines, Royal Wine Corp. notes: “A big misconception about kosher wine is that it’s made differently from non-kosher wine, or it’s been “blessed” by a Rabbi. In fact, kosher and non-kosher wines are made the same way, it’s just the handling that is a little different. In order for wine to be kosher it must adhere to the following: A Sabbath-observing Jew to handle the process. Each and every ingredient added, whether infiltration or clarification along the vinification process must be kosher. All tools and equipment must be dedicated to kosher winemaking alone. Aside from the constraints mentioned above, there needn’t be any difference between the techniques used to make a fine kosher wine or a fine non-kosher wine.”

Royal Wine Corp. defines the term “mevushal” as: “…the most misunderstood term in the kosher wine tradition. In Hebrew, mevushal means literally boiled. However, mevushal wines are not heated to a boiling temperature. Thanks to modern-day technology, mevushal wines are flash pasteurized to a temperature that meets the requirements of an overseeing rabbi. The technique does not noticeably harm the wine. In fact, flash-pasteurization is used at a number of very well-known non-kosher wineries, where it is thought to improve certain aromatics. For Jews, however, the technique simply alters the spiritual quality of a kosher wine, making it less susceptible to ritual proscription. That means anyone—whether kosher or not—can open a bottle of mevushal wine and have it retain its kosher status. Non-mevushal wines are more sensitive to religious constraints and must be opened and poured only by Sabbath-observant Jews.” 

Carmel BLACK Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, Galilee, Israel is imported by Royal Wine Corp, Bayonne, NJ, USA.

For more information and to purchase Carmel BLACK Cabernet Sauvignon 2021 please visit the websites: www.carmelwines.co.il or www.RoyalWine.com.

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