White Wine Sphera White Concepts Chardonnay 2020. Serve well chilled. Doron Rav Hon studied winemaking in Burgundy and fell in love with the region’s sensational white wines while working as an apprentice at Domaine Jacques Prieur. On his return to Israel it was only natural to found the country’s first boutique winery specialised in white wines with his wife Sima who heads up the operations side of the business. Sphera’s vineyards are planted in the valleys of Givat Yeshayahu where the unique microclimate is perfect for making top quality white wine. The vineyards are planted alongside a stream with cooling breezes following through during the day and cold air sinking to the valley floor at night. This helps to moderate the hot summer temperatures, giving a long ripening period which ensures the grapes have a perfect balance of ripe fruit flavours and refreshing acidity and aromatics. The Chardonnay grapes used for this bottling are grown on limestone and terra rossa or red soils” which are packed with minerals. Once in the winery 70% of the fruit is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks with the remainder fermented and aged in French oak barrels for 7 months. The combination of the special terroir and Doron’s minimal interventionist approach to winemaking creates a complex, vibrant Chardonnay that’s bursting with ripe tropical fruit, citrus notes, and hints of toasted oak and spice from the barrel fermentation.
2020
White Wine Sphera White Concepts Chardonnay 2020
White Wine Sphera White Concepts Riesling 2020. Serve well chilled. Sphera is a boutique winery located in Israel’s Judean Hills which is unusual in that it only produces fine white wines. The winery is run by winemaker Doron Rav Hon who studied viticulture in Burgundy and his wife Sima who manages the winery’s operations. Wherever possible Sphera lets nature take the lead in the vineyard and practices minimal intervention winemaking in the winery. Sphera’s vineyards are planted in the valleys of Givat Yeshayahu which benefits from cool breezes that blow through the creek throughout the day and cool air which sinks to the valley floor. This helps to moderate the sunny Mediterranean summers, retaining plenty of freshness and elegance in the grapes while achieving full ripeness. The estate’s Riesling grapes are planted in the eastern part of their vineyards which follow the curve of the Shua river. The soils here are rocky and sparse which encourages the roots to go deep in search of nutrients and water. The vineyard here is also shaded in the morning and afternoon which avoids the grapes ripening too quickly. The result is a fresh and graceful Riesling bursting with citrus, tropical fruit and honeysuckle notes and plenty of mouthwatering acidity on the palate.
2020
White Wine Sphera White Concepts Sauvignon Blanc 2020. Serve well chilled. Sphera is one of the only Israeli wineries to specialise in white wine production thanks to founder Doron Rav Hon’s winemaking experience in Burgundy and Champagne. Doron and his wife Sima founded their unique winery in the Judean Hills and have planted their vineyards in the valleys of Givat Yeshayahu. The couple quickly realised that this area offers perfect growing conditions for white wines thanks to the cool breezes blowing along the Shua strea and cold air that sinks to the valley floor at night. These factors help to moderate the hot, sunny Mediterranean climate and allow Sphera to create sensational white wines with plenty of grace and elegance. This Sauvignon Blanc is grown on stony and terra rossa or iron-rich red soils” which further enhance the elegance and give a subtle minerality to the wine. In the winery Doron has a philosophy of minimal intervention, allowing nature to take the lead wherever possible. This bottling is fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks for 7 months to showcase the natural beauty of the Sauvignon Blanc. Ripe peaches, melon and zingy lime define the nose along with hints of freshly-cut grass and dried herbs. On the palate there’s a refreshing acidity, smooth texture and very clean finish that makes this a great choice to serve as an aperitif.
2020