A friend of mine from back home (once a NY’er always a NY’er) flew in unexpectedly and surprised me with a visit. As I was truly unprepared, we decided to go out to eat at a restaurant I really can’t recommend enough – Muzza BaHar. Great food, great service, great view all at reasonable prices. They also have an eclectic wine-list so in a pinch you can usually find what to order off the menu – but be prepared to pay for it. I try to avoid that whenever possible in all restaurants and therefore brought my own bottle  – the newly released 2016 Jezreel Valley Nahalal. The wine is purportedly a blend of Grenache, Syrah and Carignan , though the label does not specify the varietals used.  This is one of 2 new blends that are named after Moshavim and Kibbutizim in the the Jezreel Valley – the other being Alfa.

Here is a great example of a winery making a smart move with a difficult vintage. Rather than trying to push the wine in a direction the grapes won’t support, make the best of it and put out a wine that is built for a specific purpose – fun easy drinking!  On that front, the wine delivers. On the nose sweet ripe dark fruit mixed with a bit of earthiness.  In the mouth that earthiness  up front but quickly gives way to the fruitiness that is not pushed and quite pleasant with plum and dark berry and some warm spice on the slightly sweet finish. The wine is round and medium bodied with light acid and silky soft tannin. Super food friendly, this one went quick.

Problems? Really only one. Price. This wine is very nice –  nice flavors, even a a little depth – but clearly it is built as a wine meant to be drunk young as part of an easy going meal. As people like to say – a nice mid-week quaffer. I would expect wines here to be priced at about NIS 60-65. This one is 20-25% more expensive than it should be. Overall the price isn’t crazy –  and therefore I would probably buy it again over the course of the year, because I did really enjoy it. But I don’t know if this wine has the core it needs to hold up for more than a year or two. If you take that with the below average QPR, I can’t see myself buying this on more than a bottle to bottle basis as opposed to stocking up.

Bottom Line:

• Price: NIS 70-80
• For Aging: No
• Would I Buy Again: Probably
• QPR Rating: Average –
• Taste/Depth/Quality: Average +
• Overall Rating  (1-5): 2.5