92
Yarden Wines 2015 Petit Verdot Galilee 15% $39
Hailing from the central and northern Golan Heights, Israel's (relatively) chilliest region, this wine shows supremely well-balanced intensity. This is an inky, almost opaque wine with unabashed concentration and full-throttle flavor. It's textbook Petit Verdot - a grape that can only go all-out - with a twist. 

Head Winemaker Victor Schoenfeld declares on making wines from Yarden's volcanic, "dream" soils that "sometimes it feels like cheating".  It’s the combination of this Upper Galilee Mountain Range terroir and the high elevation of 1,300-3,900 feet that he feels does the work for him. I'd say that's a bit too modest.

The black currant, sloe and dark chocolate flavors sweep across the palate then veer into a toasty tasting and pleasantly tannic finish. The mouthwatering acidity kept my table reaching for their glasses. I might have been surprised at how quickly we finished the bottle, but I've had the same thing happen with many a Yarden wine before.
Drink: 2019-23