Kosher Chardonnay From Israel

Passover is coming soon, and if you're looking for a good kosher wine to fill one of your four cups, we have one here. The Barkan winery was established in 1990, and head winemaker Olivier Fratty guarantees the wine is kosher.

The 2024 Barkan Vineyards Gold Edition Chardonnay was made from 100% Chardonnay grapes, grown in the Bekoa Vineyard in the Judean foothills. Aging took place in oak barrels over a span of six months. Alcohol sits at 12.5% abv and the retail price is $24. 

This wine has a straw color with light green highlights. The nose is unremarkable, with barely a hint of lemon and flowers coming up from the glass. The palate comes on strong, by comparison. There are notes of Meyer lemon, white nectarine, apricot, and peach., all readily available. The acidity is quite fresh, but there is quite a bit of oak spice. This surprised me, considering the exposure to oak was only six months. 

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