Clos de Gat Chardonnay 2023

Cellar for up to 6 years. Serve chilled. Clos de Gat is set in Israel’s Ayalon Valley in the Judean Hills which is considered one of the country’s finest regions for growing wine. The estate actually takes its name from an ancient “gat” or winepress built here three thousand years ago which is proof wine has been made here for millennia. The modern winery was founded in 1998 by winemaker Eyal Rotem who partnered with the French negociant house Maison Sichel which is based in Bordeaux. Rotem works some 19 hectares of vines in total which he has carefully planted with varieties that suit the conditions of each plot. The limestone soils and mild Mediterranean climate provide ideal setting for crafting top quality wines which are made with a minimal intervention in the winery. The grapes for this magnificent Chardonnay are harvested by hand and fermented using wild yeasts in oak barrels Rotem imports directly from France. He then ages the wine in the barrel for 12 months with regular battonage or stirring of the lees to add texture and complexity. On the nose there are heady notes of citrus, mango, orange blossom and toasted oak. The first sip reveals a rich, creamy texture, full body, and intense tropical fruit and sweet spice flavours which linger on the palate.