Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All VintagesThis well-balanced medium bodied wine fermented in steel barrels with native yeast is alive with tangy citrus aromas and flavors that are shaded by hints of riper melon and cream notes. It is crisp, clean and refreshing.
A trip to the Galilee and Golan Heights in 2011 inspired California winemaker Jeff Morgan to make wine In Israel. He named his Israeli wine project, Covenant Israel, after his California winery—Covenant. The soils in Israel reminded him of the Napa Valley, where he produces a renowned Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as the Rhone Valley, the home of such classic varieties as Syrah and Viognier. Jeff teamed up with American/Israeli winemaker friend Ari Erle in 2013 to make the first vintage of Covenant Israel Syrah. Jeff met Ari in Napa Valley circa 2008, when Ari was working for such renowned Napa wineries as Colgin and O’Shaughnessy. When Ari moved back to Israel a few years later, the two Winemakers hatched the Covenant Israel plan together. Covenant Israel has been widely acclaimed in the media and among wine aficionados. It is currently the only Israeli wine found on the wine list at Napa Valley’s famous French Laundry. But Covenant’s Israeli Wines can also be enjoyed all over the world—from Israel to Europe and America and even in Japan and Taiwan. Jeff likes to say that Israel is where winemaking began. And so, it makes perfect sense for this California winemaker to have found his way back to his roots.
A warm inland area just north of Napa Valley, Lake County represents a new frontier for California winemaking. While Prohibition halted viticulture here just as it did in so many California regions, winemaking activity remained fairly insignificant for a few decades longer than others. Finally in the 1990s Lake County Sauvignon blanc—uniquely savory and fruity—earned the appellation a renewed reputation.
Lake County is comprised of a handful of unique American Viticultural Areas (AVAs).
Vineyards that settle into the hills on the west side of Clear Lake create the Clear Lake AVA and produce good quality Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon blanc and Zinfandel.
Recently the Red Hills AVA, located within the boundaries of the Clear Lake AVA, has become the focus of some of Napa’s more respected growers. Its notable volcanic and obsidian-based soils could be the source of California’s next best Cabernet Sauvignons. Andy Beckstoffer, a leader in recognizing prime Napa Valley vineyard locales, has already invested heavily in the area.
Guenoc Valley AVA produces fine examples of Petite Sirah, recognized for their voluptuous aromas of clove, cocoa, tobacco and deep red and blue berry flavors.
The High Valley AVA sits northeast of Clear Lake. This warm area boasts multiple soil types allowing growers a lot of flexibility and experimentation with grape varieties. While Sauvignon blanc is a mainstay, this zone excels with Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, as well as other less common varieties like Barbera and Tempranillo.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.