The 2007 “CHOSEN - DIAMOND” is a blend of grapes, regions and vineyards: 25% Cabernet Sauvignon from Kidmat Zvi vineyard in the Golan Heights, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon from Kerem Ben Zimra vineyard in the Upper Galilee (Platto’s plot), 30% Syrah from the Judean Lowlands and 20% Petit Verdot from the Central Lowlands. It was aged in new French oak for 20 months. Despite the oak aging, this is a wine with character, not an obvious demeanor. It shows gamey notes (no doubt from Syrah, a French clone) and some complexity on the nose and palate. The crispy, somewhat gamey finish may not be to everyone’s taste, but I rather liked it a lot myself, as it had a Rhone-ish feel to it. It has rather good structure, too, with some grip and lingering flavors on the finish, along with a bright demeanor. This is an elegant wine that can grow on you and develop in the cellar. Attractive and graceful, it had some old world feel. There were approximately 7,000 bottles produced. Drink now-2019. Binyamina is one of Israel’s larger and older wine producers. The Chosen brand wines reviewed this issue are denominated with the gemstones chosen (onyx, diamond, sapphire, etc.), according to the winery, for the "breastplate of the High Priest during the time of the Second Temple.” The 2007 releases are nicely done as a group. Note: Although Binyamina does have a USA importer, all releases do not always appear and not always at the same time, necessarily, in our marketplace. As of this writing, it is not clear, for instance, if the late harvest gewurztraminer will be imported, and the 2006 releases in some labels were still current in this marketplace with ‘07s not yet available.Importer: Royal Wine Corp., Bayonne, N.J.; tel: (718) 534-0118.