The 2009 Carignan "Old Vines" (that means about 25 years old here) is another in Israel's increasing focus on this grape as the region searches for some niche, a hook on which to hang its hat, besides the fiercely competitive field of Bordeaux blends. This is completely delicious and nicely priced. Young and primary, with a bit of an oak overlay at the moment, it is modest in concentration, with ripe tannins. It does show some character, though, developing a touch of earthiness and it is simply a pleasure to drink. It will be best on the younger side, though, as when the friendly fruit fades, there may not be much left of interest. Drink now-2014. Binyamina, Israel's fourth largest winery, is pointing out expensive renovations (14 million euros) to the winery of late. As already noted in my last look at Binyamina releases, there already seemed to be some gradual uptick in quality here, whether or not because of the improvements. In fact, not everything could possibly have kicked in by then or by now. It will be interesting to watch going forward. The chief winemaker is Sasson Ben Aharon, since 2002. Winemaker Assaf Paz, with a degree from Bordeaux, who worked at Navarro, also produces wines for his well regarded family boutique, Vitkin. Consultant Marc Dworkin of Bordeaux fame (working with Stephan von Neipperg) lends a hand as well. In descending order of prestige, at the top Binyamina has the "Chosen" brand, from the Biblical Hoshen Stones; the regular Reserves; the Yogev ("farmer") brand, named in tribute to Binyamina's growers; and the Teva brand, which includes things like Emerald Riesling and Cabernet blush. It is the Chosen series that will be of most interest and rightly so, as they are generally nicely made and quite charming. Their problem tends to be that they can be a bit pricey for what they are. Finally, "The Cave" is Binyamina's boutique brand.Importer: Royal Wine Corp., Bayonne, NJ; tel. (718) 534-0118

The 2006 THE CAVE “NON-MEVUSHAL,” was a touch disjointed on opening, showing spikes of tannins and a little harshness, but it developed quite nicely with time. This wine has always been on the lighter side—never showing much mid-palate concentration or depth—but as it rounded into form, it became quite charming, rather Burgundian and very pleasing, while retaining that nice backbone. As I have noted in the past with similar comparisons, the difference between this and the non-mevushal wine might in fact be greater if this non-mevushal bottling were somewhat more distinguished. That said, and while this may not be anywhere near as impressive as its massive bottle, I did like its elegance and ideas, and it is possible that it will separate itself more from its sibling as time goes on. Drink now-2017. “The Cave” is Binyamina’s effort at a cult-y type wine, coming in a massively heavy bottle that makes it hard to find “Binyamina” on the label. It refers to a cave quarried in Mount Carmel some 250 years ago and used to store wine intermittently since the 19th Century.Importer: Royal Wine Corp., Bayonne, N.J.; tel: (718) 534-0118.

The 2006 THE CAVE “MEVUSHAL” is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot. A touch herbal, with some char and tobacco, this is silky and quite elegant, with bright, tasty fruit, and a bit of a backbone. This showed beautifully at the outset, easily outshining its non-mevushal counterpart, much to my surprise. A quick taste would, I suspect, have had most tasters picking this, which is quite a compliment for a Mevushal wine. (Mevushal is a special sub-set of Kosher laws.) As the two wines sat, though, and as I’ve seen before, the world returned to its norms as the non-mevushal version softened, evolved, became more harmonious and developed, while, as in the past, this version remained more static. It is hard to rate much more highly a wine that I think has little potential for development, but if you must have Mevushal, this is well done and in the shorter run will show very well. It has lots of charm, although it is pricey for what it is. Drink now-2015. “The Cave” is Binyamina’s effort at a cult-y type wine, coming in a massively heavy bottle that makes it hard to find “Binyamina” on the label. It refers to a cave quarried in Mount Carmel some 250 years ago and used to store wine intermittently since the 19th Century.Importer: Royal Wine Corp., Bayonne, N.J.; tel: (718) 534-0118.

An elegant red, with crisp flavors of red plum, cherry and spiced apple. There's medium-grained tannins on the long, plush finish, which features plenty of spice and cream. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Kosher. Drink now. 300 cases imported.??–KM??Region: Israel / Galilee Select to Add

Mature-tasting, with red plum, smoke and raspberry flavors. The tannic finish is filled with coffee notes. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Kosher. Drink now. 400 cases imported.??–KM??Region: Israel / Galilee Select to Add