The 2009 Gewurztraminer Reserve "Late Harvest Cluster Select" is quite sweet, laced with apricot and peach notes, and lots of sugar. With a little air, there was finally a little acidity noticeable, but the wine did flatten pretty fast and thin. This is hard to resist on some levels, but it could use a bit more focus and penetration. While these always have the potential to age, considering what they are and what they are intended to be, I like to be conservative in drinking windows as I find they often show best young. Drink now-2015. 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 2008 GEWUR7ZTRAMINER RESERVE “LATE HARVEST CLUSTER SELECT” comes in at just 9% alcohol. Fairly dark in color, it seems simply delicious on opening, unctuous, sweet and succulent. It has a sugary finish and some spicy notes, although it doesn’t seem all that gewurz-y due to the sugary overlay. If it opens seeming rather lush and rich, though, it does flatten fairly fast with air and warmth, showing that its mid-palate was not quite as concentrated as it seemed in the initial, rich rush of fruit and sugar on opening. Laced with mango and apricot notes, with some botrytis notes, this remains entirely delicious and hard to resist. It is a very good effort by Binyamina. Winemaker Assaf Paz trained at Navarro, so it is not exactly surprising to see him be involved in a wine like this. I suspect it will show best in the shorter term for best results, however long it holds, as that first rush of fruit is its most appealing demeanor. It drank best in the low to mid-50s, becoming less interesting as it warmed. Drink now-2014. 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.