DOMAINE DU CASTEL

Eli Ben-Zaken built the country's most prestigious winery. No one before him had dared to imagine making wine in the environs of Abu Gosh and the Judean hills. It took a bit of madness, a touch of visionary genius and an unshakeable faith in the land. In 1988, Eli planted a few vines next to his house for fun, or rather to understand whether the poor quality of Israeli wine was due to terroir, technicality or the kosher market. The vineyard responded four years later with 2 barrels and 800 bottles: the terroir had real arguments, acclaimed as soon as they entered the market. From then on, the man became a winemaker, with a single objective: to produce a wine of quality and identity.

Made mainly from Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay grapes, Castel wines are among the few that can rival some of the great French wines. If you ask Eli how he does it, the answer is straightforward: "I make the wines I like to drink."

Today, it's possible to visit the estate by appointment, a tasting tour that allows you to measure the stature of these wines. If you see a man in the distance with eyes as deep as the color of his reds, it's Eli the hazardous genius... Before leaving, we asked him which wine had made the biggest impression on him: "A Château Latour 82. I was tidying up my cellar and the bottle fell out: I got down on all fours to take a sip of this wine on the floor."