Yatir Forest, the flagship wine of Yatir winery, is made from vineyard produce which yielded the tops wines of a given year’s vintage, with emphasis on scent and palate, and long term aging capability. Yatir Forest has become one of Israel’s leading products of consistent quality, having received a 90 point or higher grade for 9 consecutive seasons in “Wine Advocate”, the admired magazine by wine critic Robert Parker.
Vintages: 2020 2019 2018 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006
The Yatir Forest 2020 is produced from Cabernet Sauvignon 38% ,Petit Verdot 33% , Merlot 17% and Cabernet Franc 12% Vineyards: several plots in Yatir Forest which yielded the highest quality wines in a given vintage year. Aging : The wine was aged for 15 months in French oak barrels, of which about a quarter were new. The wine was bottled in February 2022 and remained at the winery for another year to mature in its bottle.
Tasting Notes: : Yatrir forest is characterized by a deep purple color, rich fragrance, and flavor that combines intensity with elegance and freshness. Suitable for continued aging for a term of ten years or more.
Yatir Forest Vineyards 2020 Vintage: The winter was with higher-than-average precipitation of 370 mm (14.5 inches). The second part of the winter had high precipitation and cold spells. Extreme heat during two weeks in the spring, coinciding with the blossoming of most red varieties and lowering the yields . Comfortable summer, without extreme heat waves. Higher than average temperatures in late August and early September, coinciding with the harvest date of most red varieties. Continuous and high-quality ripening. Overall, the harvest was slightly later than average, beginning in the second week of August, and ending at the end of September.
The Yatir Forest 2019 is produced from Cabernet Sauvignon (52%), Petite Verdot (32%), Malbec (9%) Cabernet Franc (7%). The composition of varieties varies from year to year depending on the nature of the harvest, to emphasize the "Yatir” character, the specialness of the area, and its vineyards. Vineyards: Various plots in Yatir Forest that yielded the highest quality grapes in the given year. The wine aged for 15 months in French oak barrels of which one third were new remained in the winery for a further year to age in its bottle.
Tasting Notes: Displaying deep crimson hues, with rich aromas that combine intensity with elegance & freshness. Potential aging period of a decade or more.
Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon (65%), Petite Verdot (28%), Cabernet Franc (7%). The composition of varieties varies from year to year depending on the nature of the harvest, to emphasize the "Yatir” character, the specialness of the area, and its vineyards. Vineyards: Various plots in Yatir Forest that yielded the highest quality grapes in the given year. The wine aged for 15 months in French oak barrels of which one third were new. Bottled in February 2020 and remained in the winery for a further year to age in its bottle
Tasting Notes: Displaying deep crimson hues, with rich aromas that combine intensity with elegance & freshness. Potential aging period of a decade or more.
Yatir Forest Vineyards 2018 Vintage: Warm winter. Significantly rainy spring season - total precipitation: 244 mm. – similar to the annual average. The winter season commenced later than usual (the trend over recent years). A spring season with several extreme hot spells. Pleasant summer season with lower evaporation than usual & cool nights. Consistent and high-quality ripening.
Yatir Forest, The Flagship Wine of Yatir Winery 2016 combines Cabernet Sauvignon 55%, Petit Verdot 25% Malbec 20%. In order to retain the "Yatir" character in the wine, this blend for this wine varies from year to year in accordance to the specific harvest. The grapes derive from several plots, which have produced the highest quality grapes of the specified year. The wine was aged for 15 months in French oak barrels, a third of which were new. Following bottling in in February 2018, the wine remained in the winery to mature in its bottle for a further two years.
Tasting Notes: Displaying deep purple hues, this fruity wine possesses rich aromas, and integrates complexity with elegance. Will age well for ten years and over.
Yatir Forest Vineyards 2016 Vintage: The winter was colder with more rainfall than usual in the Yatir region. This led to uniform and excellent awakening of the vines in the spring. The hot weather in the month of June attributed to the cessation of the growth at the ideal point in time, which also contributed to the development in the color of the grapes' skins. During the harvest season, the weather was pleasant, which influenced a bountiful harvest with high quality grapes.
Yatir Forest 2015 combines 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Petit Verdot, 10% Cabernet Franc. The composition alters from year to year based on the nature of that year’s crop, as we seek to bring the Yatir uniqueness to the fore, accentuating the area and its vineyards. Yatir’s vineyards are planted in the heart of the Yatir Forest slopes, rising to a height of 900 meters above sea level, and no more than several minutes’ drive from the winery. The forest was planted by the JNF (Jewish National Fund) in 1964 and is the largest initiated forestation in Israel. Our grapes enjoy ideal conditions, growing in different sections of the forest ranging from 650 to 900 meters above sea level. The wine aged for 15 months in French oak barrels, of which one-third were new. The wine was bottled in March of 2017 and was left to further age at the winery for over 2 years in the bottle. The wine was ready to drink with its release, but will continue to age for at least a decade from its vintage.
Tasting Notes: The wine displays a deep purple color with rich aromas and flavors, combining intensity with elegance and freshness.
Yatir Forest Vineyards 2015 Vintage: The winter of 2015 started later than usual. The very cold temperatures only began in mid-December, although January was cold and in February there were a few days of extreme cold, accompanied by snowfall. Winter lasted into April, with slightly lower temperatures accompanied by heavy rain throughout the month (320 mm). Bud arousal was a little late, and from April to July, the climate was comfortable. During the spring months, temperatures were high and changeable with spring like temperatures during the summer. From the end of July temperatures did not drop at night, which led to a delay of about two weeks in the ripening of the grapes and a decrease of 10% in the yield.
Yatir Forest 2014 combines 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Petit Verdot, 9% Tannat. The composition alters from year to year based on the nature of that year’s crop, as we seek to bring the Yatir uniqueness to the fore, accentuating the area and its vineyards. Yatir’s vineyards are planted in the heart of the Yatir Forest slopes, rising to a height of 900 meters above sea level, and no more than several minutes’ drive from the winery. The forest was planted by the JNF (Jewish National Fund) in 1964 and is the largest initiated forestation in Israel. Our grapes enjoy ideal conditions, growing in different sections of the forest ranging from 650 to 900 meters above sea level. The wine aged for 14 months in French oak barrels, of which one-third were new. The wine was bottled in February 2016, followed by maturation in the bottle for a further eighteen months at the winery. The wine was ready to drink with its release, but will continue to age for at least a decade from its vintage.
Tasting Notes: The wine displays a deep purple color with rich aromas and flavors, combining intensity with elegance and freshness.
Yatir Forest Vineyards 2014 Vintage: That year the winter was mostly dry, with only two substantial rainfall occurrences. The spring season was filled with wintery events, including significant spring rain; a total of 277 mm of rainfall (above the normal average). Summer and fall were relatively comfortable, with no major episodes of heat waves.
Yatir Forest 2013 combines 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and 32% Petit Verdot. The composition alters from year to year based on the nature of that year’s crop, as we seek to bring the Yatir uniqueness to the fore, accentuating the area and its vineyards. Yatir’s vineyards are planted in the heart of the Yatir Forest slopes, rising to a height of 900 meters above sea level, and no more than several minutes’ drive from the winery. The forest was planted by the JNF (Jewish National Fund) in 1964 and is the largest initiated forestation in Israel. Our grapes enjoy ideal conditions, growing in different sections of the forest ranging from 650 to 900 meters above sea level. The wine aged for 14 months in French oak barrels, of which one-third were new. The wine was bottled in February 2015, followed by maturation in the bottle for a further eighteen months at the winery. The wine was ready to drink with its release, but will continue to age for at least a decade from its vintage.
Tasting Notes: The wine displays a deep purple color with rich aromas and flavors, combining intensity with elegance and freshness.
Yatir Forest Vineyards 2013 Vintage: Rainfall in the vineyards in 2013 were 248 mm, slightly less than the average, with most of the rainfall occurring in the first half of the winter. The accumulation of cold bouts (important for the consistency of early growth sprouting) is common place in our region. The ripening period (May-August) was relatively easy, with not too many heatwaves, and with cool nights. The harvest, which was earlier than usual, began in early August with Viognier, and was completed with the harvest of the Petit Verdot grapes at the beginning of September. The average yield was slightly higher than normal (900 kilo per dunam). The grapes were of high quality and of naturally high acidity.
Yatir Forest 2012 combines 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Petit Verdot. The composition alters from year to year based on the nature of that year’s crop, as we seek to bring the Yatir uniqueness to the fore, accentuating the area and its vineyards. Yatir’s vineyards are planted in the heart of the Yatir Forest slopes, rising to a height of 900 meters above sea level, and no more than several minutes’ drive from the winery. The forest was planted by the JNF (Jewish National Fund) in 1964 and is the largest initiated forestation in Israel. Our grapes enjoy ideal conditions, growing in different sections of the forest ranging from 650 to 900 meters above sea level. Yatir Forest 2012 matures for 14 months in French oak barrels, some third of which are new. Bottled in February 2014, Yatir Forest 2012 was stored in the winery for a further 18 months of in-bottle maturation. It can be matured for a further 10 years or longer.
Tasting Notes: Yatir Forest 2012 is characterized by a deep crimson hue and rich fragrance, with a palate merging power, elegance and freshness.
Yatir Forest Vineyards 2012 Vintage: Winter 2012 was cold and wet, and spring and summer of that year were warmer than average. With early but uniform budding and flowering and slightly delayed growth due to the heat, overall conditions were appropriate for producing an extremely high quality grape.
The wine is comprised of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes and 35% Petit Verdot. The composition of the varieties varies from one year to the next, depending on the nature of the harvest and in order to accentuate the Yatir character and quality and the uniqueness of the region and its vineyards. The winery’s vineyards are planted on top of slopes in the heart of the Yatir Forest, rising to an altitude of 900 meters above sea level and located just a few minutes’ drive away from the Winery. The forest was planted by the Jewish National Fund (“Kakal”) in 1964 and is the largest planted forest in Israel. The planted grape varieties benefit from ideal conditions for wine-grape growing. The grapes are from several plots in the Yatir Forest, located at an altitude of 650-900 meters, generating wines of the highest quality in a given vintage year. The wine was aged for 14 months in French oak barrels, with a third of them being new. The wine was bottled in February of 2013 and was left to further age at the Winery for an additional period of a year and a half in the bottle. Suitable for further aging for a period of 10 years or more.
Tasting Notes: The wine’s color is deep purple, with a deep aroma and flavors that combine intensity with elegance and freshness.
Yatir Forest Vineyards 2011 Vintage: The winter in 2011 was low on precipitation and on cold spells (with 175 mm. of rainfall. A considerable amount fell in the spring). The spring that followed was cloudy and colder than average. The growing season was exceptionally comfortable and moderate. The ripening of all grape varieties was slower than usual but linear and continuous. Harvesting was delayed by three weeks on average and was completed on Sukkoth Eve (October 12) – the latest date in the history of the winery.
The wine is comprised of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, 25% Petit Verdot and 8% Merlot. The composition of the varieties varies from one year to the next, depending on the nature of the harvest and in order to accentuate the Yatir-like quality and the singularity of the region and its vineyards. The winery’s vineyards are planted on top of slopes in the heart of the Yatir Forest, rising to an altitude of 900 meters above sea level and located just a few minutes’ drive away from the winery. The forest was planted by the Jewish National Fund (“Kakal”) in 1964 and is the largest planted forest in Israel. The planted grape varieties benefit from ideal conditions for wine-grape growing. The grapes are from several plots in the Yatir Forest, located at an altitude of 650-900 meters, generating wines of the highest quality in a given vintage year. The wine was aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, with a third of them being new. The wine was bottled in March of 2012 and was left to further age at the Winery for an additional year in the bottle. Suitable for further aging for a period of 10 years or more.
Tasting Notes: The wine’s color is deep purple, with a rich aroma and a flavor that combine intensity with elegance and freshness.
Yatir Forest Vineyards 2010 Vintage: The amount of precipitation in 2010 was normal for the region. Most of the rain fell at the end of the winter and at the beginning of spring. Blossoming and flowering took place early, however an August heat wave deferred the ripening process. Harvesting of the red varieties was completed by the end of September.
The wine is comprised of 49% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, 41% Petit Verdot and 10% Merlot grapes. The composition of the varieties varies from one year to the next, depending on the nature of the vintage and in order to accentuate the Yatir-like quality and the singularity of the region and its vineyards. The winery’s vineyards are planted on top of slopes in the heart of the Yatir Forest, rising to an altitude of 900 meters above sea level and located just a few minutes’ drive away from the winery. The forest was planted by the Jewish National Fund (“Kakal”) in 1964 and is the largest planted forest in Israel. The planted grape varieties benefit from ideal conditions for wine-grape growing. The grapes are from several plots in the Yatir Forest, located at an altitude of 650-900 meters, generating wines of the highest quality in a given vintage year. The wine was aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, with a third of them being new. The wine was bottled in March of 2011 and was left to further age at the winery for an additional year in the bottle. Suitable for further aging for a period of 10 years or more.
Tasting Notes: The wine’s color is deep purple, with a rich aroma and a flavor that combine intensity with elegance and freshness.
Yatir Forest Vineyards 2009 Vintage: The winter was arid, lacking rain (only 70% rainfall of the average amount). Most of the rain fell at the end of the winter and at the beginning of spring. There was a 15% decline in crops, compared with the previous year and the ripening process was deferred by 7-14 days. Harvesting of the red varieties was completed by the end of September.
The wine is comprised of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, 32% Petit Verdot, 5% Merlot grapes, 3% Malbec and 2% Cabernet Franc. The composition of the varieties varies from one year to the next, depending on the nature of the harvest and in order to accentuate the Yatir-like quality and the singularity of the region and its vineyards. The winery’s vineyards are planted on top of slopes in the heart of the Yatir Forest, rising to an altitude of 900 meters above sea level and located just a few minutes’ drive away from the winery. The forest was planted by the Jewish National Fund (“Kakal”) in 1964 and is the largest planted forest in Israel. The planted grape varieties benefit from ideal conditions for wine-grape growing. The grapes are from several plots in the Yatir Forest, located at an altitude of 650-900 meters, generating wines of the highest quality in a given vintage year. The wine was aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, with a third of them being new. The wine was bottled in March of 2010 and was left to further age at the Winery for an additional year in the bottle.
Yatir Forest Vineyards 2008 Vintage: It was a less than average rainy winter in our region, with 140 mm. of rainfall in the Ramat Arad vineyard and 210 mm. in the Yatir Forest. The last significant rain fell in January, leaving the vineyard soil to be very dry during the spring, which led to moderate growing of the vines. August was relatively comfortable, without any serious heat waves. The ripening of the grapes was steady and efficacious in all the vineyards. Harvesting of the red varieties was completed by mid-September.
The wine is comprised of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Petit Verdot, 7% Merlot and 7% Malbec. The composition of the varieties varies from one year to the next, depending on the nature of the harvest and in order to accentuate the Yatir-like quality and the singularity of the region and its vineyards. The winery’s vineyards are planted on top of slopes in the heart of the Yatir Forest, rising to an altitude of 900 meters above sea level and located just a few minutes’ drive away from the winery. The forest was planted by the Jewish National Fund (“Kakal”) in 1964 and is the largest planted forest in Israel. The planted grape varieties benefit from ideal conditions for wine-grape growing. The grapes are from several plots in the Yatir Forest, located at an altitude of 650-900 meters, generating wines of the highest quality in a given vintage year. The wine was aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, with a third of them being new. The wine was bottled in March of 2009 and was left to further age at the Winery for an additional year in the bottle.
Yatir Forest Vineyards 2007 Vintage: The 2007 winter in the Yatir vineyards had a below than average level of rain, with 370 mm. of rainfall in the Yatir Forest. The months of spring and the first half of the summer were free of any extreme heat waves. August, however, had multiple heat waves. Some of the varieties, (Merlot, Shiraz), ripened early, while other varieties had delayed ripening, through the month of September.
The wine is comprised of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Petit Verdot and 12% Merlot. The composition of the varieties varies from one year to the next, depending on the nature of the harvest and in order to accentuate the Yatir character and quality and the uniqueness of the region and its vineyards. The wine was aged for 16 months in French oak barrels, with a third of them being new. The wine was bottled in March of 2008 and was left to further age at the winery for over a year in the bottle.
Yatir Forest Vineyards 2006 Vintage: The winter and the growing season preceding the 2006 vintage had no extreme climatic events. The winter was a bit drier than usual but the spring was relatively rainy. The harvest was conducted throughout August and the beginning of September and the crops were 40% lower than the annual average. The quality of the fruit was excellent and the wines combine flavor intensity and aromas alongside good acidity and elegance.
