The Yatir Winery is Israel’s pioneering cultivator of this variety (it was first planted in our vineyards in 2002). The lengthy growing season in Yatir, with bountiful heat and sun radiation, combined with dry climate, which leads to the restrained growing of the variety, allow the Petit Verdot grapes to fully ripen. Petit Verdot is eminent for its concentration of flavors, without being excessively heavy or thick. Its aroma is distinct and flowery and is often reminiscent of violets. The main use of wines produced of these varieties at Yatir is as a component of the “Yatir Forest” blend (along with Cabernet Sauvignon). The Petit Verdot acts as the skeleton of the wine, contributing tannin and acidity, as well as refreshing fruitiness and a floral aroma. The winery also produces small amounts of pure, varietal Petit Verdot and believes that a complete and balanced wine can be made of this variety, usually with low percentages of Merlot / Cabernet Franc. The wine is aged for approximately one year in small wooden barrels (225 liters), with just a few of them being new and is marketed only after an additional aging period of two years in the bottle. The wine ages beautifully and develops at least a decade after its vintage.
Vintages: 2018 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008
The Petit Verdot 2018 is 100% Petit Verdot. Vineyards: Several plots in the Yatir Forest. The wines from the various vineyards were aged separately in small and large oak barrels for one year before the final blend was created. The wine was bottled in February 2020 and remained at the winery for a further year to age in its bottle.
Tasting Notes: Deep crimson color with aromas of violets, forest fruits & liquorice. Flavors reminiscent of ripe, dark forest fruits. Refreshing and full-bodied with slight astringency on the finish. 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.
The wine is comprised of Petit Verdot 85%, Cabernet Suavignon 15%. The grapes derive from several plots in Yatir Forest. The wines from each vineyard are aged separately in oak barrels for a period of one year, before the creation of the final blend. Following bottling 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 wine's aromas are reminiscent of violets, forest berries and rosewater. A medium-bodied wine, possessing flavors reminiscent of forest berries and Turkish Delight, with slight astringency on the finish. This wine will age well for at least five to ten years.
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.
The wine is comprised of 97% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc grapes, The grapes were harvested from two different vineyards in Yatir forest at altitudes of 650 and 680 meters above sea level. The soil is prevalently chalk and limestone. The wines from the different vineyards were aged separately in oak barrels for one year before the final blend was created. The wines from each vineyard were aged in separate barrels for a year before creating the final blend. The wine was bottled in May 2017 and kept at the winery for a further two years to mature in the bottle. Suitable for further aging for a period of five to ten years.
Tasting Notes: The wine displays a deep purple color with aromas of violets, forest berries and rose water. Flavors of red berries and a scent of lokum, medium bodied with moderate astringency.
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.
The wine is comprised of 85% Petit Verdot and 15% Malbec grapes, The grapes were harvested from two different vineyards in Yatir forest at altitudes of 650 and 680 meters above sea level. The soil is prevalently chalk and limestone. The wines from the different vineyards were aged separately in oak barrels for one year before the final blend was created. The wines from each vineyard were aged in separate barrels for a year before creating the final blend. The wine was bottled in February 2016 and kept at the winery for a further two years to mature in the bottle. Suitable for further aging for a period of five to ten years.
Tasting Notes: The wine displays a deep purple color with aromas of violets, forest berries, slight tar, and leather. Concentrated flavors of ripe black cherries, medium bodied with moderate astringency.
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.
The wine is comprised of 85% Petit Verdot and 15% Malbec grapes, The grapes were harvested from two different vineyards in Yatir forest at altitudes of 650 and 680 meters above sea level. The soil is prevalently chalk and limestone. The wines from the different vineyards were aged separately in oak barrels for one year before the final blend was created. The wines from each vineyard were aged in separate barrels for a year before creating the final blend. The wine was bottled in February 2015 and kept at the winery for a further two years to mature in the bottle. Suitable for further aging for a period of five to ten years.
Tasting Notes: The wine displays a deep purple color with aromas of violets, forest berries, slight tar, and leather. Concentrated flavors of ripe black cherries, medium bodied with moderate astringency.
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 this 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.
The wine is comprised of 87% Petit Verdot and 13% Merlot grapes, from several vineyard plots in the Yatir Forest, situated at altitudes of 680-700 meters above sea level. The wines from the different vineyards were aged separately in oak barrels for one year before the final blend was created. The wine was bottled in March 2014 and was left at the winery for an additional year ~ to further age in the bottle. Suitable for further aging for a period of five to ten years.
Tasting Notes: the wine’s color is deep purple, endowed with an aroma of violets, blackberries and a bit of smoked meat. It has concentrated flavor that is reminiscent of ripe black cherries, with a full body and a somewhat astringent finish.
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 100% Petit Verdot grapes, from several vineyard plots in the Yatir Forest, situated at altitudes of 680-700 meters above sea level. The wines from the different vineyards were aged separately in oak barrels for one year before the final blend was created. The wine was bottled in February 2013 and was left at the Winery for an additional year and half ~ to further age in the bottle. Suitable for further aging for a period of five to ten years.
Tasting Notes: the wine’s color is deep purple, endowed with an aroma of violets, blackberries and a bit of smoked meat. It has concentrated flavor that is reminiscent of ripe black cherries, with a full body and a somewhat astringent finish.
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 – with no delays. 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 85% Petit Verdot and 15% Merlot grapes, from several vineyard plots in the Yatir Forest, situated at altitudes of 680-700 meters above sea level. The wines from the different vineyards were aged separately in oak barrels for one year before the final blend was created. The wine was bottled in March 2012 and was left at the winery for an additional year ~ to further age in the bottle. Suitable for further aging for a period of five to ten years.
Tasting Notes: the wine’s color is deep purple, enriched with an aroma of violets, blackberries and a bit of smoked meat. It has concentrated flavor that is reminiscent of ripe black cherries, with a full body and a somewhat astringent finish.
Yatir Forest Vineyards 2010 Vintage: the amount of precipitation 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 that year, 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 85% Petit Verdot grapes and 15% Merlot, harvested from several vineyard plots in the Yatir Forest, situated at altitudes of 680-700 meters. The wines from the different vineyards were aged separately in oak barrels for one year before the final blend was created. The wine was bottled in March 2011 and was left at the Winery for an additional year ~ to further age in the bottle. Suitable for further aging for a period of five to ten years.
Tasting Notes: the wine’s color is deep purple, endowed with an aroma of violets, blackberries and a bit of smoked meat. It has concentrated flavor that is reminiscent of ripe black cherries, with a full body and a somewhat astringent finish.
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.
After three years of examining this variety, the Petit Verdot wine was crafted at the Yatir Winery in 2008 for the first time. The wine is comprised of 85% Petit Verdot and 15% Cabernet Franc, harvested from several vineyard plots in the Yatir Forest, situated at altitudes of 680-700 meters. The wines from the different vineyards were aged separately in oak barrels for one year before the final blend was created. The wine was bottled in March 2010 and was left at the Winery for an additional year ~ to further age in the bottle.
Yatir Forest Vineyards 2008 Vintage: it was a less than average rainy winter in our region - 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.
