Wine Review: Julia Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

This is the second of three wines that I'm reviewing from western Galilee, Israel, in this quick review run for Terra Sancta. We started off with the 2016 Julia Samara blend, now we're on to the 2016 Julia Cabernet Sauvignon, and then we'll finish with the 2014 Askar Shafaya.

The Julia winery was founded in 2012 by the Arraf family in a western Galilee village called Mii’lya, which is on the edge of Wadi El Qurain national park and the Montfort Castle. The vineyards are on Terra Rossa soil and are hand harvested by family and friends only. Their goal is to develop and increase the awareness of wine making as a traditional industry in the Galilee region.

This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from vines planted 8 years ago. It saw 12 months aging in American and French oak barrels.

The color of the wine is purple. Just like the Samara , there's a ton of chocolate on the nose. There's also aromas of cherries, grape juice, and mint. On the palate it's medium bodied with a zippy acidity and soft tannins. There's flavors of cherries, raspberries, cola, and chocolate. Then it finishes with raspberries,t hat zippy acidity, and chocolate that goes on for days.

I'm a bit surprised by this wine because it's not what I was expecting. I'm not saying that it's bad because it's not, and I really like that long-lasting chocolate on the finish, but the wine is not Cabby at all. I would probably guess Shiraz if I was tasting it blind.

So if you're looking for a Cabby Cab then this is not your wine. If you're up for a Shirazy Cab that would make for a good summer red, then give this one a shot! 

QUALITY VS PRICE RATING

Price: $24

Rating: 3/5 = Satisfying (what does that mean?)

The bottle used was provided free of charge for the purpose of this unpaid review. To have your wine reviewed follow this link.