Grand Vin Castel

A landmark wine in the story of modern Israeli winemaking, Domaine du Castel Grand Vin is the flagship cuvée of Eli Ben Zaken, a wine that helped put the Judean Hills firmly on the world wine map.

The estate’s story begins in the 1970s, when Eli Ben Zaken moved from Milan to Israel and purchased a small plot of land near Jerusalem. What started as an orchard and smallholding became something far more ambitious in 1988, when Eli planted the first modern-day vineyard in the Judean Hills. In 1995, he released just 600 bottles of his first Grand Vin, matured in French oak barrels he personally imported. The wine quickly gained a cult following and even caught the attention of Sotheby’s wine department, earning international praise.

Crafted in a classic Bordeaux style, the Grand Vin is a meticulous blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, sourced from the estate’s finest vineyards. After vinification, the wine is aged for 16 months in oak barrels, followed by four months in concrete tanks, resulting in exceptional depth and harmony.

In the glass, it is full-bodied and complex, with rich dark fruit flavours, structure, and a long, persistent finish. While beautifully expressive now, this is a wine with excellent ageing potential, set to evolve and gain further complexity over the next decade.

Full-bodied | 75cl | 15% Abv