America, America: Let's Go Knicks!

US Roadshow

In June, right after bottling the white wines and the Garrigue from the 2025 vintage, I headed out on a roadshow to mark Lahat's relaunch in the American market. From now on, Lahat wines will be distributed in the US through Royal Wines.

The visit brought a few once-in-a-lifetime moments: the first was spontaneously spilling out onto Broadway with Knicks fans when they won the NBA championship for the first time in 53 years. Later I cheered on Scotland fans on their way to a match in New Jersey, and that evening I joined Uruguay supporters whose team was playing in Miami. One morning we went for herring at Larry David's favorite deli – Barney Greengrass – "The Sturgeon King" – and one night we caught a New Orleans jazz band at the legendary Blue Note.

But before any of that, we were there to work – presenting the wines to sales agents, buyers, wine journalists, wine enthusiasts, bloggers, and podcasters; some from the kosher Jewish wine market, others from the broader American trade. Alongside the tastings and interviews I'm used to, I'll admit to a few firsts: a videoed interview for a Manhattan lifestyle blogger on a rooftop, and a customer tasting paired with a fully-kosher smoked meat cholent. Turns out Lahat Adom holds its own alongside cholent, as well. Who knew?

One of the wines that resonated most with American audiences was Lahat Roussanne.

The Roussanne grape was first mentioned in a manuscript from 1781 recording its use in Hermitage wines from the northern Rhone Valley. Its name most likely derives from the russet reddish-brown color (FR. roux) the grapes take on as they approach ripeness. In Israel, Roussanne was first planted in 2009 and first harvested in the 2012 vintage – the same year the first Lahat Lavan was made. Then as now, this wine is a blend, predominantly Roussanne with a smaller share of Viognier.

In the northern Rhone, Roussanne is known for producing rich, generous, full-bodied wines, particularly when fermented and aged in oak barrels. And that's exactly how it expresses itself in Lahat Lavan and Laichter.

Here's the twist: for the varietal Roussanne, I chose to ferment and age the grapes (from Ben Ayoun vineyard in Elkosh and Matat) in clay amphorae rather than oak barrels. Amphorae allow oxygen transfer rate (OTR) similar to new oak, but without imparting wood flavors. Additionally, due to the shape of the amphorae, the yeast sediments float in them for longer than in wood, allowing for more effective contact with the wine. The result is a wine that develops body and richness while holding onto freshness, minerality, floral character, and fruit flavors of pear and quince. I'll venture to say this is a distinctive voice among Roussanne producers worldwide.

David Amzalag's blog, "Wine Thoughts," recently ran a piece on Israeli Roussanne wines, praising the 2025 vintage ("a wonderful wine, sharp and precise, mineral with power and complexity…"), but also revisiting the first varietal Roussanne, the 2020. Of that wine he wrote: "a fascinating transitional experience from the floral, sharp world of the young wine to deeper layers… wines this good are rare here." Jody Nestel wrote: "Some wines impress you with power, while others captivate you with elegance. Lahat Roussanne 2024 does both."

More by the press

A vineyard tour and tasting with wine expert Adam Montefiore, The English Voice of Israeli Wine, led to a piece in the Jerusalem Post and on Adam's own site. Click here to read.

With hardworking regards,

Itay