Golan Heights Winery
Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon
Wine Varieties
Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon from Golan Heights Winery is one of the most iconic wines of the estate and of Israeli winemaking in general. Produced exclusively from Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine ages for about 18 months in French oak barrels, which lends it structure, depth, and long aging potential.
On the nose, it reveals rich aromas of ripe black and red fruits such as cherry, currant, and plum, intertwined with notes of chocolate, tobacco, spices, and subtle mineral hints. The palate is full-bodied, powerful, and elegant, with a firm tannic backbone and balanced acidity.
The finish is long and complex, with lingering traces of smokiness and fruit sweetness. With an alcohol level of around 14.5%, it further emphasizes its richness and weight.
This wine pairs beautifully with red meat, lamb, steak with rich sauces, as well as mushroom dishes and aged cheeses. Yarden Cabernet Sauvignon captures both the unique terroir of the Golan Heights and precise winemaking expertise, making it a benchmark wine of the region with international acclaim.
Producer
Golan Heights Winery is Israel’s leading winery, located in Katzrin on the Golan Heights, and is widely regarded as the driving force behind the qualitative revolution in Israeli winemaking. The first vineyards were planted in 1976, and the first vintage was released in 1984, marking the beginning of a tradition of wines that soon gained international recognition.
Today, the winery manages about 1,557 hectares of vineyards spread across 28 sites and divided into around 450 blocks. The unique terroir of the Golan Heights imparts distinctive character to the wines, thanks to its volcanic basalt soils, high elevations, and pronounced diurnal temperature variations.
Heading the winemaking team is chief winemaker Victor Schoenfeld, who combines precision and innovation to capture the essence of the terroir in every wine. The winery produces under several labels, including Yarden, Yarden Cru Elite, Gilgal, and Mount Hermon, with “Yarden” symbolically referencing the Jordan River, which separates Galilee and the Golan Heights.
Advanced technologies are employed throughout the winemaking process, such as pneumatic presses, controlled cooling, precise fermentation regimes, and experimental vineyard blocks dedicated to developing new styles. In this way, Golan Heights Winery has not only raised the standards of domestic production but has also firmly placed Israeli wines on the world’s wine map.