Clos de Gat is situated in the foothills of the Judean Mountains, bordering Israel’s biblical Ayalon Valley, where Joshua defeated the Five Kings. In 1998 owner-winemaker Eyal Rotem who studied winemaking in Australia began planting vines and building a winery on the land surrounding his house, thus turning a long-harbored dream into reality. An ancient “Gat” (Hebrew for wine press), pre-dating the Roman period by a thousand years, is located by the house set in the heart of the vineyards, which today cover an area of 19 hectares (47 acres). Aromas of black and red fruits are enhanced by notes of discreet oaking, eucalyptus and earthy Mediterranean plants and herbs. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, well balanced with fine integrated tannins. The finish is long and elegant. Traditional, grapes are handpicked after rigorous sorting and crushing they are transferred to open fermentation tanks. After ageing for 12 months in 30% new French oak barrels and racked every 4-6 months, the final blend is bottled without filtering.