"A Good Shabbat Wine"

That's what my wife crowned the 2005 Psagot Edom red table wine the other night after we had enjoyed a few glasses. Having been to a number of Shabbat meals, and knowing what is usually poured there, I had to agree.

Finding a good kosher wine that stands up as simply a good wine, period, is always a challenge (though not as hard now as it's been in the past). So I always sit up straight when I stumble across one. Bordeaux blends are a dime a dozen in the kosher world, and most are unimpressive, either too fruity or too raw. But this Psagot, which is 75% Cab Sauv and 25% Merlot, is representative of what should be commonplace in this category.

It's medium-bodied at 13.5% alcohol, and has all the usual notes of stewed dark fruit and spice, but all expressed evenly and well. The tannins are sturdy but tempered. It's aged in American and French oak for 14 months, so the vanilla is there, but it's well-integrated and doesn't overpower. The bottle is simply well-balanced in every way.

At $30, it's pricy for a kosher. But worth it, I'd say, for the coming High Holy Days.