The Petit is a blend of the wines which were not used for its big brother. Again the blend will be mainly Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest, in order of importance is Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. The wine is aged for 16 months in French oak barrels.
Technical Notes Born in cosmopolitan Alexandria and educated in England, Italy and Switzerland, winemaker Eli Ben Zaken moved to Israel, first working in agriculture and later in the restaurant business. Eli had no formal winemaking education; when he had to decide whether or not to turn Domaine du Castel from a hobby into a formal business he was faced with a formidable challenge. Eli recalled how a sentiment voiced by Winston Churchill was very apt at this time.