The Art of Winemaking
Wine is shaped in the vineyard.
It is refined in the cellar.
At Hevron Heights, the transition from fruit to wine is guided by discipline, patience, and precision. The winery was conceived on a French model, integrating classical Old World philosophy with modern technical control. Every stage of vinification is designed to preserve the integrity of the fruit while revealing structure, balance, and depth.
Selection and Reception
Harvest is conducted by hand and parcel by parcel. Grapes are transported immediately ,mostly by night, to the winery and undergo meticulous sorting. Only fruit meeting our standards proceeds to fermentation.
This initial selection is uncompromising. In certain vintages, entire lots are set aside if they do not reflect the concentration and harmony required. Quality is never assumed – it is verified.
Fermentation
Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel and concrete vats, allowing exact management of extraction and aromatic development.
Red wines undergo extended maceration, including long, cool fermentations that preserve aromatic clarity and enhance structural precision. Controlled pump-overs and gentle extraction techniques ensure that tannins remain refined and integrated.
Warm fermentation in open vats is employed when structure and concentration demand it. Each parcel is vinified separately, allowing individual expression before final assemblage. Fermentation is not accelerated. Time is considered an essential ingredient.
Aging
After pressing, wines are transferred to oak barrels for maturation ranging from twelve to twenty-four months.
The cellar houses more than one thousand barrels, predominantly French oak. A partnership spanning over 25 years links us with the French cooperage Baudoin de Montgolfier, which works with the finest oaks from the French forests. This partnership, which gives a special identity to our wines, is complemented by select American and Hungarian oak for specific cuvées. Barrel selection is deliberate, chosen to support structure without overwhelming fruit character.
During aging, wines are monitored continuously. Racking is performed with care, preserving clarity and balance. Assemblage is conducted only when each component has achieved harmony.
Patience and Release
Our philosophy does not end with barrel aging. Most red wines are aged an additional year in bottle before release. No wine is marketed until it meets our standards of concentration, elegance, and structural coherence. If a vintage does not fulfill these expectations, it is not released.
Consistency is achieved through rigorous oversight by François Raynal and Ed Salsberg influenced by the teachings of Émile Peynaud. Their approach unites scientific precision with generational intuition.
A Discipline of Restraint
Technology serves clarity, not manipulation. Temperature control, stainless steel and concrete precision, and modern monitoring systems are tools — never shortcuts.
The objective is simple: to allow the fruit of the Judean Hills to express itself with structure, purity and longevity.
In the cellar, savoir-faire becomes discipline.