Israeli Wineries Flam and Tzora’s New Investments in Bordeaux

Israeli winemakers Golan Flam and Eran Pick have acquired Château Tour du Haut-Moulin, a distinguished cru bourgeois estate located in Haut-Médoc.

Golan Flam from Flam Winery and Eran Pick from Tzora Vineyards, both based in the Judean Hills region of Israel, had long dreamed of possessing an estate in Bordeaux. After a five-year quest, they finally succeeded in purchasing Château Tour du Haut-Moulin, a cru bourgeois estate in the Haut-Médoc region of Bordeaux’s Left Bank.

Gilad Flam, Golan’s brother and business partner, explained that their purchase was driven by the property’s prime location on a gravel soil plateau near the Gironde River. Other properties they considered were either too large, too small, or lacked the right terroir.

Originally established in 1870, Château Tour du Haut-Moulin boasts 24 acres of vineyards that are carefully maintained by current owners Lionel and Carol Poitou. The Poitous, who represent the sixth generation of ownership, will continue to oversee viticulture. The estate straddles the Gironde River, nestled between Margaux and St.-Julien.

Eran Pick, who is Israel’s inaugural Master of Wine, claims that the possibility of creating wines in “the most esteemed region internationally” would perfectly augment his role as the technical director at Tzora Vineyards. This is where he has served since 2006. The estate, under his supervision, is producing some of Israel’s finest wines. Tzora and Flam aremembers of the Judean Hills Quartet, a quartet of four vintners with a common vision, producing wine in the region’s esteemed terra rossa–limestone soils.

The key team at Tour du Haut-Moulin also comprises Burgundy-trained Tzora winemaker Dan Sheinman and celebrated Bordeaux-based enology consultant Vincent Dupuch. The timing of the harvest should be advantageous to them, too. Upon completion of grape collection in Israel, typically by mid-September, the team can then travel to Bordeaux, which is just entering the harvesting period. The short four-hour flight from Tel Aviv to Paris makes it all the more convenient, he pointed out. The inaugral vintage will be that of 2024.

From his association with consulting winemaker Jean-Claude Berrouet of Château Pétrus at Tzora, Pick has reaped substantial benefits from the Bordelais expertise. Now, Pick and his collaborators will have the platform to apply some of their distinct Israeli viticultural skills in Bordeaux. “We aim to assimilate knowledge from Bordeaux and also contribute our insights,” Flam stated. Winegrowers around the world, especially those in Bordeaux, have been turning their attention to Israel in recent times to explore new technologies and innovative means of managing vineyards in warmer and drier climates. Israel, for instance, has been a frontrunner in modern drip irrigation techniques.

“Bordeaux has learned from us since they are grappling with drought and hotter years,” Flam pointed out, “We are witnessing a period of change, and the farming methods of past generations are no longer applicable. The opportunity to contribute in Bordeaux—to share this knowledge—is very exciting. The Médoc possesses sizable potential, and this particular château has been very underrated given the high quality of its vineyards. We stand a great chance of producing truly outstanding wine.”

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