That’s right, new wines from Lebanon and in all honesty you are missing out if you’ve never tried any.
Lebanon has been producing wine for a long time, in fact a long, long time. In reality it is one of the oldest sites of wine production in the world. The Phoenicians, who were very fond of a glass of wine, were probably the ones predominantly responsible for establishing viticulture and wine production across Lebanon and in many ways across the entire Mediterranean. Despite much conflict in the region over the years, those of you of a certain age will no doubt remember the days when the country was never off the evening news for all the wrong reasons, Lebanon produces well over half a million cases of wine annually and recently that figure has been on the up with multiple new wineries starting up. So you might be asking yourself why you have not yet tried wine from Lebanon?
The powerhouse of production is found in the Bekaa (or Beqaa) Valley across some 30 or so wineries, there is a mixture of grape varieties being grown, many producers seem to favour French varietals, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Cinsault and Merlot but there are also a number of indigenous grapes as you’d expect as they have been doing it for so long. These Lebanese varieties, particularly Obeideh and Merwah are now gaining much more recognition and interest and producing some excellent wines.
Here in the Inspiring Wines office a few weeks back, as we were debating which new wines to target for the spring, there was a consensus of opinion that we should definitely get some Lebanese wine on our list. A quick telephone conversation with our premier supplier Boutinot and said Lebanese vino was secured.
We now have two new wines on our list from Lebanon both from one of the Bekaa Valleys premier producers Domaine des Tourelles
Domaine des Tourelles White – 2015
The wine is an impressive aromatic white crying out for a big dish of olives or a lightly grilled mackerel. It offers spicy, white peach characters with a sublime perfume of jasmine. This wine is fresh and bursting with peach and apricot flavours. A beautifully balanced elegant wine. An absolute delight to the senses.
Domaine des Tourelles Red – 2013
A hugely characterful, high altitude red from one of the founding Lebanese wineries. A traditional blend. Deep ruby red with fantastically expressive aromas of cherries, cedar wood, cracked black pepper, rosemary and cloves. A savoury and herby palate with cherry flavours and fine tannins. This is a wine packed with flavour and heritage.
Both wines are now available on Inspiring Wines so if you are already convinced click the links above to buy the wines.
More on Domaine Des Tourelles
It is one of the longest established and most highly acclaimed wineries in the Bekaa Valley. It was founded in 1868 by French adventurer François-Eugène Brun, it was the first commercial cellar in Lebanon producing wines, arak and other spirits.
In 2000, the estate was bought by descendants of Brun’s Lebanese wife, Nayla Kanaan Issa-el-Khoury and Elie F. Issa. It is now run by their children, Faouzi Issa (winemaker), Christaine Issa and Emile Issa-el Khoury. This young and dynamic trio have decided to proudly apply similar artisan winemaking skills and traditions to their handcrafted wines – this includes minimum intervention in the vineyards and cellar, use of indigenous natural yeasts, no fining or filtering, and only very small amounts of sulphur. The winery boasts intelligent ancestral architectural design that keeps the ideal ambient temperature all year round, and concrete vats, which are rare in Lebanon, that provide the best biological conditions for natural winemaking processes.
Faouzi Issa, graduated with winemaking and viticultural degrees from Bordeaux and Montpellier Universities. He then trained with René Rostaing in Cote Rôtie and at Chateau Margaux before moving back to the, by now, family winery at Domaine des Tourelles. Faouzi has secured the future of this noble estate by introducing “a few modernities here and there…” but is adamant their ancient vineyards continue to be the expression and philosophy of the estate and is proud of the winery’s strong francophile links.
VIDEO: Summer Breeze at Domaine des Tourelles
