The growing season is long and dry, but winter can bring snow to the vineyards which average 3,300 feet in elevation.

Chateau Ksara is Lebanon’s oldest operating winery. (There are 40 wineries in Lebanon which produce 7 million bottles per year in all.) Jesuit monks founded Ksara and the estate vineyard more than 150 years ago. The Mediterranean climate and topography there, similar to some parts of California, are nearly ideal for growing fine wine grapes.

Temperatures during the long, dry growing season are warm. But the vines enjoy cool nights, fed by breezes off the Mediterranean Sea just to the west. This maintains freshness in the grapes, balance in the wines.

Most Americans will be surprised to learn that there’s wine made in Lebanon at all, given its political and religious circumstances over the past 40+ years. The wine heritage there is very long though. Wine production dates back to at least 7,000BC, long before the Greeks and Romans spread the wine production throughout the Mediterranean.

Much later, a large Christian population in Lebanon allowed wine production to continue despite periods of Muslim rule. Beginning in the mid-19th century, a strong French influence  began modernizing Lebanese wine production and driving it’s growth. Between the World Wars, Lebanon was a French colony, driving demand for the region’s wine even higher.

Naturally, the Lebanese civil war and related conflicts, which began in 1975, was a severe setback to the wine industry. But, with increased stability in the 1990’s and beyond, the Lebanese wine industry is once again on the rise.

Nearly all wine varieties planted in Lebanon today are of French origin. The most-widely planted is Cabernet Sauvignon, representing 40% of all vine acres. Cinsault comprises another 35%. Many of Lebanon’s best red wines blend Bordeaux varieties, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, with Rhone varieties (ex. Cinsault, Syrah and Carignane).

The 2013 Chateau Ksara Reserve du Couvent strikes a lovely balance between fruity and savory. The nose offers ripe black plum, trail dust, black olive, spice and a touch of wood. The palate is medium+ in body with matching acidity and moderate yet firm, light-grained tannins which soften with air. The core flavor of ripe black plum is complemented by dark chocolate, earth and smoked herb. The finish is medium+ and juicy.

This Bordeaux-Rhone blend made me wonder. Should those consumers who enjoy using just the right glass shape for a wine go with a traditional Bordeaux glass or one designed for Rhone wines? During my review, I tried two glasses: Riedel Sommeliers Bordeaux and Riedel Sommeliers Hermitage/Syrah. The wine was good in both with the Bordeaux stem emphasizing fruit and wood, the Hermitage glass highlighting savory notes.

2013 Chateau Ksara Reserve du Couvent Red Wine Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

Rating: 91
Drink: Now through 2020
Closure: Cork
Retail Price: $15

Details

Blend: 40% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
Origin: Central and western Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
Fermentation: Native yeast, 60% whole cluster in open wood vats
Aging: 6 months in oak barrels
Alcohol: 13.9%

Service Recommendations

Decanting: Beneficial, but not required
Temperature: 60°–63° F
Food pairing: A juicy burger, hold the ketchup. A lamb burger would be even better!

Text copyright Fred Swan 2016. Photo courtesy of Chateau Ksara. All rights reserved.