|
 This fascinating trip
was full of pleasant surprises in personally
uncharted territory.
Château Musar is still the star but there
are several wineries, large and small, that show great promise. Lebanon appears
capable of offering something different, combining traditional French winemaking
philosophy with a distinctive Middle Eastern accent, and sometimes high quality
with reasonable prices. However, for the moment the country will certainly
remain a niche producer with only 1300 hectares (ha), 3210 acres of wine grapes,
plus lots of table grapes, a staple fruit crop. The majority of vineyards and
cellars are located in the Bekaa Valley bordering Syria, which unfurls onto a stunning
mountain backdrop with dramatic microclimate: high altitude (plantings either side of 1000 metres
= 3000+ feet), marked difference between sunny days and fresh nights etc.
Most estates are focusing on blends of classic varieties (Bordeaux and
Mediterranean), but a couple of indigenous
white grapes also make unusual wines. Everybody had something worth drinking, even if
occasionally the arack hit the spot best. This is the 'national beverage' made from
distilled grape spirit infused with aniseed: you mix it with
water as an aperitif or digestive, or neat if you have a death wish. Wineries are family owned businesses with daughters as well as sons
taking charge. Lebanon, on the whole, is much more Western than you might
imagine. We were told there are 10 million Lebanese living abroad against four million
population, so export is taken very seriously despite the small quantities available,
mainly supplying numerous restaurants around the world.
Aside from wine, we had a welcome although brief opportunity to play the tourist
in this very attractive and diverse country. Despite a troubled history, from ancient
to recent times (a topic too big and complex to risk taking on
here), public treasures have been beautifully preserved. Baalbek must
count as the most awesome Roman (among other occupants) ruins I've ever seen; I
doubt there's anything like it left in Italy or Greece or anywhere. Pity about
the Hisbolah or Hezbollah (now claiming to be a mainstream party) T-shirts on sale outside bearing machine gun and provocative
slogan, which I didn't ask to be translated. Tempting to buy one and wear it
through security back at Heathrow airport...
In contrast, Beirut is a busy packed and sprawling city, on the one hand
conspicuously wealthy (Mercedes dealers must do well) and modern yet in parts
rundown. Admittedly there's still a great deal of rebuilding to be done and bullet
holes to be filled in... Then compare this to the poverty (although no worse than other
countries) in the 'countryside': inverted commas needed as some of the so-called
rural towns such as
Chtaura have a population of 300,000 people.
Delicious food too:
healthy and copious, as long as you like unending mezze hors d'oeuvres (I do)
before plenty of lamb and yummy sweet pastries. More on the local cuisine on
page 3. And last but by no means least, the Lebanese really are so hospitable,
as we soon discovered trying to stick to a heavy itinerary. It was difficult to
say "we've got to go now" without upsetting our hosts! Along with a selection of
wines tasted at each property, I've included a few tit-bits of info and choice
quotes rather than lengthy histories or technical blah (click
on each winery name top right to visit their websites). You
can also have a look at a few large pictures on page 2
(may be a bit slow to load), taken by Jim Budd and Roz Cooper.
Château Musar
Tasting new wines and sublime museum vintages in their cellars in
Ghazir
(behind and above Beirut) with Serge Hochar,
his son and winemaker was a great pleasure; and confirmed Musar is in no danger of losing pole position for the time being. We discovered
two ancient native white varieties: Obeideh (sounds like a character from Star
Wars), old ungrafted bush vines planted at
4000 feet on the Syrian border yielding 15-20 hectolitres (hl) per ha
(around one ton per acre); and +100 year old Merwah, probably related to Semillon.
Tasting 2005
unfinished samples, I found the Merwah more interesting and elegant. Serge
commented: "I don't want to make this wine attractive on purpose, so you can
taste the truth," meaning the variety's history, vineyard environment etc. This
quip followed a lovely rich and aromatic 2005 Viognier, the first crop from two
year old vines, which they're growing "to prove why I don't like it, but young
people do!"
2004 Cuvée Musar blanc (Obeideh) - very
hazelnut, oily and oxidising with mineral palate. 85-87
2004 Hochar blanc (Merwah) - juicier fruit
with fatter texture then fresh fine finish, nice mineral v nutty.
87
1999
Château Musar blanc (blend of above 2 grapes, 9 months in oak) - much better
than the 98, this was toasty and waxy with rich sherry & hazelnut aromas, lovely
depth of lightly oxidised fruit with a touch of chocolate sweetness,
concentration v fresher bite on the finish; very good, Meursault-esque.
90+
1993 blanc - complex mushroom character on top of nutty oxidised fruit,
toasty honeyed palate with chocy texture, still has fresh acidity too. Somebody
compared it to an old white Graves such as Carbonnieux or Haut-Brion, which it
once beat in a
tasting! 92+
A tank sample of 2005 rosé 'bled off' from Cinsault grapes showed raspberry and
strawberry bubble gum, very aromatic yet smoky too; a touch of grip and bite v
weight of fruit, delicious. Syrah is a new variety for Musar under research, and
a 2005 sample from three year old vines had herbal red pepper then savoury
notes, chocolate palate and green finish. More work needed there. The 05
Cabernet Sauvignon was much better with aromatic cassis fruit, good depth v firm
yet rounded texture. We then tried three parts of the about to be blended
2004 Ch. Musar red. Cinsault: rustic with juicy berries and bit of grip, nice
style. Carignan (mostly 45 year old): more perfumed and concentrated, delicious
ripe fruit balanced by bite and grip. Cab Sauvignon, which Serge called "the
least interesting wine for me to taste, which is why I put in mostly Carignan":
cassis, raisin and light red pepper; very grippy yet sweet fruited.
2001
Hochar rouge - maturing sweet/savoury nose with earthy morello cherries,
quite rich and structured, bit oxidised on the finish.
85
2003
Cuvée Musar rouge (mostly Cinsault) - sweet
tobacco fruit, quite soft and easy with a little bite on the finish; attractive
quaffer. 85+
2002
Château Musar - already charming in fact, cherry fruit with rustic edges,
subtle firm tannins and fresh stylish length. 89-91
Serge explained their ageing philosophy: one year in vat, approx one year in barrel,
back into vat then blended and bottled; if possible 4 years in bottle before
release. He agreed the 02 is delicious now but "thinks it's dangerous to change
policy and release it." We wondered whether his brother Ronald, the accountant, would
prefer to persuade him otherwise, given the infinite amount of maturing bottles
in their multi-floored cellars...
2000 - sexy smoky v sweet nose, complex maturing aromas; lovely palate
displaying softness ripeness spice and maturity, light grip and elegant length.
92-94
1991 - obviously more developed with rustic wild herbs and liquorice,
sweet oily texture then freshness and light bite on the finish, fine length.
94
1981 - very lightly musty but still has seductive cheesy Gran Reserva
Rioja style complexity ("controlled" volatile acidity or VA), oily texture and
silky tannins; wouldn't think it's 14% alc. Fruit is a little dried, perhaps because
it's lightly corked. Nevertheless, nice example of that Musar style, kind of old
Bordeaux/Burgundy cross with Med edges. "The Cabernet (81 was a great CS year)
does come out more with age," we're told. 92
1980 - different, still has that intricate VA character yet a bit more
rustic and liquorice ("perhaps Cinsault and Carignan come through more, CS not
as successful that year"), superb nose actually; chunkier fruit, rustic edged
richer and smokier, still shows nice backbone and length.
93-95
1977 - a tad musty/mushroomy, cheesy v sweet; lots of liquorice fruit yet
quite firm on the finish, perhaps a little dried out? Not when you drink it,
just a bit mind you. Flavours linger for a long time too.
94
1972 (with noticeable ullage) - more old claret like, again displays that
characteristic VA with sweet raisins, dried cassis and mint; incredible richness
and lively fruit followed by light tannins, still drinking very well; pure,
complete and balanced. 97-99
1974 (never released) - slightly musty but has plenty of soft fruit,
drinkability v complexity; toughens up a little but still very nice.
90+
1964 - gorgeous mature fruit with smoky cheesy intricacy, spice v
liquorice; subtle lingering coating on the mouth, silky and long.
97-98
The night before, as guests at a rocking wedding reception in Mounir's
restaurant up in the hills, we greatly enjoyed the 1995 Ch. Musar
- very drinkable classic style (92-94) - and
their 2000 Hochar red, not far off in quality and style and also nicely
quaffable, with a scrumptious prolonged dinner.
Consumed on Christmas day
2006:
1979
Musar –
brown/rust mature colour, complex sweet herbs v meaty balsamic
aromas; quite rustic v liquorice intensity, smooth tannins and
finish; very nice but passed its best probably.
88-90
Château Nakad
Shame about the name, but his wines certainly weren't. Salim's cellar used to be
his grandfather's house, which was converted into the winery in 1923. Nowadays, 70% of his
production (wine and arack) is exported to France; presumably there are a lot of
Lebanese restaurants there. His sons are also recent graduates from Bordeaux, so
he hopes to "combine their new skills with my experience to improve quality." We
tried the following in his (freezing) cellar:
1998 Prestige (Syrah,
Cabernet Sauvignon & Merlot, 8 months in
oak) - enticing unusual nose, peppery herbal black cherry and olive; quite firm
rustic tannins yet has chunky fruit concentration, closes up as it's too cold.
87
2002 (from barrel) - shows a fair bit of coconut spice oak, but there's
nice ripe loganberry & black cherry underneath, again firm mouthfeel yet
sweet-textured and weighty, well judged extraction v fresh acidity keeping it
tight. 90+
We also tasted his 2005, which had just been pressed off and displayed plenty of
attractive fruit on a solid acid/tannin framework and nice length. Along with a
little philosophy: "This is
my blood of love: if you make wine, you have no hate in your heart; if you have,
you won't be a good winemaker." My concluding remark states: we like Salim.
Château Ksara
One of the largest châteaux and a bit of a disappointment I'm afraid. In 2007,
they'll be celebrating 150 years of non-stop production, two thirds of which
ends up in Europe. They own 300 ha (740 acres) planted with 'classic' varieties,
mostly in west Bekaa with 25 ha around the property itself. Their French winemaker, James Palgé,
has been working there since 1994. We were given an informative potted history
of wine in Lebanon, at least in more recent times! The domination by the Ottoman
Empire ended in 1860 when Britain, France, Prussia, Russia and Italy (spot the
western imperial strategic interest) shaped an 'independent' state around Mount
Lebanon.
The Jesuits reintroduced winemaking into the country with French varieties
arriving from Algeria in the 1870s, such as Grenache and Carignan. The discovery
of vast natural caves in 1898 led to Ksara enlarging the cellars, which provide
an entertaining subterranean stroll (2 km) and the chance to spot some old
vintages e.g. 1918. As late as 1973, the Jesuits sold the winery and vineyards
to the current owners. They introduced more varieties such as Merlot, Petit
Verdot and Sauvignon Blanc in the early 1990s. The harvest usually spans from
mid August to mid October.
Domestic wine consumption is low at about 4 million bottles a year - Arack makes
up 5-6 litres per capita - one third of which is imported, the majority from
France not surprisingly. From 1990 (the end of the so-called 'civil war') to
2005 (when the Syrian army finally pulled out, by the way), wine grape plantings
increased threefold and consumption doubled. Lebanon now has a trade agreement
with the EU, as their wine laws were already strict enough. They're going to
establish an institute of vines and wines to implement appellation areas and
labelling (don't do it!); there are currently six recognised regions which could
be divided into subzones if desired. Wisely, irrigation isn't banned in Lebanon
but only used on a very controlled basis.
2002 Cuvée Troisième Millénaire (Cabernet Franc,
Petit Verdot & Syrah;
1 year 70% new oak) - light spice and black cherry with background oak,
attractive spicy fruit and texture, firm yet elegant finish; nice enough, a bit
soulless perhaps. 85
2001 Cuvée Troisième Millénaire (Cabernet Franc
& Petit Verdot) - smokier more interesting
nose, elegant depth with chocolate texture and light grip v mature fruit,
finishes a little short. 87
The above blend varies according to vintage availability based on CF and PV; the
Château label is always Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot and Petit Verdot:
2002 Château Ksara - nice cassis and cedar aromas, very firm grip
dominates the perhaps fading fruit with savoury finish. Not released yet!
83
2001 - richer cassis, lightly leafy; better balance and style, still
grippy but fuller too. 85-87
2000 - pungent berry and mint, enticing aromas; rather firm and tart
tannins, not convinced the fruit's there. 80
1999 - more interesting rustic berry and herbs, again a bit extracted and
dry yet riper and longer than above. 83
1996 - turning smoky and liquorice, lovely nose; savoury fruit, more
generous v those tannins; old style but it works. 87
1995 (Cabernet Sauvignon,
Carignan & Syrah) -
coffee beans and cheesy complexity, richer sexier palate showing softness and
sweetness v light grip; drinking now. 90
1935 Vin d'Or (Macabeu &
Grenache Blanc, 17%) - sexy pecan nut, raisin and Bakewell tart; richly
oxidised raisin fruit, caramelised nuts v lively finish and length, still shows
freshness and balance at 70 years old. 95
Domaine des Tourelles
Founded in 1868 by François-Eugène
Brun from Marseille, Tourelles is now owned by the
Issa family and a cousin of the wife of Brun's descendant, Pierre Louis. They buy in all their grapes to produce less
than 3000 cases of wine, arack of course and a few strange liqueurs. I counted
the
grand sum of 18 barrels, a refreshing change! Nice people, we tasted the wines
in their front room with some tasty nibbles. Their top red shows promise:
2003 Marquis de Beys (50-50 Cabernet Sauvignon & Syrah,
1 year+ in French barriques) - a little closed to start, lightly cedary with
peppery black cherry and cassis combo; chunky palate with ripe tannins, tobacco
notes and subtle vanilla oak coating; just bottled so needs a few months to
express itself better. US$15 87+
2004 rosé (13%) - plenty of oily redcurrant,
strawberry and rose petal; quite rich and full then tangy finish. $4
85
1976 Cartegène
(Black Muscat) - Madeira like old gassy nose, cooked raisins and walnuts on the
palate, a tad burnt on the finish; quite interesting even if on the way out.
Oranjaline - served from a chocolate cup! Bit like Cointreau but much
drier and with a real kick (don't believe the 40% on the label).
Clos Saint Thomas
The Said Toumas have been making arack since 1952; in 1990 they bought suitable land and started planting
vineyards (now 50 ha, 124 acres), built the cellars and visitor reception in 1997 and
released their first vintage in 98. Another charming family business, where the
daughters are making their mark - Nathalie is marketing director - under the
watchful eye of Mr. Said Touma senior, who was very keen on getting our opinions
on his wines. The cellar was dug out of rock: in winter a trickle of spring
water runs down the rock, naturally keeping humidity high and temperatures low;
in summer they spray water onto the walls instead. Outside stands a cute little
private chapel, ornate yet refined and peaceful.
Nowadays, rather than being impressed
by 150 oak barrels, my alarm bells ring hoping they're not being over used.
Unfortunately their 2004 Chardonnay was too toasty and bitter; however, a
sample of the 2005 cask-fermented Chardy showed lovely citrus fruit with
background fat and yeast-lees. Don't leave it much longer in those barrels,
please! The 2004 rosé was very ripe and
weighty with a touch of bitterness (too much skin contact probably); in
contrast, the 2005 (Grenache,
Cinsault, Cab Sauv,
Syrah & Petit Verdot) has delicious fruit
and fresh bite, much better. Similar story with Les Gourmets rouge: 2002
was ripe and soft but too old, the 2003 (Grenache,
Cinsault, Cab Sauv &
Syrah) from vat was much fruitier and spicier. I also enjoyed a 2005
blend of Syrah and Grenache. Good to see they're anticipating changes in taste.
We moved on to their older premium reds:
2001 Les Emirs (Cabernet Sauvignon &
Grenache) - quite complex ripe berry and cassis
nose, nice depth of fruit in the mouth v balanced grip of tannins; some sweet
oak coming through but not over done. $7.50 85-87
Château Saint Thomas (Cabernet Sauvignon,
Merlot & Syrah
- $13.50)
2002 - silky spicy fruit, a bit heavy on the chocolate oak but has nice
texture, length and weight. We'll see. 87-89
2001 - more obvious cassis and mint aromas (more CS than Syrah in this),
firm structure with reasonable length and old Bordeaux style; a little
cardboardy on the finish?
2000 - attractive plum pie notes with gamey development (50% Merlot in
this), softer tannins and good elegant length. 89-90
1999 - attractive smoky liquorice and herbal blackcurrant, touch of VA
complexity too; quite rich v elegant, 14% weight with enough fruit, hint of oak
and firm tannins yet softer than the others. 88-90
Heritage
Owned by the intelligent, easy-going and dynamic Dr. Dargham Elias Touma (nephew
of above and Salim Nakad's son-in-law!): his friends call him Dr. D for short.
The attractive historic winery was a destroyed school, which he bought and
rebuilt from 1996. Most of the grapes are purchased from growers with 10% of
supply coming from their own vineyards, which he prefers. Wine production totals
500K bottles, about 10% of which is high-end sold to wine enthusiasts and
exported. The Heritage range makes up 40% including a Nouveau launched on 1st
November, Fleuron is his volume label for the home market and the rest is
cooking wine. Dr. D commented on the nation's thirst for arack: "most Lebanese
drink wine when it's raining." He decided not to follow everybody else and do
traditional labels, which are indeed "really out there." The
breakfast tasting
consisted of these wines, accompanied by various dips etc. and amazing fresh
warm flat bread flavoured with thyme, sesame and olive oil...
2005 Heritage Nouveau (Cinsault,
Tempranillo, Cabernet Sauvignon & Syrah)
- pleasant cherry fruit quaffer, soft and light as it should be.
2001 Plaisir du Vin (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah,
Cinsault & Mourvèdre)
- smoky with dried fruit sweetness, light grip and fairly elegant finish. $6
83-85
1999 Grand Vin Bourgeois (Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah,
Mourvèdre &
Merlot) - attractive 'sweet' v spicy v savoury
aromas and flavours, firm yet rounded, fresh elegant length.
87-90
1988
Château 'Temple du Soleil' (mostly Cinsault,
the first vintage) - lovely cheesy leathery nose, sweet mature dried fruits,
still a little grip keeping it alive, smooth and elegant.
90+
Apéritif a base de Vin et Noix (green walnuts steeped in 2002 vintage
fortified sweet wine at 20%) - enticing aged Madeira/Sherry aromas, fresh bite v
sweet cooked fruit coating; deliciously different. 90
Latest Heritage here.
Château Kefraya
This grandly colonial estate sells 100,000 cases a year in 40 countries, so is
obviously a big fish in Lebanese wine terms. They also produce arack because, as
managing director Michel de Bustros (and writer/historian in his spare time)
pointed out, "we can't not make arack rather than we want to." It became
increasingly apparent on this trip that arack is an excellent cash cow, which
enables investment in vineyards and winemaking, and a handy outlet for
deselected wine thus aiding a focus on quality. The wine industry is Christian
dominated with one Muslim producer, but "this means nothing in terms of who
works for us or the consumer."
Kefraya has 300 ha (740 acres) at 850-1100 metres (2600-3350 feet) altitude on
an alluvial plain, with good diversity of soils from clay to chalk to very
stony. So from 10 to 15 years ago they planted Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier (increasing),
Bourboulenc, Clairette, Ugni Blanc (decreasing) and now Muscat; and red
varieties Cab Sauv, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Grenache, Cinsault, Carignan and Tempranillo
(the latter three years ago), while testing several 'new' ones. All varieties
are kept separate by plot/terroir and during vinification, then blended.
They make 75% red wines, 5% rosé and just three whites.
Technical director Diala Younes is in charge of all this: she trained in Bordeaux
and Lebanon as an agricultural engineer and winemaker. She said the only disease
problem they encounter is occasionally oidium (a type of mildew), so a little
sulphur (standard practice) is the single chemical they use in the vineyards.
Looking to the future, many growers are now replanting or grafting over table
grapes, and increasing vine density to compensate where the soil's very fertile.
2004 Blanc de Blancs (Viognier,
Sauvignon Blanc & Chardonnay)
- lively tropical aromatic honey aromas with a touch of underlying toast, quite
good fruit with very fresh finish. 85+
2003 Casta Diva (Viognier,
Chardonnay & Sauvignon)
- promising milk and honey richness on the nose, then nice fat fruit with
roasted hazelnut; finish is a bit toasty. 85+
2004 rosé (Cinsault)
- attractive vibrant fruit v mineral bite, more elegant style than some of the
others we tried. 84+
Château Kefraya (variations of Cabernet Sauvignon,
Carignan, Mourvèdre,
Grenache, Syrah):
2002 - quite cedary nose with raisiny cassis fruit underneath, very
grippy tannins and coconut spice; the texture's a bit aggressive considering the
amount of new oak.
2000 - mature cassis fruit with light cedar oak, more savoury and
leather; tight firm palate but better done and more elegant.
87+
2001 - lighter and leafier, quite subtle oak; again pretty austere finish
but it might soften...
Comte de M (Cabernet Sauvignon &
Syrah) $28:
2001 - quite rich 'sweet' v savoury with a tad of chocolate oak; fairly
toasty yet meaty and structured, nicer texture v firmness than above and better
able to absorb the oak. 89-91
2000 - maturing cassis and rustic red pepper notes; good concentration v
grip, chewy with long finish, nice fruit and light cedar oak. Promising.
92+
Cave Kouroum
My favourite winery in the sense that it's the grooviest thing I've ever seen made
from concrete. A triumph of brutalist architecture with grey Warsaw chic, I kept
feeling I was on the set of Guns of Navarone or a minimalist Bond movie.
Apparently it will withstand up to 7 on the earthquake scale. But enough of the
silly humour...
Kouroum is Arabic for vineyard: the company was established in 1998 by former
grape growers and these cellars constructed in 2001. The owner Bassim Rahal,
whole family and everybody else who works there, it seemed, were there to greet
us; the kind of reception we'd got used to from the ultra friendly Lebanese. They
make 5 million bottles pitching at "the affordable mid market" with only 30% of
sales in Lebanon. They do a fussy selection of grapes in the vineyard and vinify
by plot if it fills a vat. Blends are preferred over varietal wines. We tasted
quite a few from tank, barrel and bottle:
2005 rosé (Cinsault,
Carignan & Grenache) -
delicate colour, lively elegant and crisp with zesty length; good stuff.
A vat of 2005 Cinsault,
Carignan,
Grenache & Syrah (part
of their 7 Cépages blend with three more to be added obviously) displayed lively
black cherry/olive fruit, aromatic with nice grip.
A 2004
Carignan-Syrah, after
10 months in cask, had a promising fruity liquorice nose and good depth in the
mouth, despite rather firm tannins. Their 2004 Blanc Perlé (Sauvignon Blanc,
Grenache
Blanc, Clairette,
Ugni Blanc and Muscat)
showed aromatic nutty oil notes with crisp mineral palate v light fatness (85).
Onto 2003: Petit Noir had nice 'sweet' fruit and spice with good
grip v oily fruit (85), whereas the 7 Cépages
was a bit heavy on the vanilla oak although had nice texture and depth. I wasn't
particularly enamoured with a sample of 2003 Syrah
that had endured 18 months in oak: bags of chocolate, chunky tannins, difficult
to see the fruit. Similar story with the 03 Syrah-Cabernet Sauvignon.
Finally two 2002s: the 7 Cépages showed resinous ripeness, grip
and weight v mature fruit (85+). And the
2002 Miss Cat, made from Muscat grapes left to dry out on the vine then
slowly fermented to 16% when it naturally stops, offered elegant sweetness with
subtle oxidative development yet freshness too.
Domaine Wardy
A slick family owned business headed up by Salim Wardy, which began making arack
back in 1893 and is now the leading producer of varietal wines. The Private
Selection range is a new duo from the north Bekaa valley, made from vines
planted at 1700 m yielding just 20 hl/ha. The company owns 50 ha and sources
from a further 50 ha under contract. They now make 500K bottles per year,
two-thirds exported to the UK, Sweden, France, Japan, Ireland and the US. Salim
explained that they're running a campaign, where 1000 Leb£ (US$0.66 or 36p
Sterling) is donated per bottle sold to preserving the cedar forests. He also
added: "in certain areas of Bekaa, we pay growers 25% above the market price to
encourage them to stay and replant."
2003 Sauvignon Blanc - grassy v yeasty v fatter ripe grapefruit, quite
weighty yet very crisp mineral edges too. 85+
2003 Private Selection Muscat-Viognier - piercing nectarine nose and
palate then rather charred finish, although there's fresher fruit underneath.
Interesting but don't see the point of the Muscat.
2003 Merlot - intriguing Carmenère
nose of ripe plum and herbal red pepper, raisin v gamey edges; reasonable depth
of currant fruit but finishing a little tart.
2003 Syrah - slightly reductive pong (sulphide), the palate shows some
sweetness to start although a bit stalky on the finish; the Syrah aromas come
out more with air.
2002
Château
Les Cédres
(Syrah-Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot)
- much better palate with fruit / oak 'sweetness', good depth v firm tannins
then nice length. That oak should integrate in a couple of years.
87-89
2003
Private Selection red (Syrah-Cabernet Sauvignon)
- has the same reductive nose with floral berry fruit underneath, big grippy
mouthfeel and coco oak, more concentrated and richer; perhaps a bit too
extracted, time will tell...
Text all rights Richard
M James
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Château Musar
Château Ksara
Château Nakad
Dom Tourelles
Clos St Thomas
Heritage
Château
Kefraya
Cave Kouroum
Domaine Wardy
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