When I first started to get into wine in the 80’s the Lebanon was the country that really inspired me. The winemakers were having to put up with civil war and terrorism, yet they persevered, and one man in particular put the countries wines on the world stage. Serge Hochar of Chateau Musar not only managed to get his wines to market through the shellfire of the Bekkar valley but the wines he was producing were truly world class and Musar has remained for many the standard bearer for the whole region to this day. The Lebanon is arguably the world's oldest commercial wine producing country with mentions of wine as early as 800 years BC. Admittedly the early stuff would be treacly, sweet, transported in the bladder of the previous night's dinner and as rough as a badgers derriere but thankfully, the quality is a tad higher these days. While Musar will always be my first love and a wine I simply must have two or three times a year, I've had great fun exploring some of the other producers over the last few years such as Chateau St Thomas, Kefraya, Heritage and Ksara. All in all, there's about a dozen more vineyards on my list to try so I guess I've got my work cut out before we next take a look at the Lebanon. Do you see how I suffer for you! The best thing is that none of them produce rubbish, or at least they don't export their three for a tenners if they do, so if you want truly affordable fine wines packed with fruit, spice and soft tannins, search for lebanese wines folks and the best selection is in Scotland's independent merchants.
Ch Musar 2011
A huge, intense wine with mulberries, black cherries and a hint of mocha on the finish. The tannins are smooth and juicy.
Villeneuve Wines, Peebles £28.00
Ch St Thomas, Cuvee Les Emirs
Soft ripe black fruits with hints of liquorice and pepper. It’s rich and full flavoured with a warm spicy finish and I absolutely adore it.
Ch de Mediterranean, Dumbarton £19.99
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