We were fascinated to hear about Lebanon’s wine making history from Faouzi Issa, owner and winemaker of Domaine des Tourelles, during our monthly Alumni Club gathering this March. We had the opportunity to try an array of well-crafted wines made by Faouzi and his team at the Domaine, located in the Bekaa Valley, and to learn about the processes in the vineyard and winery that contribute to the creation of the delicious wines.
Lebanon Wine – a brief history
Lebanon is a small country but it has managed to produce some great wine. Wine making in Lebanon started around 7000 years ago when grapes were brought over by Phoenician traders and cultivated in the Bekaa Valley.
During the years of Ottoman rule, from the 16th to the early 20th centuries, alcohol was prohibited but it was permitted for religious purposes, so the monks continued to make wine for their needs.
After the Ottoman rule, Lebanon was placed under French mandate (The Mandate for Syria and the Lebanon was a League of Nations mandate founded in the aftermath of the First World War and the partitioning of the Ottoman Empire. Source: Wikipedia). This was extremely beneficial to the Lebanese wine industry, and the wines produced were typically Bordeaux and Rhône in character.
After the end of WWII, the country gained independence from France and the wine industry continued its expansion, only to be reversed by the Lebanese civil war (1975-1990). Nowadays, Lebanon’s wine industry has thankfully returned to a period of growth, despite further challenges and economic crisis.
Domaine des Tourelles
Domaine des Tourelles was established in 1868 by François-Eugène Brun, a Frenchman who immigrated to the Bekaa Valley and fell in love with this region. The Domaine became the first commercial winery to make wines to be sold to the market. The young generation of the Issa & Issa-el-Khoury families now oversee the winery, more than 150 years after it first opened its doors. Our guest host, Faouzi Issa, studied Agricultural Engineering in Beirut prior to studying winemaking in Montpellier, France, and gained invaluable wine making experience as an intern at Domaine Renée Rostaing in the Côte Rôtie, and Château Margaux in Bordeaux. Faouzi returned home to Lebanon in 2008 and took up the reins at Domaine des Tourelles where his wines have gone on to gain international recognition.
Domaine des Tourelles farms close to 50 ha of vineyards, most of which are located in the village of Ammik in the Western Bekaa, while two other plots, in the villages of Jdita and Taanayel are in the central Bekaa Valley.
The Domaine’s vineyard and winemaking strategy is based on organically grown grapes and a self-sustaining process with little intervention, enabling for the creation of organic and vegan wines.
A range of grapes is grown, mainly Cabernet-Sauvignon, Syrah, Cinsault, Carignan, Tempranillo, Chardonnay, Viognier, the indigenous white grapes Merweh and Obeidi, as well as Muscat of Alexandria.
Bekaa Valley
The oldest vineyards and wineries in Lebanon are located in the long and narrow Bekaa Valley, which boasts almost 90% of the country’s wine production. The climate here is Mediterranean with hot dry summers and cool winters with consistent rainfall. The soil is mostly limestone, clay and sandy.
With an average elevation of 1000 metres above sea level, the valley’s vineyards stretch 40 miles from north to south and are nestled in between two mountain ranges. The Lebanon mountains to the west, shelter the vineyards from the maritime rains, while the Anti Lebanon mountains to the east protect the vineyards from the hot and dry desert-derived weather systems.
Today, the Bekaa Valley is home to over a dozen vineyards that produce more than six million bottles of wine annually.
Viticulture at Domaine des Tourelles
The vineyards are dry farmed (no irrigation) and the iron rich gravel and limestone soils lay in clay subsoils that retain moisture for the dry summer months. Due to the Mediterranean climate, disease pressure is low which allows vines to be organically farmed. If needed, treatments are only made by the use of sulphur and copper solutions. The vineyards include bush vines of more than 70 years old, giving extremely low yield. The harvest is manual with selection of the healthiest berries in the vineyard as well as in the winery.
The Wines of Domaine des Tourelles
- 2021 Domaine des Tourelles White Bekaa Valley, 13% abv
A blend of Viognier (50%), Chardonnay (20%), Sauvignon Blanc (15%), Obeidi (10%), Muscat of Alexandria (5%).
Fermentation is carried out in stainless steel by indigenous yeasts in a cool temperature of 14-15 degrees celsius to preserve the fresh varietal aromatics.
Medium intensity, ripe lemon, grapefruit, peach, melon, orange peel and white blossom notes. Dry, medium acidity, medium body, medium+ flavour intensity, medium+ finish.
We very much enjoyed the freshness derived from this youthful wine and would love to try it with Faouzi’s recommendation of Lebanese Mezze.
- 2021 Domaine des Tourelles Rosé Bekaa Valley, 12.5%
A blend of Cinsault (40%), Syrah (30%), Tempranillo (30%).
Fermentation is carried out in stainless steel tanks for 10 days. The Syrah undergoes a short maceration and bleeding while the Cinsault and Tempranillo are gently pressed. After blending the wine undergoes gentle clarification.
On the nose, medium intensity strawberry, red cherry, raspberry, rhubarb, red apple and hints of blossom. On the palate it is dry, with medium+ acidity, medium body, medium+ flavour intensity and medium finish. Youthful fresh summery rose meant to be enjoyed young.
- 2020 Domaine des Tourelles Cuvee Pierre Brun Bekaa Valley, 14%. A blend of Cabernet (40%), Syrah (40%), Cinsault (15%) and Carignan (5%).
The Cuvée Pierre Brun was fermented with indigenous yeasts in concrete vats for 10 days. Spontaneous malolactic conversion. The wine was blended and aged in concrete vats for two years.
Medium+ intensity vibrant black cherry, morello cherry, stewed plum, blossom, garrigue and mushroom aromatics. On the palate it is dry, medium+ acidity, high sticky tannins, full body, vibrant med+ intensity flavours with hints of clove spice, earthy notes and a medium+ finish. A wonderful expression of the Bekaa Valley terroir, this wine is still developing.
- 2019 Domaine des Tourelles Vieilles Vignes Cinsault Bekaa Valley, 14%
Cinsault has been grown in the Bekaa valley since the mid-19th century. In 2014 Domaine des Tourelles decided to revive the variety and searched for old Cinsault vines. Faouzi thinks that the variety is versatile and its components of fruit concentration, acidity and tannin reminds him of a blend of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon that has had twenty years of ageing.
In the winery the wine was fermented with wild yeasts in concrete vats and made with minimal intervention.
On the nose we find medium+ intensity, red cherry, raspberry, blossom, earth, mushroom and liquorice aromas. On the palate it is dry, with high acidity, medium+ smooth ripe tannins, full body, medium+ flavour intensity long finish. An outstanding example of old vine Cinsault that can develop further in the bottle.
- 2019 Domaine des Tourelles Vieilles Vignes Carignan Bekaa Valley, 14% abv
Fermentation with ambient yeasts in concrete vats. Spontaneous malolactic conversion. The wine is then aged for 24 months in concrete vats.
Medium+ aromatic intensity, black cherry, cranberry, dark plum, cassis, pepper, hints of mint and blossom. On the palate it is dry, with high acidity, medium+ smooth tannins, full body, medium+ flavour intensity and medium+ finish. The wine has the structure to develop further in the bottle.
Carignan is another variety that has grown in Lebanon for over two centuries. In 2018 Domaine des Tourelles introduced the variety to its family of old vines in an effort to reconnect with Bekaa Valley’s Mediterranean identity.
- 2015 Domaine des Tourelles Marquis des Beys Bekaa Valley 14.5%. A blend of Syrah (50%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (50%)
The Marquis des Beys ferments with ambient yeasts in concrete vats for 10 days. Spontaneous malolactic conversion follows. The wine is then blended and aged in French barriques (1/3 new) for 18 months.
Pronounced intensity aromas of blackberry, black cherry, blackcurrant, liquorice, plum, blossom, chocolate, cedar, cinnamon and clove spice, hints of pepper, vanilla and earth. Dry, with high acidity, high smooth but also sticky tannins, full body, pronounced flavour intensity and long finish. Outstandingly powerful wine. Still developing as has the fruit concentration and structure to develop further in the bottle.
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What a fantastic evening of wine tasting with friends, hosted by Faouzi Issa, witnessing the full potential that wines of Lebanon have to offer. Faouzi’s infectious passion and friendly manner expanded our wine horizons and made us want to visit the winery and explore Bekaa Valley further.
For the moment we will take advantage of the UK being one of the largest countries the Domaine des Tourelles wines are exported to, as these are widely available from various retailers.
If you have a minimum of WSET Level 2 wine qualification, you are welcome to join the Enjoy Discovering Wine Alumni Club, which meets online 10 times annually. For more details: Alumni Club.
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