Organic, Biodynamic, Sustainable, Vegan, Vegetarian ... we have something for everyone!
The differences can be confusing but we hope this explanation will help: an Organic wine is a wine made from grapes that have been grown without the use of artificial or synthetic chemicals, such as herbicides and pesticides; a Biodynamic wine means that the grapes are farmed biodynamically and that the winemaker did not make the wine with any common manipulations such as yeast additions or acidity adjustments; and a Sustainable Producer is someone committed to using methods that reduce soil erosion, pesticide dependency and loss of biodiversity (for example providing owl boxes and raptor perches in vineyards to maintain ecological control of mice!).
The type of fining agent used in creating wine will determine whether it is awarded Vegan-Friendly status (no animal-derivative agent is used i.e. the winemaker may use Bentonie Clay) or Vegetarian-Friendly status (the use of egg white or casein - a milk product) or neither (where gelatin, isinglass or chitosan may be used).
A Sulphite free wine? Unfortunately, there is no true “sulphite free wine” or “sulphur free wine” as very low levels are naturally produced during fermentation. But for those of you sensitive to sulphur, we suggest trying a Natural, Organic or Biodynamic wine who's 'sulphite-status' is lower than most.
Natural wine is wine made with minimal chemical and technological intervention, both in growing grapes and making them into wine. The term is used to distinguish such wine from organic wine and biodynamic wine because of differences in cellar practices. So there we go - now you are in the know!
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2021 Domaine des Tourelles Vieilles Vignes Merweh Obeidi
Regular price £16.49 Sale price £13.19 Save 20%A 50/50 blend of Merweh and Obeidi - indigenous Lebanese varieties from low yielding old vines. The Merweh vineyards are over 100 years old and have not been pruned for the last two decades, resulting in extremely low yields and concentrated flavours.
Tasting Notes
Colour
This blend of Merweh and Obeidi is golden in colour.
Nose
The nose has natural aromas of ripened grapes, apple skin and a mix of herbs and spices.
Palate
Mineral and savoury on the palate, the wine shows notes of dried figs and fresh almonds on the finish.
Production
A blend of two indigenous Lebanese varieties that likey trace their lineage back to the Phoenicians, this wine is made from very old vines grown in altitude. Merweh vineyards are spread over the mountians of Bsharreh to the west of the Bekaa Valley at 1,400m altitude, in amongst the famous cedars of Mount Lebanon. Merweh is a resistant variety which has adpated very well to the Mediterranean mountain climate and ecosystem. Due to the wild nature of the Merweh vines, the ripening was uneven abd required several passes and a skilled team to select only perectly ripe grapes. Obeidi vineyards are grown on the hills of Zahleh - the capital of Bekaa Valley - at 1,100m altitude. These 50 year old vines are trained using a pergola system to ensure they enjoy the best sun exposure to reach maximum ripeness an balance on this late-ripening grape. Obeidi is a reliable and very resitant grape, considered to be the backbone of Behaa Valley's vines throughout its winemaking history. Both varieties were cold fermented separately, using wild yeast widely present in the winery. Once fermentation was complete, the wines we blended and stored for a short period of time in stainless steel tanks to keep the original freshness of the blend.
Producer
Domaine des Tourelles was founded in 1868 by French adventurer François-Eugène Brun and is one of the most highly acclaimed and oldest wineries still operating in Lebanon. It was also the first commercial cellar in 'modern' Lebanon to produce wines, arak and other spirits. This place has history! The Brun family owned and ran the winery up until the last descendant died in 2003 but luckily two local families - the Issa and Issa el-Khoury families - joined forces to buy the property and continue the fine tradition of winemaking.
Today, this Bekaa Valley estate is run by the three Issa children - twins Faouzi and Johanne and their sister Christiane, alongside Emile Issa-el Khoury, son of one of the co-owners. This young and dynamic combination have introduced a handful of practices in the vineyards and cellar including the use of indigenous natural yeasts, no fining or filtering, and only very small amounts of sulphur. These techniques along with fruit from 40 hectares of ancient, organically cultivated and dry-farmed vineyards (among the oldest in the valley) and a winery perfect for hands-off winemaking, make Domaine des Tourelles one of the finest boutique wineries in the Middle East.
Specifications
| Year | 2021 |
| Bottle Size | 750ml |
| Cultivar | Obeidi 50%, Merweh 50% |
| Country | Lebanon |
| Alcohol content | 11% alcohol |
| Units of Alcohol per Bottle | 10.5 units |
| Type | Red Wine |
| Features | Vegetarian & Vegan, Organic |
| Dietary Information | Contains Sulphites |
| Food Matches | Try with baba ghanouj or Sea bream with smoked vegetables. |
| Appellation | Bekaa Valley |
