Cinsault has been farmed in the Bekaa Valley since the mid-19th century before ceding the way to new imported varieties. In 2014, Domaine des Tourelles decided to revive this grape by searching out very old Cinsault vines, over 50 years of age and located in Western Bekaa. The grapes are hand picked and fermented with indigenous yeasts in concrete vats for ten days. Malolactic fermentation begins spontaneously. The wine is then aged for 1 year in concrete and then spends a further 6 months in used French oak barrels to round out the tannins. The result is a supple wine that beautifully reflects the terroir of the Bekaa Valley, with an aging potential of several years.
“The 2021 is utterly moreish, expressive and vibrant but deserves to be taken seriously. It smells of bitter-sweet cherry, with a subtle and attractive impression of stone dust and a lovely peppery note. A bitter-red-fruit freshness dominates the flavour that fills out the chalky-dry and definite, refined tannins. There’s a delicious ‘bite’ of freshness on the finish and even with all this energy and life, it somehow manages to be elegant, too. The alcohol is a respectable and integrated 13.5%.” Julia Harding MW Jancis Robinson Wine of The Week.
The nose has an exotic mix of ripe fig, bright red cherry and plum fruit with star anise spice, it’s lifted and pronounced. The palate has beautifully ripe red fruit characters alongside fig and spice notes. The acidity and tannin perfectly balances the generous flavours and leaves a pure, clean finish.
