Chateau Ksara Reserve du Couvent
I used to travel a great deal for my job. One such trip, in 2012, took me to Lebanon. On my one free in Beirut I went on a day tour to Anjar, Baalbeck, and Chateau Ksara. As this was in my days of casual wine enjoyment I appreciated the trip to the winery but not to the levels of geeky delight I would achieve today. For me at the time, Lebanese wine was merely a curiosity and a fun souvenir to bring home. How differently I would do things should I ever return!
Baalbeck
Chateau Ksara, one of the oldest wineries in Lebanon, carries on today the winemaking traditions of the Jesuits who founded it in 1857.
Having grown significantly since its foundation, vineyards spread around the Chateau’s complex which includes the winery, a tasting room/restaurant, and Lebanon’s first astronomy/observation tour. Located in the heart of the Bekaa Valley at an average altitude of 1,000 meters, vines grow without pesticides or herbicides. The soil ranges from chalk, to clay and chalk, to clay and limestone, but it is always stony.
The winery produces a range of red, white, and rosé wines (in addition to tradition arak!) from a wide array of grape varieties. The Chateau Ksara Reserve du Couvent is a majority Syrah blend of Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. Each of the wines aged in French oak for an average of 12 months prior to blending.
Chateau Ksara Reserve du Couvent 2010 Tasting Notes
While I lived in DC, I maintained a small wine collection. Never more than 50 bottles at a time, the bulk of which were from Virginia wineries. I rarely drank much because I couldn’t conceive drinking an entire bottle myself in the few days an open bottle would last. Of course now I’m good for a bottle a day on my own and I laugh at old me. When I moved to Turkey my wine, like the rest of my things, got packed up and sent to my parents for storage but I liberated a couple bottles on each return trip. This one from Chateau Ksara included.
From first sniff this was love. The Chateau Ksara Reserve du Couvent 2010 began with deep animal and earth tones of leather and soil before it opened to dried roses and red fruits. A couple few years of bottle aging barely tamed the big tannins and slightly racy acid. Medium plus body with moderate alcohol at just 13%. Juicy cherries on the palate with hints of spice, pepper, and a long, lingering earthy finish.
Chateau Ksara Reserve du Couvent 2015 Tasting Notes
Having enjoyed the 2010 so much, I couldn’t resist the 2015 when I saw it in a wine shop on a visit back to the US. It was every bit as gorgeous as the 2010 if more untamed for being younger.
Occasionally I come across wines that have such a gorgeous bouquet, I want to climb into smell and never leave. This was one of those wines. Earthy and barnyard aromas made me nostalgic for the fields and horse barns of my youth. The intensely earthy and game aromas swirled around in the glass with tobacco, purple flowers, and hints of bright red fruits.
Chewy tannins filled my mouth with flavors of tobacco flowers and chocolate. Still moderate alcohol levels but a little higher than the 2010 (13.5% abv) with a medium plus body and a long finish. We paired this with a semi-hard truffle cheese which brought out dried fruit flavors and a different level of richness.
I really love the Lebanese wines I’ve had, both red and white. Luckily for me, my boss is Lebanese and generously brings me a bottle or two whenever she goes home!