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. 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 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.