Mersel Lebnani Ahmar, pure Cinsaut from Deir El Ahmar in the Bekaa, spicy, fruity and smoky with ripe strawberry, cherry and dried fruit, black pepper and clove, and a floral lift of violet.
Tasting Notes
Spicy, fruity and smoky, with ripe strawberry, cherry and dried fruit. Behind the fruit come spicy notes of black pepper and clove, along with a floral lift of violet. Cinsaut is one of the great underrated Mediterranean red varieties, capable of real perfume when it is not overcropped. Fermented natively in a sealed concrete tank for up to two weeks, pressed off skins, then a further week of fermentation before natural malolactic.
Quick Facts
- Grape: 100% Cinsaut
- Origin: Lebanon, Deir El Ahmar in the Bekaa Valley at 1,200m
- Style: Dry red, light to medium bodied, natural wine
- Winemaking: Hand harvested in September, destemmed into sealed concrete tank, native fermentation up to two weeks at 25°C, pressed off skins, a further week of fermentation, then natural malolactic
Food Pairing
Lebanese mezze, grilled kebabs, lamb, and spiced vegetable dishes.
Serving
Serve at 14°C. Twenty minutes in the fridge before pouring if the room is warm.
About the Producer
Mersel Wine is a natural wine producer working in the Lebanese mountains, founded by winemaker Eddie Chami. The estate farms high altitude sites from Terboul at 700 metres up to Ainata in the Bekaa at 1,700 metres, working with the indigenous Merwah grape alongside international varieties, using hand picking, indigenous yeasts and minimal intervention.
