Saint George Cabernet Carmenere Winemaker's Selection from Jordan, a blend of Bordeaux's most planted grape with the one Bordeaux lost, Cabernet Sauvignon giving structure and cassis, Carmenere adding its dark plum, pepper and savoury depth.
Tasting Notes
Carmenere was widely planted in Bordeaux before phylloxera and survives today mostly in Chile. Blended with Cabernet Sauvignon it brings dark plum, black pepper and a savoury, faintly herbal depth to the Cabernet's cassis, cedar and firm frame. Expect a deeply coloured, full bodied red with ripe black fruit, soft spice from oak ageing and well balanced tannins, closing long and dry.
Quick Facts
- Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenere
- Origin: Jordan (clay, limestone and basalt soils)
- Style: Dry red, full bodied, oak aged, Winemaker's Selection, certified organic
- Viticulture: Certified organic, yields held under two tonnes per hectare, no herbicides or chemical fertiliser
Food Pairing
Korean marinated sirloin, short rib ragout, grilled red meats, and chocolate fondue.
Serving
Serve at 16 to 18°C. Decant thirty minutes before pouring.
About the Producer
Saint George is the wine of Omar Zumot, whose father Bulos founded the family drinks company in 1954. The name comes from the church of Saint George at Madaba, beside which Omar planted his first vineyard using vines brought from France. The estate now farms three sites: Madaba on clay and limestone, Souf in the mountains of Jerash at 1,150 metres, and the principal vineyard at Sama al-Sarhan on the Syrian border, where basalt thrown out by the extinct volcano of Jabal Druze layers the soil and changes every half metre. All are certified organic. Sheep graze between the rows, irrigation comes from carp ponds that enrich the water with nitrate, and yields are held below two tonnes per hectare, around a quarter of the world average.
