At the table with Couvent Rouge 2017
Lamb skewers with herbs, grilled beef fillet, spiced vegetable tagine, roast game, blue cheeses.
Let's talk little, let's talk wine
Couvent Rouge 2017Couvent Rouge
This red cuvée comes from Deir el Ahmar, a village in the northern Bekaa, in Lebanon. The estate works with the growers of the Coteaux d’Héliopolis cooperative, on high-altitude vineyards reaching up to 1,800 metres. The appellation is not specified.
This wine reveals notes of ripe red fruit, raspberry, redcurrant, blackberry, fig, tobacco, cigar, wood, toast, pepper, smoke and minerality. The palate is structured and broad, driven by balanced acidity; the tannins, present but controlled, accompany a persistent finish with slightly bitter and spicy nuances.
Where are we traveling?
The Bekaa ValleyLebanon
The true cradle of Lebanese viticulture, the Bekaa Valley stretches for around a hundred kilometres between the Mount Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon ranges, some thirty kilometres east of Beirut, from which it is separated by a mountain pass. The vines grow mostly between 900 and 1,200 metres above sea level, in a continental Mediterranean climate with very dry summers: the days are very hot and bright, but the cool nights, fed by air descending from the snow-capped peaks, preserve the acidity and aromatic freshness of the grapes. The soils, clay-limestone and stony, sometimes sandy or gravelly, rest on a limestone base that drains well and holds water at depth. The region stands out for its sun-drenched, spicy reds, made from Cinsault, Carignan, Grenache, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, and for taut whites in which the native Obeidi and Merwah grapes sit alongside Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.
The little history of the country
Lebanon
The whole history of Lebanese wine goes back more than five millennia. It begins with the Phoenicians, an ancient civilisation whose strong culture of travel and trade was of considerable importance to the development of the first Mediterranean civilisation. Wine was a major export for this ancient culture and was shipped to Egypt in large volumes and traded for gold. Lebanon was under the rule of the Ottoman Empire from 1517, and the strictly applied sharia laws allowed neither the growing of vines nor the making of wine, except for religious purposes. It was only when France inherited the mandate over Lebanon and Syria after the First World War, when the Ottoman Empire was dismantled, that viticulture would truly develop. Lebanon is therefore a Middle Eastern country with an ancient wine culture that has experienced a renaissance in recent decades. In 2011, around six million bottles of Lebanese wine were produced from 2,000 hectares of vineyards. Modern Lebanese viticulture has moved away from the old Phoenician port cities and shifted inland, to the fertile Bekaa Valley. There is also a handful of vineyards near Jezzine, a few kilometres from the southern end of the Bekaa Valley, just inland from Sidon. Most Lebanese wine is exported to the United Kingdom, France and the United States, where receptive consumers have encouraged healthy growth in Lebanon's modern wine industry. In 1998 there were fewer than 10 wineries in Lebanon; today there are more than 30. Red wines make up the largest share of production and are generally made from the classic grape varieties of southern France: Carignan, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. White wines may include Ugni Blanc, Clairette and Chardonnay.
All about Couvent Rouge 2017
At what temperature should Couvent Rouge 2017 be served?
Between 15 and 17 °C.
How long can Couvent Rouge 2017 be kept?
Ageing potential: 5 to 10 years, until around 2027. Store the bottle lying down, away from light, at around 12 °C.
Which grapes make up Couvent Rouge 2017?
Grapes: 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Syrah, 30% Tempranillo. Origin: Bekaa, Lebanon. Alcohol: 13%.