These are two exceptional wines that truly deserve attention. The 2004 Ksara, Reserve Du Covenant is rare and difficult to find, though younger vintages are available. The Oumsiyat, Douce Nuit 2015, might still be accessible.
I opened the Ksara a couple of hours before dinner and paired it with lamb steaks and flatbread. The Oumsiyat was reserved for pudding and complemented an apricot tarte, both of which are Lebanese favourites in our family.
The Ksara threw a significant amount of sediment, I just hadn’t expected as much from a 2004 vintage. Maybe because this wine is aged for about a year in oak barrels—admittedly the previous years oak—but the process works remarkably well. The nose reveals hints of vanilla mingled with cherries and blackberries, while the age imparts a touch of leather and spice. Though not an expensive wine, it feels like one. The finish is long, with a surprising hint of espresso.
The Oumsiyat, on the other hand, displayed a dark amber core with a brown hue. On the first swirl, it released aromas of apricot and caramelized brown sugar. The palate was rich with flavours of raisins, dates, nuts, and honey. If you've ever tried a well-aged Tokaji or the Spanish Pedro Ximénez, you'll understand the profile. The finish was long with a delightful mouthfeel of honey and nuts.
Both wines paired beautifully with their respective courses, offering a unique and French/Arabic alternative in the lead-up to Christmas dinner.
I have cherished Lebanese wine for many years. In the early 1990s, while working for the Egyptian Wine Company, I took a flight to a small airport just outside Beirut. The main airport was out of service for some reason, which was a disappointment as I had hoped to explore the capital. However, I spent a delightful couple of days touring the wineries. There weren’t many at the time, and I’ll never forget donning an exceptionally hot flak jacket to visit the vines—juxtaposed with the previous year when I worked in an English vineyard wearing just shorts and a T-shirt.
Interestingly, the marketing strategies for Lebanese and English wines share a similarity: both rely heavily on tourist purchases for survival. With the lack of tourists to Lebanon, next time you visit your wine merchant, wine club, or supermarket, consider picking up some Lebanese wine and advocating for more to be stocked. We must not allow this wonderful wine region to fade into obscurity.
For 15 years, Athan Zafirov has traveled the vineyards around the world and worked with some of the greatest chefs including Francois Duc and Alan Brown.
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