Domaine de Tourelles 'Skin' Merweh Orange (Lebanon)

Now THIS is some quality old vine orange wine. From one of Lebanon's oldest wineries, this is made with 100% Merweh grapes, with the average age of the vines being 150 years old! Expect bags of character.

The palate opens up fresh and breezy, with the ripe apple and orange fruit coming through next. While not near as grippy as some orange wine cam be, the tannins are present and pleasing, helping give the wine real structure and definition. It also has a lovely note of Jasmine tea. Undertones of guava, lime and summer melon also are all beautifully balanced by a refreshing zing of acidity.

The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts in 19th-century made Amphoras (traditional clay pots) for 7 days on skin contact, then followed by malolactic fermentation.

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. It was also the first commercial cellar in 'modern' Lebanon to produce wines, arak and other spirits. This place has history! The Brun family owned and ran the winery up until the last descendant died in 2003 but luckily two local families - the Issa and Issa el-Khoury families - joined forces to buy the property and continue the fine tradition of winemaking.

Today, this Bekaa Valley estate is run by the three Issa children - twins Faouzi and Johanne and their sister Christiane, alongside Emile Issa-el Khoury, son of one of the co-owners. This young and dynamic combination have introduced a handful of practices in the vineyards and cellar including the use of indigenous natural yeasts, no fining or filtering, and only very small amounts of sulphur. These techniques along with fruit from 40 hectares of ancient, organically cultivated and dry-farmed vineyards (among the oldest in the valley) and a winery perfect for hands-off winemaking, make Domaine des Tourelles one of the finest boutique wineries in the Middle East.

Drink this beauty with herby, bright foods, such as a leafy green salad with pomegranate seeds.