Château Ksara Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Château Ksara Cabernet Sauvignon is matured in French oak casks (50% new oak) for about 14 months before bottling. The wine is bursting with classy blackcurrant and cedar aromas, that have now begun to develop 'secondary' complexity.
Nobody knows when wine was first made in Lebanon, although the Phoenician ancestors of today's Lebanese were certainly among the earliest winemakers. Later, in the Greco-Roman era, a wine cult flourished, as the ruins of the Temple of Bacchus at Baalbeck in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley bear eloquent witness.
In the heart of the Bekaa, near Baalbeck, lies the KSARA estate, so named because it was the site of a ksar, or fortress, at the time of the Crusades. The property was acquired by the Jesuit Fathers in 1857 when it was already famed as a vineyard and they perpetuated the tradition of winemaking.
In particular, they pioneered the introduction of high-quality vines in Lebanon. New varietals, enjoying the exceptional climatic conditions in the Bekaa, were cultivated at Ksara and later at Tanail, an estate of 240 hectares (600 acres) which also belonged to the Jesuit Fathers and which sent all its grapes to Ksara's cellars.
Ksara's natural wine cellar was a grotto discovered by the Romans who consolidated part of the vault and dug several narrow tunnels from the cave into the surrounding chalk. These tunnels were enlarged to their present size during World War I when the Jesuit Fathers sought to alleviate famine in Lebanon by creating employment.
One hundred men toiled with picks and shovels for four years to complete an underground network of tunnels stretching for almost two kilometres (about 2,000 yards).The temperature in the tunnels is ideal for wine, varying throughout the year from 11 to 13ºC. Ksara came into the hands of its present owners when the Jesuit Fathers decided to sell the estate in conformity with the directives of the Vatican II synod.
Today, Ksara produces wines with strong personalities, achieving a rare condition of dry fruitiness, delicacy and robustness. Wines that leave an imprint on the memory which is as long as their history.
| RRP | £28.75 |
| Vintage | 2019 |
| Alcoholic strength | 14% |
| Serve with | Spicy North African dishes |
| Country | Lebanon |
| Region | Bekaa Valley |
| Grapes | Cabernet Sauvignon 100% |
| Body | C |
| Contains sulphites | Yes |
Château Ksara is Lebanon's oldest winery. Its traditions can be traced back to 1857 when a group of Jesuit monks acquired the property. The Jesuits applied their knowledge of science and agriculture to plant French vines as well as developing two kilometres of Roman caves that proved ideal for the storage of wine. The Jesuits sold the winery to its current owners in 1973. Ksara is now the most modern winery in the region as well as the largest producer in the country. Their annual production is over 2.8 million bottles and they sell their wines in more than 40 countries worldwide. Château Ksara is certified ISO 9001 and ISO 2200.00 for its viticulture, production and sales guaranteeing quality and consistency year on year.
Ksara's vineyards are located in the central and western Bekaa Valley at high altitudes. The Bekaa enjoys dry summers and has the advantage of its own natural water table, courtesy of the melting snow that runs off the Lebanon and AntiLebanon mountain ranges; therefore no irrigation is needed in the vineyards. The slopes on either side of the valley and the valley itself create a unique microclimate in which the cool nights compensate for the hot summer days.
