Delicious and well-balanced, this Cabernet Franc "Made in Lebanon" glorifies its mountain terroir.

This 3,000-bottle micro-cuvée is a real treat, with a luring nose of red fruits - raspberries and cherries - and sweet spices, ending with a hint of menthol. Charming too on the palate, with elegant, smooth tannins and fine mellow oak, just the way the owners like it: Lebanese doctor Fadi Geara, his wife Nathalie, in charge of design and creation, and Andréa, their daughter, on marketing.

The family has been running since 2003 this small vineyard of just 2.5 hectares sitting at an altitude of 850 meters in the heart of the mountains overlooking the seaside town of Batroun in northern Lebanon. This geographical situation allows the vineyard to benefit from a sea climate, which softens and humidifies the atmosphere, provides relatively temperate summers, and extends the ripening of the grapes further than elsewhere.

Planted in clay-limestone soils on redeveloped old terraces, the vines grow beside the surrounding bushes, overlooking the fields of olive trees, abundant in this region.

At Aurora, six vintages are produced every year, for a total of 17,000 to 20,000 bottles. This Cabernet Franc is by far their greatest success. Maybe it's because Fadi Geara, lover of French wines and especially those of the Loire, of which this grape variety is emblematic, knows how to respect its elegance and give it fresh energy. Enjoy it now with fine red meat, lamb, or cellar it for several years.