A classic red wine, with Bordeaux overtones, to pair with red meats or dishes in sauce.

The vintage is still quite young, having aged for almost 18 months in French oak barrels. While its powerful tannins are still firm (the wine needs to be aerated for at least 30 minutes before tasting), this Domaine de Baal Red 2018 possesses wonderful substance with fruity notes, particularly of black cherries.

The palate bursts with cocoa and spice flavors, ending with a pleasant minty finish.

We would have expected nothing less from Sébastien Khoury, owner of this charming 4.5-hectare vineyard nestled in the hills above the town of Zahleh, at the heart of the Bekaa Valley at an altitude of almost 1,000 meters.

In Lebanon, this self-taught winemaker, who has always been devoted to organic and even biodynamic viticulture, has made a name for himself with his garage wines, respectful of the terroir from which he aims to draw the best expression.

Living between France and Lebanon, he works his vines the old-fashioned way, favoring plowing and manual harvesting, while employing ultra-modern techniques such as green harvesting, where the vines are stripped of some of their still-green grapes in order to reduce yields and improve the taste qualities of the grapes.