Keeping warm in winter - 87p

Happy new year to all wine lovers out there. A busy and strange 2022 has left us - here's hoping 2023 brings us peace and a lot of great wine experiences. We start the year in Lebanon of all places. Maybe not the first country you think of when it comes to wine, but they have been making wine here for millenia and we in Norway have a great selection to choose from. As we have to save some money for the heating bill, this week's wine is very reasonably priced as well.

Located in the West Bekaa Valley, the large estate of Château Kefraya has been the Bustros family’s property for generations.The castle was built starting 1946 on an artificial hill used by the Romans centuries ago to observe their troop movements. Founder Michel de Bustros undertook massive works to implant Château Kefraya’s vineyards on those magnificent hillsides. The vineyard spreads over 300 hectares of terraced slopes, 1000 meters above the Mediterranean Sea, on the foothills of Mount Barouk in the Bekaa Valley. Clay-limestone, clay-chalk as well as sandy and gravelly soils compose a real mosaic of terroirs. The vines enjoy an exceptional sun exposure with no irrigation. In addition to the diversity of soil, Château Kefraya uses a wide and exciting range of grape varieties in its blends, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay and Viognier as well as more unusual varieties such as Carménère, Marselan and Muscat à Petits Grains. ​

This diversity of grapes is present in this week’s wine, Château Kefraya Les Bretèches 2019, with 50% being Syrah, cabernet sauvignon 7%, tempranillo (tinto del pais) 20%, marselan 5%, and cinsault 18%. Bretèches is a quintessential Lebanese wine, with a finely spiced nose of blackcurrant and cherry, it reveals silky tannins and generous red fruits flavors. The launch of each vintage is celebrated with a limited edition label designed by a young Lebanese artist.

Tasting notes:

Ch. Kefraya Bretèches 2019 164,9 kr

The first bouquet is fine and delicate revealing a very complex and balanced aromatic palette. It reveals subtle notes of black fruits, spices, curry, cedar buds and blackberries as well as slightly floral notes of violet. The first impression in the mouth is full and textured. On the palate, a well-balanced aromatic profile is finely revealed, with a slightly spicy texture on the finish. The structure distinguishes itself by the presence of soft and silky tannins marked by the freshness of the fruit.
​This is a wine that is perfect with meat dishes from the Mediterranean like lamb and grilled beef. It has enough sweetness to handle quite spicy food as well.

---