Chateu Ksara, Lebanon

All of Ksara’s vineyards are located in the central and western Bekaa Valley. At an average altitude of 1,000 meters, the Bekaa enjoys dry summers and has the added bonus of its own natural water table, courtesy of the melting snow that runs off the slopes of the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountain ranges. The soil ranges from chalk, to clay and chalk, to clay and lime, but it is always stony. The Bekaa enjoys a Mediterranean climate, with heavy rains and snow in the winter, a mild spring and a dry – in some cases very dry – hot summer. The slope on either side of the valley and the valley itself create a unique micro-climate in which the cool nights compensate for the hot summer days.

Over the past decade, Ksara has seen the introduction of new grape varieties that have grown into vines the Bekaa valley has blissfully nurtured. Ksara has also seen developments in technique such as vines cultivation on wires and the attentive application of advanced science by French oenologists, who watch over the vinification, fermentation and decanting processes.

Today, the wines of Ksara have a specific character, described as a “rare balance of dry fruitiness, of delicacy and coarseness, and of freshness and vigour.” They are the new image of a deliberately international vineyard, classified today as one of the largest. Wines that leave an imprint on the memory which is as long as their history.

posted by Pavel Drapal