Welcome to a special Merlot-versary edition of #MerlotThursday! That’s right…it’s my 52nd weekly Merlot review for The Wine Fairy. Coming next week: A separate article reflecting on all the gallons of Merlot I drank last year, from ten different countries and representing nearly every level of price and quality.
Sometimes, it’s hard to separate the beauty of a wine from the beauty of a story. In the best cases, both are equally moving.
Tonight’s bottle is a Bordeaux-style blend from Lebanon. It’s produced by the boutique winery Chateau Belle-Vue, located in Bhamdoun–a historic, high-altitude wine-growing town on Mount Lebanon.
Belle-Vue’s estates are some of the country’s only vineyard sites outside of the fertile Bekaa Valley heartland. Founders Naji and Jill Boutrous (a Bhamdoun native and an American from Minnesota) are committed to the practices of dry-farming, hand-harvesting, and organic viticulture. The low-yielding vines produce just over one ton of fruit per hectare–less than a third of that of the Right Bank crus that inspire its wines.
Belle-Vue’s flagship blend, “La Renaissance” (“rebirth”), references the decades-long project of restoring ancient terraced vineyards on the mountain’s slopes. The label features a vintage image of the Hotel Belle-Vue, built in 1860 and destroyed during the civil war in 1983. On the foil capsule is an image of a small lizard that thrives in the Levantine scrubland even during periods of strife.
Writes Naji Boutrous, “After the war, the vineyards were left in ruins. The fields that are green today, they used to burn every year.” The winery is deeply involved in the restoration of Bhamdoun, leasing vineyards from villagers and supporting educational efforts including a scholarship fund and a community library.
The 2013 vintage is composed of 60% Merlot. Belle-Vue’s Merlot enjoys the benefits of both altitude and warmth, sunning itself on wide west-facing terraces at approximately 3500 feet above the plain. The wine undergoes a natural yeast fermentation and is aged for 24 months in French oak barrels before final blending. 1,500 cases were produced.
Tasting “La Renaissance”
It pours up a warm-hued, deep Bordeaux red with slow, lightly staining tears. A complex, voluptuous nose quickly silences the room: Dried Montmorency cherries, red-fleshed plum, chocolate truffles, and a wild, woodsy shadow of underbrush and ferns.
But wait, there’s more. Dense huddle of spices, resins, and herbs–still distinct in their voices, but beginning to echo each other after twelve years together in the bottle. A short decant (20-30 minutes) begins to sort everything out. Treacle, clean earth, and leather are lifted by vaporous notes of brandy, camphor, and menthol.
On the palate, it’s somewhat leaner, balanced out by 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. Fresh red fruits correspond to bright acidity, smoothed over by a base note of chocolate and coffee. A tidy framework of tannin leads into a dry, leafy (but never bitter) finish. Very high alcohol gives a liqueur-like quality, which is supported by the powerful aromatics.
The next hour is a different chapter. Having expanded into the air–spilling fruits and spices in all directions–the wine contracts once again. Dried cranberry, cedar/juniper, and an iron-tinged mineral edge all supplant the plush fruit. The tasting experience shifts to texture.
It’s a plot twist–but somehow the wine never feels disjointed. It never becomes a wine of two parts. This is the Merlot blend at its most ideal: A generous but serious wine.
Pairing “La Renaissance”
I fully respect the challenge of coming up with non-traditional and plant-based pairings for heavy red wines. Give me a mushroom risotto, a stuffed grilled artichoke, or a vegetarian mezze and I would relish any of them alongside this gorgeous bottle.
But on a different day. Last night, the wine was screaming out for meat and potatoes–while its wholesome story called for something homey, not fussy. I served it with Worcestershire steak tips, Brussels sprouts, and paprika-coated oven fries.
Bottle: Chateau Belle-Vue “La Renaissance” Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon Blend (2013) – Lebanon
Variety: Merlot (60%), Cabernet Sauvignon (40%)
ABV: 14.5%
Suggested retail: $50
My rating: 9.4 (out of 10)
Further reading:
City of Aley: Chateau Belle-Vue (Winery profile)
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
On Thursdays, we Merlot! See past #MerlotThursday reviews.
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