Château Ksara, Château Red, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 2013

Aged for 12 months in new oak, this is Ksara's attempt to emulate the great wines of Bordeaux, and perhaps even steal some glory from their Lebanese rival - Château Musar. This has a woody, graphite and cedar profile on the nose, joined by some notes of fresh tobacco. On the palate, juicy cherry and plum fruit is framed by fine grained, sweet tannins. A fragrant style with a beautiful elegance to it. Sweet spice complexity appears on the long finish. A lovely wine and a great alternative to Bordeaux.