Name: Noé 2012
Type: Red Wine
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Grenache
Year: 2012
Country: Lebanon
Region: Bekaa Valley
Date Consumed: November 19, 2023

I got this bottle from Ardoum Winery. The winemaker explained that they would never make the Noé again because the grapes they used to make the blend weren’t from their own vineyards. From now on, the winemaker explained, they would focus on producing wines made with their own grapes, and they’d be calling them Ardoum. Therefore, it can be said that this was the first and last time I would uncork a bottle of Noé.

The 11-year-old wine slid into my glass, blood-red. I took a sip, worrying that it had passed its prime, but it was still good. I could definitely taste the years. Ferric notes lingered on my tongue for a long moment after I swallowed my first sip. I took a second sip to study its structure, and then a third sip to say goodbye.