Tag: Bekaa Valley

Review of Chateau Khoury's Cuvee Ste Therese 2019

Lebanese Wines: Chateau Khoury Cuvee Ste Therese 2019

Chris KhatschLeave a comment

Name: Chateau Khoury Cuvee Ste Therese 2019
Type: Red Wine
Grapes: Caladoc, Pinot Noir
Year: 2019
Country: Lebanon
Region: Bekaa Valley
Date Consumed: November 12, 2025

I opened this bottle during a relaxed lunch with my wife. It turned out to be the kind of wine that makes you nod approvingly after every sip.

This is the second Chateau Khoury wine we’ve tried (so far). The first one was the Chateau Khoury Symphonie 2010. We liked both very much.

The nose of the Cuvee Ste Therese offers bright notes of red fruits and friendly, agreeable spices. It feels open and lively, and it slides invitingly into the glass.

On the palate, the wine is dry and medium-bodied, The tannins are there, but they’re amicable. And a gentle thread of oak runs through it. The taste is fresh, frank, and unpretentious.

It is what it is: a good wine elevating a weekday lunch.

I’d gladly revisit this one…

I’d want to drink more of it next summer, probably chilled.

Review of the Lebanese Wine called Chateau Khoury Symphonie

Lebanese Wines: Chateau Khoury Symphonie 2010

Chris Khatsch1 Comment

Name: Chateau Khoury Symphonie 2010
Type: Red Wine
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah
Year: 2010
Country: Lebanon
Region: Bekaa Valley
Date Consumed: November 8, 2025

I uncorked the bottle during a casual family dinner. This was my first time trying anything by Chateau Khoury, and their Chateau Symphonie 2010 turned out to be a wine worth returning to.

It’s the kind of bottle that wins you over slowly. The first sip is nice, but the second and third sips are much nicer. The Chateau Symphonie is very approachable yet expressive, it is refined without being showy…

The palate is smooth, with medium acidity and matured, well-integrated tannins, and its name really suits its spirit as it offers a symphony of notes, including ripe red fruits and black cherries, and subtle touches of cocoa and oak.

Review of the Lebanese Wine Reserve Ammiq Cuvee 2020

Lebanese Wines: Reserve Ammiq Cuvee 2020

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Name: Reserve Ammiq Cuvee 2020
Type: Red Wine
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Cinsault
Year: 2020
Country: Lebanon
Region: Bekaa Valley
Date Consumed: October 24, 2025

Let me start by saying that my wife and I both agree that Reserve Ammiq’s Cuvee was even better than their Chateau. How can this be? I don’t know. I’m still trying to figure that out.

The Reserve Ammiq Cuvee 2020 is an excellent blend with remarkable balance and structure.

It is a dry, full-bodied red wine. The tannins are assertive, but they don’t overpower the palate. The Cabernet Sauvignon, which is 70% of the blend, reveals itself through classic notes of black fruits, cassis, and tobacco, and hints of leather. The other grapes, the Carignan and the Cinsault, softer the edges and make the blend a little gentler, smoother.

What I love about this wine is how approachable it is and how it doesn’t demand an occasion. You can open it on an ordinary night, pair it with a simple home-cooked meal, and it still feels like something special.