Tag: Beqaa Valley

Review of Muse Le Rouge 2019, a Lebanese red wine from the Bekaa Valley.

Lebanese Wines: Muse Le Rouge 2019

Chris KhatschLeave a comment

Name: Muse Le Rouge 2019
Type: Red Wine
Grapes: Syrah, Cabernet-Sauvignon
Year: 2019
Country: Lebanon
Region: Bekaa Valley
Date Consumed: March 18, 2024

Full-bodied red wine. Medium tannins. Black fruits, plum, blackberry. Some oak and tiny hints of licorice. Successfully paired with steak. I’d like to drink this while smoking a full-bodied maduro Nicaraguan cigar one day. Maybe next time I will. I’d give this wine a 79/100.

The taste of a muse’s kiss in my mouth,
a goddess lying naked on my tongue
making love to the stanzas
I’m about to recite.

Words dipped in wine,
words flowing, coming
from the heart, the soul,
from places as dark as cellars.

The smell of home,
the underground pubs where I spent
my early twenties,
smoking cigarettes,
sipping full-bodied wines
before and after making memories.

The memories aged like wine.
(Some of the girls I kissed didn’t.)
Bottles of good times
uncorked and emptied,
every drop of passion drunk,
every love song sung,
every fire finally extinguished.

And here I am,
a bearded man looking back
one last time
before I stride forward
and never look back again.

Review of Chateau Qanafar Mago 2018, a Lebanese wine.

Lebanese Wines: Chateau Qanafar Mago 2018

Chris Khatsch1 Comment

Name: Château Qanafar Mago 2018
Type: Red Wine
Grapes: Cinsault, Syrah, Cabernet-Sauvignon
Year: 2018
Country: Lebanon
Region: Bekaa
Date Consumed: March 6, 2024

A medium-bodied, well-balanced, low tannin wine. I got notes of red fruits and minute hints of tobacco and spices. It’s not a wine I would bring with me to a formal dinner, but it’s a wine I wouldn’t mind adding to my collection.

Although it does not require your full attention, the Mago is a wine with character. It has something to say. It is also easy to drink, so it’s perfect for wine nights, for times when you plan on uncorking more than one bottle. And trust me when I say that you will want to have a second glass.

It’s a wine that keeps the conversation going. It’s a wine that can produce laughter as well as memories.

I’d give it 87/100.

Château Kefraya Les Exceptions Syrah 2018

Lebanese Wines: Château Kefraya Les Exceptions Syrah 2018

Chris KhatschLeave a comment

Name: Château Kefraya Les Exceptions Syrah 2018
Type: Red Wine
Grapes: Syrah
Year: 2018
Country: Lebanon
Region: Beqaa Valley
Date Consumed: January 7, 2024

The occasional trip to Château Kefraya has never been a bad idea. Whenever I’m there, I get to try something special. And I usually go for the “Les Exceptions” bottles because you can’t find them elsewhere.

My favorite Les Exceptions bottle up until now is the Cabernet-Franc 2017 that I paired with the Cumpay Volcan Maduro cigar back in May 2022. But when I asked for it this time, they were out of stock. So, we tried the Syrah instead. And I’m happy that we did.

I got hints of red fruits, including strawberry, pomegranate, and cherry. It paired well with the full-bodied Oliva Serie V that I was smoking, and I was in great company, so there was nothing I could complain about.

I’d give it 80/100.