Château Kefraya Les Exceptions Syrah 2018

Lebanese Wines: Château Kefraya Les Exceptions Syrah 2018

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.

Lebanese Wines: Aurora Chateau

Lebanese Wines: Aurora Chateau 2018

Name: Aurora Chateau 2018
Type: Red Wine
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot
Year: 2018
Country: Lebanon
Region: North Lebanon
Date Consumed: October 18, 2023

Experience

Rain. Mid-October.
There’s no good news on the news, and
tomorrow could mean war.
In Lebanon, “tomorrow” has always been a treacherous place.
We don’t go there unless we have to,
and we always have to…

Rain. Mid-October.
October means
wine drinking season has begun.
My wife and I decide to cook a nice dinner together
and stay indoors.
I choose the wine.
I choose something nice.
Full-bodied, lustful,
stimulating, dark…

Something’s off.

It feels like I’m having champagne
at a funeral.

Wine Review of a Lebanese wine: Cave du Monastere St Jean Cuvee Zakher 2019

Lebanese Wines: Cave du Monastere St Jean Cuvee Zakher 2019

Name: Cave du Monastere St Jean Cuvee Zakher 2019
Type: Red Wine
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Syrah
Year: 2019
Country: Lebanon
Region: Mount Lebanon
Date Consumed: October 16, 2023

Description:

Minutes after pouring, the sediment settles to the bottom
like childhood sins in the subconscious of an old man.
All is forgiven.
This is a wine that tastes like a prayer on a stormy night.
It is a confession.
Confessions by Saint Augustine, Confessions by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
I can smell old books caramelized on forgotten shelves.
I can taste prunes, rain, and firewood.
At the dinner table with my family, I feel like crying
but I laugh instead.