WHAT

Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon

WHEN

2013

WHERE

Bhamdoun, Mount Lebanon, Lebanon

In the late 1990s, Naji Boutros left his businesses in London and New York and returned to his ancestral village of Bhamdoun in the mountains above Beirut. The village had been largely abandoned during Lebanon's civil war — scarred, emptied, its terraced hillsides overgrown. Boutros spent his first months on the land, learning to farm it. What followed was one of the most quietly remarkable stories in the wine world: Château Belle-Vue now has 120 plots across the valleys around Bhamdoun, has brought employment back to the village, and is recognised as one of Lebanon's finest boutique wineries with a cult following among collectors in the US and Europe.

La Renaissance — "rebirth," a name that earns its meaning — is the estate's flagship and most produced wine, at only 1,500 cases per year. 60% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, grown organically on ancient rock terraces at 950-1,250 metres above sea level, dry-farmed with no pesticides or herbicides. The vines sit on calcareous clay and limestone, exposed to extreme diurnal swings between scorching days and cool mountain nights. Grapes are hand harvested, fermented naturally, aged 24 months in French oak barrels, then aged a further minimum of two years in bottle before release. The result is a structured, complex red with dark fruit, warm spices, morello cherry, dark chocolate, and integrated tannins. Decant for 30 minutes. Serve with lamb, game, or aged cheeses.