Chateau Musar, Bekaa Valley (Lebanon) 2017

 This is a blend of Cinsault (45%), Syrah (45%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%).  The grapes, which were grown in organically certified vineyards, were fermented in concrete vats.  Once the wine was blended, it rested in more concrete vats until it was bottled in 2018.  “Musar Jeune,” which is unfiltered, is as dark as midnight, with dense berry flavors, light tannins and lively acidity.  Lebanon’s viticultural region, the Bekaa Valley, lies almost 20 miles east of Beirut and is about 75 miles long and almost 10 miles wide.  With wet, occasionally snowy winters and warm, dry summers this is the kind of climate in which grapes thrive.