Chateau Ksara 2012 - Clos St Alphonse, Lebanon. Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon. Marks & Spencer, £10
I don't often buy wine from M&S, but I think I probably should. They've got a wide and interesting selection, that's particularly good for Italian reds. Then there's their little 'Fine wines' section to gaze at desperately, with its pricey Bordeaux and Burgundy reds... But that's for someone else's blog.
Last time I was there I found this red blend from Chateau Ksara in Lebanon, sitting with wines from Israel, Turkey, Greece and Georgia. You don't find a range like that in Tesco. I'd never had Lebanese wine before but heard lots of good things about it. And yep, this is pretty good. The label says the wine offers 'wild red currant and plum aromas over a palate of spiced fruit and chocolate notes.' This is remarkably accurate. Probably the best description I've ever seen on a wine label. It's very fruity at the start, but there's this bitter chocolate flavour right at the end that compliments it really well. It's very Italian in style - the fruit is tempered nicely with a slight sourness - despite this being made of 3 grapes that are not common to Italian wine. I think this would go beautifully with bolognese.
Apparently Chateau Ksara is absolutely enormous, produces about 4 million bottles a year and exports all over the world. Good for them, eh?
I don't often buy wine from M&S, but I think I probably should. They've got a wide and interesting selection, that's particularly good for Italian reds. Then there's their little 'Fine wines' section to gaze at desperately, with its pricey Bordeaux and Burgundy reds... But that's for someone else's blog.
Last time I was there I found this red blend from Chateau Ksara in Lebanon, sitting with wines from Israel, Turkey, Greece and Georgia. You don't find a range like that in Tesco. I'd never had Lebanese wine before but heard lots of good things about it. And yep, this is pretty good. The label says the wine offers 'wild red currant and plum aromas over a palate of spiced fruit and chocolate notes.' This is remarkably accurate. Probably the best description I've ever seen on a wine label. It's very fruity at the start, but there's this bitter chocolate flavour right at the end that compliments it really well. It's very Italian in style - the fruit is tempered nicely with a slight sourness - despite this being made of 3 grapes that are not common to Italian wine. I think this would go beautifully with bolognese.
Apparently Chateau Ksara is absolutely enormous, produces about 4 million bottles a year and exports all over the world. Good for them, eh?