Mersel 'Phoenix' Merwah Skin Contact White Lebanon 2023

Mersel 'Phoenix' Merwah Skin Contact White Lebanon 2023Press 4 White May 2025 Direct Press Selection Lebanon is one of the oldest winemaking regions in the world. The Romans were used to planting vines in most of the regions they occupied but there were vines in present day Lebanon long before the Romans arrived. The French occupied Lebanon more recently, and their influence on wine is still very prominent. However, winemakers like Eddie Chami of Mersel are trying to move away from that, working with

Dominique Hauvette is a modern day renaissance woman of sorts

She sold the wines locally—she still does—and her superior fruit and raw

and less pepper

a very rare combination these days

and 5% mixed indigenous varieties

Aetneus is their old-vine rosso

and Gamay in California instead of the Bordeaux or Burgundian varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay

Cousin's wines are still as wild and uncompromising as ever

12 months maceration

lively wine that has elements fighting with each other in a good way

The peat is finely complemented by notes of cumin

In the Leoncio cellar