Pale lemon colour and a nose of apples, fresh hay with a hint of vanilla and grapefruit citrus notes. There are orange flower notes to the nose which follow through to the palate with sweet basil, peach and tarte tatin flavours which will develop as the wine ages. Our tastings after the harvest at the winery revealed an elegant Obaideh and a ‘wild’ Merwah, perhaps a perfect combination of styles and genuine reflection of the terroir and the ease with which they have adapted to Lebanese conditions over centuries. The 2017 vintage looks very promising; it would benefit from decanting and, cellared well, it will keep for decades. The quality of the indigenous Obaideh and Merwah exceeded our expectations this year.
