Chateau Oumsiyat Jaspe Rouge, Bekaa Valley

Lebanon with a Southern French twist. A fleshy and spicy wine with baked red fruits and earthy overtones.

Producer Note

Passion and heritage has been passed down through the Bou Sleiman family for four generations. When Joseph Bou Sleiman took over the reins at Château Oumsiyat, he blended respect for local tradition with modern techniques to craft contemporary wines. A passionate vine grower, Joseph also built a modern winery in the village of Mtein, where he creates wines that are a fusion of Old World and New World. The grapes are grown in the 78 hectare vineyard, situated at over 1,000 metres elevation in the beautiful Bekaa Valley, between Mount Lebanon to the west and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains to the east. The altitude, microclimate and soils combine in this ancient terroir to produce fresh wines with a very Mediterranean “feel.”

Vineyard

The vines are planted at an altitude of 1,000 metres above sea level, where the warm days are tempered by cooler nights. The summer diurnal temperature difference is 20°C, which encourages an extended ripening period, concentrating the flavours and aromatic complexity in the berries, while retaining balancing acidity from the cool nights. The soil is calcareous clay which is a cool soil that has good water retention properties to nourish the vines during the hot, dry summers. Due to its pH, calcareous clay soils tend to produce refreshing wines, which encourages further balance to the ripeness of fruit. The vines are cane pruned and are planted at a density of 4,000 vines per hectare. The vineyard is cultivated with respect for the environment and the grapes are hand-harvested at optimal maturity.

Winemaking

The fruit was carefully sorted to ensure only healthy, ripe grapes were vinified. Each variety was fermented separately in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures of 28°C with inoculated yeasts. Remontage or pump overs took place periodically to oxygenate the wine and extract tannins. Moderate post-fermentation maceration took place to extract colour, flavour and impart structure to the wine. The wine went through malolactic fermentation resulting in a softer palate and was made without oak influence to showcase the purity of fruit. The wine was carefully blended with the Cabernet Sauvignon imparting black fruit flavours and mid-palate texture, the Syrah adding structure and spicy notes, the Carignan offering deep colour and balancing freshness and the Cinsault a softness and aromatic notes. Gently filtered prior to bottling.

Tasting Note

Intense and aromatic aromas of wild red and black fruits are overlaid with hints of black pepper spice. Beautifully structured on the palate, with well integrated tannins enveloping the rich fruit through to a long finish.

Grape

Cabernet Sauvignon 30%, Syrah 30%, Carignan 20%, Cinsault 20%