Chateau Oumsiyat, 'Blanc de Blanc', Bekaa Valley

A mouth watering wine with refreshing flavours of green pears through to a lovely saline finish.

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 cooler 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 manually harvested at optimal maturity.

Winemaking

The grapes were gently pressed and the pure must was racked and cool fermented in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures of 14 to 16°C with selected yeasts. The wine did not go through malolactic fermentation, in order to retain the desired crisp and fresh style. It was vinified without the influence of oak to retain the purity of fruit. The wine was carefully blended with the Ugni Blanc imparting characteristic acidity and freshness, Clairette adding green apple and fresh citrus notes and the Sauvignon Blanc offering crisp vivacity to the richness of the unctuous Chardonnay. The wine was gently filtered prior to bottling.

Tasting Note

A mouth watering wine with refreshing flavours of ripe yellow fruits and subtle floral overtones. Beautifully balanced on the palate with a soft, fruity finish.

Grape

Ugni Blanc 60%, Clairette 20%, Sauvignon Blanc 12%, Chardonnay 8%