Description
Domaine de Baal, “Le Petit Baal”
Some of the most ancient wine-producing countries in the world are mostly ignored by the broader market today. I’m thinking of places like Georgia and Hungary (long trapped behind the Iron Curtain), Portugal (under the thumb of a nationalist dictator for decades), and Lebanon, where homegrown winemaker Sébastien Khoury returned in 2006 after a lengthy sojourn in Bordeaux. Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley is an enviable and historic wine region, with a history that goes back to the days of the Phoenicians, yet few Americans know anything about it other than its most famous estate, Château Musar. This may be the “Middle East,” but from a wine perspective, it may as well be southern France, Spain, or Italy—a true “Mediterranean” terroir capable of producing world-class wines to accompany an equally world-class cuisine.
It’s been 30 years since the end of Lebanon’s civil war, and since then the number of wineries in the Bekaa Valley has ballooned—the region is a kind of oasis when you consider that war-torn Syria is on the other side of the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, which form the Valley’s (and the nation’s) eastern border. Khoury’s ambitious operation, which includes a magnificent modern winery cut into a hillside at 1,200 meters in elevation, draws inspiration not just from Bordeaux but the Rhône and Burgundy, too, although “Le Petit Baal,” despite being driven by Syrah, bears closest resemblance to a powerful, polished Right Bank red. This is an extremely luxurious wine at this price point, and its appeal only grows the longer it’s open. These days, you never know where your next great wine experience is going to come from, so an open mind is essential!
Khoury spent six years soaking up winemaking (and growing) experience in Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux, before returning to his family’s farm in the Mount-Lebanon mountains (the western side of the North-South Bekaa Valley) to begin constructing Domaine de Baal. Like Musar and most of the rest of Lebanon’s wineries, the French influence here is heavy, given Lebanon’s long history under French colonial rule; most wineries are prefaced with either “Château” or “Domaine” and the French language is still commonly spoken. Bekaa Valley, which produces the majority of all Lebanese wine, has all the makings of a world-class wine zone: The two mountain ranges that flank the narrow valley reach to some serious elevations and protect the vines from harsh weather from either the Mediterranean to the west or the desert to the east. The altitude of vineyards like Baal’s, which average around 1,200 meters, allow for wide diurnal temperature swings in what is otherwise a hot, dry, sunny climate. Considering that the heart of the Bekaa Valley sits four degrees south of Palermo, Sicily in terms of latitude, the balance and elegance of Khoury’s Le Petit Baal is remarkable—and says a lot about the region’s viability as a world-class production zone.
Khoury’s 12 hectares of vineyards, which he originally planted in 1994, are farmed organically and are rooted in soils of clay/loam over limestone. In every respect, this is a fully modern “boutique” winery with all the bells and whistles, including some spectacular vaulted stone cellars filled with expensive French oak barrels. “Le Petit Baal” is positioned as a kind of second wine to the estate’s “Grand Vin,” and its blend—80% Syrah/20% Merlot—reflects the varietal mix found throughout the Bekaa Valley, which resembles that of Mediterranean France. In a nod to Burgundy, Khoury employs “whole cluster” fermentation using ambient yeast only, then ages the Petit Baal in used French oak barrels for 8-10 months before bottling.
I opened a bottle of this 2018 and tracked it over the course of a few days. It largely resembles a very polished, powerful Right Bank Bordeaux from Pomerol or St-Émilion, but as it takes on air, a darker, wilder character emerges, because, of course—no one’s going to put Syrah in a corner! You don’t see Syrah and Merlot as bedfellows very often, but it works like a charm here: In the glass, the wine is a deep, nearly opaque ruby moving to magenta at the rim, with aromas emphasizing the black and blue fruits of ripe Syrah: black raspberry, mulberry, and tangy blueberry, followed by textbook notes of black olive, pepper, cumin, and lavender. The Merlot does what Merlot does best: lends supple texture and some nice lift. It softens and lightens the blow of the Syrah beautifully. Decant this 30-45 minutes before serving in large Bordeaux stems with a traditional Lebanese dish like kibbeh. If you’re going to venture outside your comfort zone, which you most definitely should, you’ve got to go all the way. Enjoy!
