A beautiful example of ‘old vine’ Cinsault, nicknamed the ‘poor man’s Pinot Noir’, and you can see why, as it pours a translucent ruby colour, reminiscent of red Burgundy, and sits gently on the palate like a red Sancerre, but there’s no mistaking the Mediterranean heart and soul of this Lebanese wine with its savoury overtones of warm tomato skin, soft tobacco and dried orange peel, with a juicy sweet cherry core. One might be inclined to underestimate this wine because of the price and its place of origin, but it’s actually of a very high quality, so if you were going to play safe and choose a claret or a red Rhone to go with your Sunday roast, please give this a try instead, you won’t be disappointed 14% alc. Drink now-2032.

Press reviews:

JancisRobinson.com (previous vintage): “Light to mid crimson. Dusty/stony non-sweet – but not quite sour – red fruits, lively and inviting, so full of energy, almost playful but still needs to be taken seriously. A touch peppery. Bone-dry, chalky tannins and immense freshness. Elegant, long and utterly moreish. Good Value.” 17 points

Decanter (previous vintage): “Faouzi Issa has been making this 100% Cinsault from the domaine’s old vines since 2014. It has an enticing, smoky nose of red fruits with hints of garrigue and aniseed. Ripe and strikingly fresh in the mouth, with a tangy, herby intensity. Great underlying structure with plenty of rich, slightly confit fruit, but also bright, elegant and balanced, with a surprisingly delicate quality. Great example of how expressive, even refined, Cinsault can be in Lebanon. Good value too. Well worth seeking out.” 94 points