Mersel 2022 'Phoenix' Merwah Skin Contact, Wadi Qannoubine

Vineyard Notes: Grapes come from a single vineyard of 150 year-old vines located in Dimane, in the Qannoubine Valley in North Lebanon. The organically farmed vineyard sits at 1,600 meters above sea level and is planted to sandy, volcanic, and limestone soils.

Winemaking Notes: Grapes are picked in the middle of October and crushed into two separate, proportional lots, then fermented with the native yeasts in stainless steel tanks and amphoras. The wine is fermented on its skins for 3 weeks, during which time the cap is gently broken by hand a few times a day. The skins are racked off in the middle of November, and the wine is transferred into half neutral barrels and half stainless steel tanks. The temperature at the winery reaches -5 degrees Celsius consistently during the winter, allowing for natural cold stabilization of the wine. Malolactic fermentation occurs naturally in the Spring, before the wine is bottled in May, with just 5ppm of added sulfur.