Chateau Ksara Blanc de Blancs 2018

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Our Price:   £12.00 List Price:   £14.20 Saving Of:   £2.20 (15%) Earn 12 Loyalty Points Bottle or Case:    Bottle:  £12.00  Case of 6:  £72.00  Case of 12:  £144.00 Producer:  Chateau Ksara Grape Varieties:  Sauvignon Blanc (55%) Semillon (25%) and Chardonnay (20%) Optimum Drinking:  Within 3 years Wine Style:  Elegant mid weight wine with balanced acidity Alcohol by Volume:  13% Closure:  Natural Cork Country:  Lebanon Availability:

Chateau Ksara Blanc de Blancs 2018

Producer Note

Château Ksara is Lebanon's oldest winery. Its traditions can be traced back to 1857 when a group of Jesuit monks acquired the property. The Jesuits applied their knowledge of science and agriculture to plant French vines as well as developing two kilometres of Roman caves that proved ideal for the storage of wine. The Jesuits sold the winery to its current owners in 1973. Ksara is now the most modern winery in the region as well as the largest producer in the country. Their annual production is over 2.8 million bottles and they sell their wines in more than 40 countries worldwide. Château Ksara is certified ISO 9001 and ISO 2200.00 for its viticulture, production and sales guaranteeing quality and consistency year on year.

Vintage

Sharp changes in diurnal temperatures were registered during the ripening period, which increased the period between véraison and the harvest to over 120 days.

Vineyard

Ksara's vineyards are located in the central and western Bekaa Valley at an average altitude of 1,000 metres. The Bekaa enjoys dry summers and has the advantage of its own natural water table, courtesy of the melting snow that runs off the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountain ranges, therefore no irrigation is needed in the vineyards. The slopes on either side of the valley and the valley itself, create a unique microclimate in which the cool nights compensate for the hot summer days. Vines are either double Guyot or cordon trained and their grapes can be considered to be grown organically because of the very limited used of sulphur-based pesticides. Harvesting is manual and the standard yield of the vineyards is between 40 and 45 hectolitres per hectare.

Winemaking

Picked in cases and pressed pneumatically as whole grapes. Each variety was vinified separately, with the sedimentation and fermentation carried out at low, controlled temperatures of approximately 18°C. Once the wines had fermented through to dryness, they were racked off and stabilised to prevent malolactic fermentation. Each wine was aged in French barriques, 50% of which were new oak, for several months, prior to blending, stabilising and bottling.

Tasting Note

The Chardonnay gives this wine its finesse and elegance, the Sauvignon its subtle aroma of hazelnuts and exotic fruits, and the Semillon provides roundness, length and finesse. The result is an elegant wine with a complex aroma of spice, pineapple and nuts which is followed through on the palate. Medium-bodied, balanced acidity and a medium to long finish.

Serving Suggestion

Chilled at 8°C as an aperitif or with delicate fresh fish and shellfish. An ideal aperitif or with delicate fresh fish and shellfish.

Grape

Sauvignon Blanc 55%, Semillon 25%, Chardonnay 20%