£17–£21, Great Grog, WoodWinters, The Wriggly Tin Wine Company, Borough Wines
Old vines, old winery – Lebanon's first commercial one in 1868 – but a new wine, Domaine des Tourelles' first Carignan made from vines more than 50 years old. They lie at over 1000m asl in the western Bekaa Valley and they're organic and unirrigated: the Mediterranean climate keeps them happy.
Winemaking is oak-free and simple: hand-picked grapes with thorough selection in the vineyards, fermentation with indigenous yeasts in concrete vats and another two years' ageing in concrete.
The result is a red wine full of both warmth and vibrancy, with spicy, sweet cherry, raspberry, liquorice and dark chocolate flavours, rounded tannins and fennel and orange-peel freshness. It's good with spices such as cumin, coriander and cardamom to flavour duck, chicken or quail and with roast and barbecued vegetables, as well as herby red meat. And it works well lightly chilled on a hot day. 14%
Domaine des Tourelles Vieilles Vignes Carignan 2018, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
£17, Great Grog; £17, WoodWinters; £18.95, The Wriggly Tin Wine Company; £21, Borough Wines; £88.74 for 6 bottles, All About Wine (standard delivery: £7.45)