Best Wine in Lebanon

January 2013: Château Kefraya, the second largest winery in the Beqaa Valley (Lebanon), recently earned the highest wine grade in the history of Lebanese wines with Comte de M 2009. American wine critic Robert Parker commanded the public’s attention towards Comte de M when he awarded this newly acclaimed red wine with a total of 92 points out of 100.

Vissi d’Arte 2010, a Château Kefraya white wine, also won a high rating from Parker with a notable 89 out of 100 points, just three points below the red Comte de M.

Both wines fall under the Prestige category of Château Kefraya’s wines.

Parker is one of the most widely acclaimed wine critics in the world. All of his wine ratings come on a 100-point scale. He writes for his own newsletter, The Wine Advocate, and has a website dedicated to his reviews. Due to Parker’s highly significant and respected role in the wine industry, his ratings impact the pricing of Bordeaux wines. Thus his high rating for Comte de M 2009 has made an international impression.

Comte de M is a dry red wine that has been aged for 16 months. It consists of two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and one-third Syrah.

Quoting form The Wine Advocate: “It showed some steel and the oak began to be absorbed”; ” There was some purity of fruit coming through. This rather rich wine is not a simpleton… becoming more powerful and serious as time goes on.”

Chardonnay and Viognier comprise Vissi d’Arte, a dry white wine aged in French oak.

According to the review, “[Vissi d’Arte] is quite marked by oak at the moment, to the point of distraction and vanilla. That said, there is good fruit that does begin to emerge from underneath. With good acidity, a solid mid-palate and some on the finish, [it has the ability] to soak up some of that oak.”

The review also suggests tasting Vissi d’Arte this summer and feels that Comte de M will be even more delectable in one to three year’s time.

Château Kefraya’s business began in 1951 with the planting of the first vine stocks. The vineyard maintains 430 hectares of land and exports its wine to over 35 countries. France and the U.S. are two of the biggest consumers of Chateau Kefraya wine. The vineyard sells four types of wines and a spirit (red, white, sweet, rosé wine and arak) that fall within five different categories (seduction, prestige, celebration, charm, and l’anis en folie).

Kefraya has received gold, silver, and bronze medals for its wines, which align with the company’s mission statement. As a matter of fact, a gold medal was given to the red celebration wine Château Kefraya 2007 at the international challenge AWC-Vienna.

“To pay tribute to Château Kefraya’s terroir by magnifying its vineyards so as to elaborate and create wines of unique character whose quality meet amateurs’ tastes and fulfills conossieurs’ demands.”

Their motto “Semper Ultra” reflects the vineyards’ commitment to quality and continuous pursuit of improvement. Château Kefraya strives to be an ecologically minded vineyard and centers itself around four fundamental pillars: the true, the good, the beautiful and the useful.

More information on Parker’s wine reviews and Château Kefraya can be found at erobertparker.com and chateaukefraya.com respectively.