The best of Lebanon’s wines under £20

White Domaine des Tourelles White 2018

My favourite Lebanese white. You might think they would struggle to make refreshing, zippy, dry whites in Lebanon’s heat, but with this four-grape blend grown at altitude the result is fresh and vibrant with nutty, herby undertones. Serve this exotically-scented white with cured tuna or Mediterranean salad. £12-£12.50, Woodwinters; Great Grog; Bon Vivant, Edinburgh; Valhalla’s Goat, Glasgow; St Andrews Wine Co; ND John; Hennings Wine

Musar Jeune White 2018

Limey, floral notes with citric minerally palate in an unoaked blend of southern French and north Italian grapes. The palate has a rich, oily texture from viognier and a hint of citric zest from chardonnay. Like many Lebanese wines, it is fermented in cement-lined vats.

£13.99, Virgin Wines; £12.95, ND John

Rosé

Massaya Rosé 2018

If you love Provence rosés, you will enjoy this. It might look pricey for a Lebanese rosé, but it is beautifully made by one of my favourite wineries in Lebanon, created 21 years ago in the Bekaa Valley. Cinsault grown on chalky clay soils at altitude creates this strawberry-toned spicy, savoury, crisp, clean rosé. £16-£18, Tanners; Field & Fawcett; Richard Granger Wines; Selfridges

Musar Jeune Rosé 2018

Pale dry rosé which looks like a Provençal rosé, but tastes more southern Rhône with its raspberry fruits, nutty undertone and very weighty palate – an ideal rosé for drinking in winter. It has a distinctly spicy undertone and a baked finish indicating its warm origin.

£11.95-£12.99, Roberson Wines; Solent Cellar; Gerard Seel

Red Coteaux Les Cèdres des Liban 2014

Not for the faint-hearted. The colour is dense with liquorice and spice aromas more appealing than the palate which is chunky and powerful with bitter chocolate notes and firm tannins. A Fairtrade wine made by Les Coteaux d’heliopolis co-operative, with 250 members across 11 villages in the Bekaa Valley, which was started after the destruction of illicit cannabis and poppy crops offering local growers a real chance to create a new ‘legal’ livelihood.

£11.99, The Co-op

Domaine des Tourelles Red 2016

Very popular with our tasters who loved its upfront juicy cherry fruits, spicy character, liquorice undertones and smooth soft tannins. Tastes like a smooth Côtes du Rhône with a touch of Lebanese spice. Perfect with roast lamb or vegetable bake.

£12-£13, Woodwinters; Great Grog; Bon Vivant, Edinburgh; Valhalla’s Goat, Glasgow; St Andrews Wine Co

Chateau Ka Source de Rouge 2015

Quite delicate, cherry fruited, softly tannic, good value example of a cabernet sauvignon blend, Chateau Ka is the only Lebanese winery producing wine entirely from its own vineyards, the other wineries buy in some grapes from growers. £12.42-£15.99, Fine Wine Musselburgh; Hay Wines; Hennings Wine; www. htfwines.co.uk

Vielles Vignes Cinsault 2017

Cinsault is fast becoming a very trendy grape – particularly in southern

Chile. It has been farmed in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley since the mid 19th century, now being revived – and matured in old French oak for eight months. Fig, morello cherry, plummy fruits with piquant tart acidity typical of the grape.

£17, Woodwinters

Hochar 2013 Chateau Musar

From vineyards near Aana in Bekaa Valley, made from 30 year old vines – it tastes like a mini-musar. Exotic dates and spice aromas, cassis fruits, smooth rounded with elegant tannins and savoury depth. Matured in French oak for nine months, it has a hint of smoking bonfires and tobacco.

£19.99 for 2013 vintage at Raeburn Wines; £13.50 for 2016 vintage at The Wine Society

Chateau Ksara 2016

More Bordelais than Rhône, our tasters enjoyed its cedary notes, green pepper flavours, elegant blackcurrant and plum fruits and very spicy characterful palate – this is Chateau Ksara’s estate wine. From a winery originally created by Jesuit monks, the French influence in the vineyards began in earnest after the First World War when French soldiers were stationed in Lebanon as part of the Versailles peace agreement and the monks started to plant these Bordeaux varietals.

£16, The Wine Society

Massaya le Colombier 2018

Our tasters were impressed with Massaya’s recent vintage with its gentle spice, strawberry and cherry fruits, peppery undertones. The Ghosn brothers make this wine from 40-yearold vines on hillside slopes at 1,000m in the northern Ras Baalbeck and Hadath Baalbeck where the fruit is more minerally – made to be drunk young to enjoy its primary fruits. n £13.95-£14.95, Lea & Sandeman; Tanners; The Whisky Exchange; Buon Vino