{"title":"Wines of Latakia","description":"\u003cp\u003eIt is hard to imagine, in these troubled times, the green hills of Latakia. And yet, these lands that rise up from the Mediterranean, from the large port city of Latakia, are there, like a challenge to time and history. Since 2011, the urban area has radically changed, since it serves as a safe haven for Syrian domestic refugees from the inlands: industries have sprung up, domestic tourism keeps shops and services running, and despite the country's chaos, cultural and economic activities are alive and well.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAround the city, there are acres of market gardens and apple and citrus orchards. Olive groves, however, make the reputation of this poor soil terroir, dominated by clay and limestone mixed with flint, which they share with vines, planted on the most arid plots of the plateau, between 800 and 900 meters above sea level. Here, temperature differences between day and night are considerable, and the humidity coming in from the sea can be quite stifling. Here, the vineyards of Domaine de Bargylus await the early autumn. That which precedes the full ripening of the grapes, allowing the tannins to slowly mature and the aromatic freshness to be preserved despite the strong summer sunshine that gives these bottles their full-bodied taste.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis ancient Phoenician city is true to its winegrowing heritage, which has been passed down to us in bits and pieces through the ages. In his Naturalis Historia, the Roman Pliny the Elder mentions Mount Bargylus - today Jabal Al Ansariyeh - and points out that grapes grow there in abundance. And the Greek Strabo recounts that Laodicea, the former name of Latakia, \"supplied the population of Alexandria with most of the wine it consumed\". Only archaeological evidence remains of this bygone era, such as the Roman vats carved into the rock at the foot of the mountain. For centuries, winegrowing was only maintained by a few monks scattered here and there in the region's century-old monasteries, until the Saadé\u0026nbsp;family decided to reintroduce it in 2003. To reintroduce it, to defend it and to keep it alive against all what Syria has been going through for over twelve years now.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"domaine-de-bargylus-blanc-2016","title":"Domaine de Bargylus White 2016","description":"\u003ch4\u003eA Syrian wine, this Bargylus 2016 is a real stunner: powerful and full-bodied, it's made to accompany your fine meals.\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA fine gourmet wine, Bargylus White 2016 fully lives up to its promise. Half Chardonnay, half Sauvignon Blanc, this Syrian wine from Deir Touma, 60 km east of the seaside town of Latakia, is powerful, structured and complex. From the very first nose, it reveals notes of heated flint, fanned by pretty aromas of shale and gunflint, characteristic of a Sauvignon Blanc bursting with sunshine. On the palate, it's equally superb and generous, with a full-bodiedness typical of a Chardonnay.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut the originality of this vineyard, whose vines grow at an altitude of 900 meters on a clay-limestone terroir marked by a temperate Mediterranean climate, lies perhaps even more in its history. Founded in 2002 by the Saadés, a Syrian-Lebanese family who also own Château Marsyas in Lebanon, it has withstood the upheavals of the Syrian revolution of 2011-2012 and the bloody war that followed; despite the fact that the Saadés have never set foot in Syria again. Far too dangerous, given that to get to this region, home of the Assad family in power since 1971, it has long been required to cross a zone held by Daesh and its other islamist offshoots.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInstead, owners Karim and Sandro Saadé manage everything remotely from Lebanon, where the two brothers live and work. Advised by French winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt, they manage their team by phone, videoconference or WhatsApp. Before and during the harvest, grape samples are even driven by cab to Beirut for analysis. As a result, Bargylus has never missed a vintage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat can they rely on? Growing international recognition. Most of its production (around 45,000 bottles a year) is exported to Europe, especially France, where it can be found at highly sought-after tables such as at Spoon, Alain Ducasse's Parisian restaurant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFinely oaked, this is a wonderful, powerful wine to enjoy with grilled fish or poultry.\u003cmeta charset=\"UTF-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"clearfix margin-top-5\"\u003e\u003cstrong class=\"accroche text-bold taille-sm\"\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"description_courte\" class=\"clearfix margin-top-5\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"description_courte_content\" class=\"rte align_justify\"\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Terres Millésimées","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46509963673939,"sku":"0655","price":32.9,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0728\/4847\/4451\/files\/BargylusBlanc.png?v=1693633609"},{"product_id":"domaine-de-bargylus-rouge-2016","title":"Domaine de Bargylus Red 2016","description":"\u003ch4\u003eIn Syria, a country devastated by war, Bargylus is a small miracle of gourmet excellence.\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGourmet... Exquisite... Perfectly smooth... Let's be honest, this Bargylus red 2016 is a magnificent hit on taste buds. A Syrian wine, produced to the east of the seaside city of Latakia, its nose is both fine and delicate. Its harmonious ensemble reveals aromas of mint, rhubarb and wild berries. It's unusual to describe a red wine as mineral. But this one has a rare palate: with your eyes closed, you can almost feel the earth's wet humus, with stony tastes. Sensual yet perfectly structured, the 2016 vintage also boasts silky tannins that blend with tobacco and white pepper flavors on the palate.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis small miracle is the work of the Saadé brothers and their advisor, Frenchman Stéphane Derenoncourt. These Lebanese-Syrians revived the country's winemaking past in 2003, by planting their first vines in this fertile land with a climate tempered by its proximity to the sea. It was a crazy gamble, and since then they've endured it all: war, the Islamic State on their doorstep, and even, more recently, the terrible earthquake that destroyed part of their infrastructure. But the two brothers have held firm, and each year offer us an exceptional wine that inevitably makes you go through the whole bottle.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Terres Millésimées","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49616538992979,"sku":"0761","price":41.9,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0728\/4847\/4451\/files\/Bargylus_Rouge_2016.png?v=1729184116"},{"product_id":"domaine-de-bargylus-ja-b-al-2018","title":"Domaine de Bargylus Ja-b-al 2018","description":"\u003ch4\u003eA harmonious balance of structure and elegance: Very smooth, with lovely mellow, maturing flavours. Delicious!\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eElegant and mineral, Jabal de Bargylus is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) and Syrah (40%), gently aged in oak barrels for 6 to 8 months. It is made with the same qualitative criteria as its \"older brother\" Bargylus Red. With a deep purple color, the wine is a bit shy at first on the nose, but after some rolling it reveals very elegant and balanced notes of blackcurrant and dried flowers tinged with spiciness. On the palate, this medium to full-bodied wine is again very balanced with mineral freshness, excellent acidity and well-integrated tannins with a long spicy spicy aftertaste.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe originality of this vineyard, whose vines grow at an altitude of 900 meters on a clay-limestone terroir marked by a temperate Mediterranean climate, lies even more in its history. Founded in 2002 by the Saadés, a Syrian-Lebanese family who also owns Château Marsyas in Lebanon, it has withstood the upheavals of the Syrian revolution of 2011-2012 and the bloody war that followed; despite the fact that the Saadés have never set foot in Syria again. Far too dangerous, given that to get to this region, it has long been required to cross a zone held by Daesh and its other islamist offshoots.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInstead, owners Karim and Sandro Saadé manage everything remotely from Lebanon, where the two brothers live and work. Advised by French winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt, they manage their team by phone, videoconference or WhatsApp. Before and during the harvest, grape samples are even driven by cab to Beirut for analysis. As a result, Bargylus has never missed a vintage.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhat can they rely on? Growing international recognition. Most of its production (around 45,000 bottles a year) is exported to Europe, especially France, where it can be found at highly sought-after tables such as at Spoon, Alain Ducasse's Parisian restaurant.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Terres Millésimées","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51007443566931,"sku":"1096","price":27.9,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0728\/4847\/4451\/files\/Jabal.png?v=1747898069"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0728\/4847\/4451\/collections\/Picture2_1800x1194_f2d41708-780d-4090-aab2-1ee4f1a45341.webp?v=1695815384","url":"https:\/\/www.altcellars.at\/en\/collections\/latakia.oembed","provider":"ALTCELLARS","version":"1.0","type":"link"}