As I was enjoying a wine tasting of Ixsir Winery offerings at The Fine Wine Source in Livonia, Michigan; the tasting was hosted by Kelleen Hubbs I also remember the last tasting hosted by  Etienne Debbanne of Ixsir Winery.  Etienne Debbanne is the Co-founder and Chairman of Ixsir Winery.  He holds a master’s degree in agriculture from Reading University of the United Kingdom.  He has a passion for wine and his native home of Lebanon, and he co-founded the winery with a group of friends.  He is also a well-known business figure in the Middle East and one of the administrators of the Debbane-Saikali Group which is a majority shareholder in several companies and corporations.  The best part is that he was a charming, urbane gentleman who enjoyed talking about his wines, and he remembered plenty of past customers that came to taste his wines on a prior occasion, that unfortunately my Bride and I missed, but we made it a point to attend that tasting.

After having the white wines, we then had the Ixsir Winery Grande Reserve Rosé Lebanon 2023.  Ixsir Winery was founded in 2009 in the northern part of Lebanon in Batroun which is a coastal area.  They are a mountain winery, and one of the highest in elevation for the Northern Hemisphere.  The name Ixsir derives from the Arabic word “Iksir” the original Arabic word for “elixir.” History has recorded that man has searched for the perfect elixir for eternal youth and for love.  The winery is very progressive and has been named one of the greenest buildings in the world.  The winery owns one-hundred-twenty hectares in the Batroun with several different vineyards capitalizing on the terroir.  The winery grows Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Tempranillo, Caladoc, Cinsault, Merlot, Obeidy, Viognier, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Semillon.  Quite impressive for a young company, as far as I am concerned.  The fruit for this wine comes from three diverse plots in Lebanon: Halwa, Jezzine, and Kfifane and each plot offered clay and limestone soils. This wine was forty percent Mourvèdre, forty percent Cinsault and twenty percent Syrah.  This was done in Stainless Steel for both fermentation and aging to maintain the fresh fruit of the wine.  A coppery-colored wine that offered a floral nose with subtle notes of red berries.  On the palate there were rich tones of red berries, bright and firm acidity and a nice lingering finish of citrus and terroir, very refreshing for a lighter wine.

We then had our first red wine of the tasting Ixsir Winery Altitudes Rouge Lebanon 2019.  The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Caladoc and Tempranillo.  I will mention Caladoc, first produced in 1958 and is a cross between Malbec and Grenache.  It is not sanctioned in the AOC regions of France, but it is being used for blending in several areas quite successfully, for the richness of color and with flavors and nose of wild berries, balsamic and eucalyptus.  The fruit was harvested from several plots: Kfifane, Ibeil, Basbina, Jezzine and Bechouat and all on clay and limestone soils.  This wine was aged in French Oak for six months, with fifteen percent new.  The deep rich garnet-colored wine offered notes of mulberries and black fruits and a noticeable trave of oak.  On the palate great tones of black fruits and currants, well balanced with a  medium count silky finish.  It was a very easy drinking wine.