Mourvèdre

Winery: Mawj
Producer: Maher Harb
Country of Origin: Lebanon
Region: Batroun
Style: Dry red
Grape Variety: 100% Mourvèdre
Body: Medium-plus
Vintage: 2023
Alcohol: 13.5% vol.
Drinking Window: 2025–2034
Closure: Cork
Total Production: 3,683 bottles

About the Wine

Mourvèdre is a red grape variety known as Monastrell in Spain and Mataro in parts of the New World. It is generally considered to have originated in eastern Spain. Its possible connection to the ancient Phoenicians, however, is often overlooked. The Phoenicians inhabited the coastal regions of present-day Lebanon and established maritime trading networks throughout the Mediterranean. Around 500 BCE, they are believed to have introduced viticulture to the area surrounding Valencia, and the variety may have spread as part of this broader movement.

This cuvée displays an unusually silky texture for Mourvèdre, with nuances of dark red fruit, rounded tannins, and a pleasant, lingering finish.

About the Vineyard

Location: Eddé, Batroun, Lebanon. Organically farmed vineyards overlooking the Mediterranean Sea
Planting Year: Early 1990s
Altitude: Approximately 400 metres
Harvest: Hand-harvested into 20 kg crates, with careful grape selection
Soil: Clay and limestone

The vineyard benefits from a Mediterranean climate characterised by long, dry summers, maritime breezes, and mild winters. These conditions produce grapes with a balanced combination of acidity, structure, and ripeness, as well as the potential to age.

Situated at approximately 400 metres above sea level and facing the Mediterranean, the vineyard’s maritime influence brings freshness, salinity, delicate aromatics, and elegance to the wine.

Winemaking

Vessel: Stainless-steel tanks
Fermentation: Spontaneous fermentation with indigenous yeasts
Skin Maceration: 25–35 days
Ageing: Aged on the lees
Oak: None
Filtration: Unfiltered
Additives: No additives during fermentation
Sulphur: A small amount added only before bottling