Domaine des Tourelles (Chtaura, Bekaa Valley)

Domaine des Tourelles was founded in 1868 by François-Eugène Brun, a French engineer employed on the Beirut-Damascus road project who fell under the spell of the Bekaa Valley's landscape. Unlike Château Ksara, which was founded by Jesuit missionaries in 1857 primarily for religious production, Brun created Lebanon's first commercial cellar dedicated to selling wines and arak on the open market. Three generations of the Brun family, François-Eugène, his son Louis, and grandson Pierre, guided the winery through the Ottoman period, the French Mandate era, Lebanese independence, and the 1975-1990 civil war. Pierre Brun famously kept production alive even as the Syrian army occupied swathes of the Bekaa Valley during the conflict. When Pierre died in 2000 with no heirs, the Issa and Issa-el-Khoury families purchased the estate and secured its future.

• First commercial cellar in Lebanon to sell wines and spirits to the open market, established 1868; Château Ksara (1857) is the oldest winery but was Jesuit-founded for religious use initially
• Three generations of the Brun family ran the estate through the Ottoman era, French Mandate, two world wars, and the 1975-1990 Lebanese Civil War
• Pierre Brun maintained production during the civil war despite Syrian army occupation of the Bekaa Valley, consuming cellar stock without payment
• Pierre Brun died in 2000 with no heirs; the Issa and Issa-el-Khoury families purchased the property that same year with equal shares

The winery and its core vineyards sit at approximately 1,050 meters elevation in Chtaura, in the heart of the Bekaa Valley plateau, which is flanked by Mount Lebanon to the west and the Anti-Lebanon range to the east. The valley's elevation (roughly 2,500 to 3,000 feet above sea level) delivers a continental climate with approximately 240 to 300 days of sunshine and significant diurnal temperature variation. Cool nights drop temperatures from around 90°F (32°C) during the day to around 60°F (16°C), preserving natural acidity in ripening fruit. Soils vary across the three vineyard sites but are broadly gravelly clay limestone at higher elevations where vines perform best. Vines are trained as free-standing gobelet and are predominantly dry-farmed; snowmelt from the surrounding mountains recharges the subsoil through winter and spring.

• Elevation of approximately 1,050 meters (3,445 feet); valley floor ranges 2,500-3,000 feet, trapped between two limestone mountain chains
• Approximately 240-300 days of sunshine annually with a dry continental climate; rainy season largely limited to winter, approximately 65 days per year
• Diurnal temperature swings drop from roughly 32°C during the day to 16°C at night, preserving natural acidity in ripening grapes
• Gravelly clay limestone soils on the valley edges; gobelet-trained vines, mostly dry-farmed and organically cultivated, with drip irrigation installed as a precaution after a severe 2015 heat event destroyed 70% of the crop

Domaine des Tourelles cultivates a mix of international and indigenous Lebanese varieties across its approximately 50 hectares in three Bekaa locations. Main varieties include Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Carignan, Tempranillo, Chardonnay, Viognier, and the indigenous whites Merweh and Obeidi. The Classic Red blends Syrah (40%), Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), Cinsault (15%), and Carignan (5%); the premium Marquis des Beys is an equal Syrah-Cabernet blend aged 18 months in French oak. The Old Vine Collection showcases 50-plus-year-old Cinsault (first vintage 2014) and Carignan (launched 2018), both fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged in neutral French oak. Faouzi Issa's philosophy centres on minimal intervention: hand-harvesting starting at 5 am, indigenous yeast fermentation, no fining or filtering, and very small sulfur additions only at bottling. Reds and old-vine wines ferment in original 19th-century unlined concrete vats; whites and rosé are handled in stainless steel to preserve freshness.

• Classic Red: Syrah (40%), Cabernet Sauvignon (40%), Cinsault (15%), Carignan (5%), fermented with indigenous yeasts in original concrete vats
• Marquis des Beys: Syrah (50%), Cabernet Sauvignon (50%), aged 18 months in French oak barrels (one-third new, one-third first use, one-third second use)
• Vieilles Vignes Cinsault (first vintage 2014) and Carignan (launched 2018): 50-plus-year-old vines, indigenous yeast fermentation in concrete vats, aged in neutral French oak for 8 months
• Arak Brun: made from estate-grown old Obeidi vines blended with fresh anise; since 2015, the estate grows its own anise in Deir el Ahmar, Baalbek district, making it Lebanon's largest anise producer

Domaine des Tourelles has achieved growing international recognition since Faouzi Issa took over winemaking in 2008. The Vieilles Vignes Cinsault 2014 was selected by Jancis Robinson as Wine of the Week in 2017, and a subsequent vintage scored 94 points from Decanter critic Rupert Joy. The Vieilles Vignes Carignan was named one of Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book top 12 wines to try in 2026. The winery has been described by the Financial Times as 'the most seductive winery' in Lebanon. Approximately 60% of production is exported to more than 20 markets, with the UK, Norway, and Sweden among the top international destinations. The Classic Red 2014 won a gold medal and was named IWC Great Value Champion Red in 2018, bringing broad international attention to the estate.

• Vieilles Vignes Cinsault 2014 named Wine of the Week by Jancis Robinson (2017); a subsequent vintage scored 94 points from Decanter critic Rupert Joy
• Vieilles Vignes Carignan named one of Hugh Johnson's Pocket Wine Book top 12 wines to try in 2026
• Classic Red 2014 won IWC gold medal and IWC Great Value Champion Red title in 2018
• Approximately 60% of production exported to 20-plus markets; UK, Norway, and Sweden are the primary international destinations

Lebanon lacks a formal appellation system comparable to France's AOC, giving producers stylistic freedom while relying on EU export compliance as a de facto quality benchmark. Domaine des Tourelles pursues sustainability across every aspect of operations. The estate became fully solar powered in 2024, a particularly significant step given Lebanon's lack of reliable 24-hour electricity, which forces most wineries to rely on fuel generators, especially during harvest. Vineyards are organically farmed and treated only with sulfur and copper (Bordeaux mixture) when necessary. Used bottles are collected and reused; cardboard and plastic are sent to the Lebanese NGO Arcenciel for recycling; grape and aniseed pomace is composted back into the vineyards or given to local shepherds. Thistles harvested from the mountains are used for a first filtration from the tanks, an unusual traditional technique that preserves minimal-intervention principles.

• Fully solar powered since the 2024 harvest, eliminating reliance on diesel generators that are standard across Lebanon due to national electricity shortages
• Organically farmed vineyards treated only with sulfur and copper; no synthetic pesticides or herbicides; wines are vegan and unfined and unfiltered
• Closed-loop sustainability: used bottles reused, pomace composted or donated to shepherds, cardboard recycled via NGO Arcenciel
• Wild thistles harvested from surrounding mountains used for first filtration from tanks, a traditional practice consistent with minimal-intervention philosophy

The low-slung winery buildings topped with red clay tiles in Chtaura have changed little since the 19th century, functioning as a working museum of historical winemaking technology. Original unlined concrete fermentation tanks from the estate's founding remain in continuous use, along with an antique basket press. The estate welcomes visitors for guided cellar tours and tastings. Employment priority is given to residents of the surrounding village of Jdita, helping local families maintain stable livelihoods; many staff members have served 25 or more years, ensuring production continuity and cultural transmission. The winery's official website lists a restaurant among its amenities, reflecting an expansion of wine tourism offerings. Domaine des Tourelles celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2018.

• Original 19th-century unlined concrete fermentation vats remain in continuous use; their size enables passive temperature regulation during fermentation without refrigeration
• Estate functions as a working museum of historical winemaking; original basket press and stone architecture are preserved and operational
• Employment priority given to Jdita village residents; many staff members have 25-plus years of service, preserving production traditions
• Winery celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2018; now also produces GinBey gin and Glenbey whiskey alongside the historic Arak Brun