Mersel
Eddie Chami’s family left Lebanon for Australia in the 1960s. He came back in 2007 to re-establish his grandparents’ vineyards, and champions indigenous varieties like Merwah and Marini. The name comes from Maksar Mersel, the highest viticultural region in Lebanon. The wines are organic, unfined and unfiltered.
Lebnat Gold
A fun pét-nat, half Viognier and half Merwah (the Merwah from 150-year-old vines at 1,600m). It’s fermented with native yeasts, finishes in the bottle, and rests on lees for five months.
Phoenix Skin Contact
Orange-tinted, with apricot, a gentle clasp of tannin and Mersel’s trademark salinity. It’s pure Merwah from a single vineyard of 150-year-old vines at 1,600m in Dimane. It spends three weeks on skins, fermented in steel and amphorae.
Phoenix Field Blend Rosé
Phoenix comes from the rise of the Lebanese national bird, the Phoenix. The firebird that keeps rising, using its passion and determination to try something new. Mersel are one of the first wineries in Lebanon to produce a completely natural, organic wine that is free from additives and that is unfined and unfiltered. An old-fashioned rosé, where the red grape (Sangiovese) is softened by blending with a white (Merwah).
Red Velvet
A light red made for chilling. It’s organic Cinsault from vines at 1,200m in Deir El Ahmar, with cranberry, red apple, dried herbs and forest floor.
Elevate MArini
Mersel’s higher-end range, built around single indigenous varieties. The Marini vines are 150 years old and ungrafted, grown at 1,800m in Blouza. It ferments in Georgian qvevri and matures in Lebanese amphorae.
Quick Facts
APPELLATION: Lebanon
VINTAGE: 2023
STYLE: sparkling
GRAPES: viognier, merwah
FARMING: organic
FERMENTATION: stainless steel
MATURATION: bottle
FILTRATION: No
VEGAN: Yes
ALCOHOL: 12.5%
CASE SIZE: 2
Quick Facts
APPELLATION: [Wadi Qannoubine]
VINTAGE: 2023
STYLE: Skin
GRAPES: merwah
FARMING: organic
FERMENTATION: stainless steel & amphora
MATURATION: neutral oak & stainless steel
FILTRATION: Unfiltered
VEGAN: YEs
ALCOHOL: 13%
CASE SIZE: 12
Quick Facts
APPELLATION: Qannboubine Valley
VINTAGE: 2023
STYLE: Skin
GRAPES: merwah
FARMING: organic
FERMENTATION: stainless steel & amphora
MATURATION: neutral oak & stainless steel
FILTRATION: Unfiltered
VEGAN: YEs
ALCOHOL: 13%
CASE SIZE: 12
Quick Facts
APPELLATION: Bekaa Valley
VINTAGE: 2024
STYLE: red
GRAPES: cinsault
FARMING: organic
FERMENTATION: concrete
MATURATION: concrete
FILTRATION: [confirm]
VEGAN: yes
ALCOHOL: 13.5%
CASE SIZE: 6
Quick Facts
APPELLATION: Blouza
VINTAGE: 2022
STYLE: red
GRAPES: marini
FARMING: organic
FERMENTATION: qvevri
MATURATION: amphora
FILTRATION: unfiltered
VEGAN: Yes
ALCOHOL: 12.5%
CASE SIZE: 6