So I finally see a Ksara that I liked! Like most non-Musar Lebanese wines, I found their range competently made but rather international in style and frankly rather boring.But today I tried a Ksara Cuvée du Troisième Millénaire 2005, a Biq'á-valley blend with 40% Petit Verdot, 30% Cabernet Franc and the rest Syrah. It is a moderate (for such a warm climate) 13% abv but sadly the price over here is not moderate at all at c.30€.
The scent is already wonderfully open. It has much dark fruit but also the exotic, floral qualities of ripe PV are to the fore. It has some blood and vegetal aromas as well. Despite spending 14 months in French oak of which half was new, the oak is already well integrated and didn't really detract from my pleasure.
Ripe and fruity, medium bodied rather than a blockbuster, refreshingly savoury. Moderate in both tannins and acidity but with enough of both to keep it together and moreish.
Surprisingly some others around the table felt this was a little bit green, whereas I thought this was all about the Biq'á sun!
This certainly isn't a unique personality like Musar, but it does have personality and that's where I find this differs from my other Lebanese experiences. Nice stuff. If it weren't so expensive I would try it again.