Dom. des Tourelles Skin 2023

Get to know: Domaine des Tourelles Skin

Tasting Note

This beautifully expressive orange wine is made from 100% Merweh, a rare indigenous Lebanese grape grown on century-old vines. The nose is aromatic and floral, with orange blossom, jasmine, tea, and warm spices, leading into a palate layered with ripe apple, apricot, guava, and citrus peel. There’s a gentle grip from the skin contact, but the tannins are smooth, balanced by a refreshing saline minerality and a delicate structure. At 11% ABV, it’s elegant, approachable, and avoids the harsher tannins found in some orange wines. A brilliant alternative to a fuller-bodied white or a lighter red, it’s perfect for both newcomers to skin-contact wines and seasoned natural wine drinkers.

Try this with grilled prawns, seared scallops, or pan-fried seabass, slow-roasted chicken with preserved lemon, or Moroccan-style carrots with harissa and cumin. Also good simply creamy hummus, baba ghanoush, and labneh drizzled with olive oil.

Kate Says

"If you think orange wines are all bold and tannic, this one will change your mind. It’s aromatic, fresh, and beautifully balanced—a real taste of Lebanon’s winemaking heritage, bottled."

Producer Info

Domaine des Tourelles is Lebanon’s oldest commercial winery, founded in 1868 by French winemaker François-Eugène Brun. Now under the direction of Emile Issa-el Khoury, the estate focuses on low-intervention winemaking and the preservation of ancient vineyards.

Fermentation takes place with native yeasts in 19th-century clay amphoras, with seven days of skin contact followed by malolactic fermentation. The wine is unfined, unfiltered, and vegan-friendly, with only minimal sulfur added at bottling.

The vineyards are organically dry-farmed, with drip irrigation used only in extreme heat, and in 2024, the estate transitioned to solar power, reinforcing its commitment to sustainability.