2024 Obeidy, Château Oumsiyat

The Bekaa Valley White Flame

This is Lebanese white wine with freshness, perfume and a lovely mineral snap. Made predominantly from Obeidy, Lebanon’s native white grape, with a little Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier, it opens with peach, apricot, citrus peel and exotic fruit, before softer notes of blossom, herbs and wet stone begin to appear. It feels bright, aromatic and quietly distinctive, with a freshness that lifts it well beyond simple sunshine fruit.

The palate is crisp, clean and gently textured, with peach, lemon, pear and mineral detail running into a whistle-clean, lightly salty finish. There is a Mediterranean warmth to the fruit, but the high-altitude Bekaa Valley freshness keeps everything poised and refreshing.

For when you want a white wine with freshness, character and a proper sense of place.
Pairs with grilled sea bass, prawns, chicken with lemon, mezze, tabbouleh, hummus, goat’s cheese, courgette fritters, or a salty plate of fried calamari.
If this wine were… a light, it would be morning sun over the Bekaa Valley, pale gold on the hills and cool air still moving through the vines.

Château Oumsiyat is run by the Bou Sleiman family, whose wine heritage spans four generations. Joseph Bou Sleiman built a modern winery in the village of Mtein, while the family’s vineyards sit over 1,000 metres above sea level in the Bekaa Valley, between Mount Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains. The estate combines Lebanese tradition with contemporary winemaking, producing fresh, expressive wines with a distinctly Mediterranean feel.