Château Bargylus
Domaine de Bargylus is a wine estate on the slopes of the Al-Ansariyah mountains in Syria. These mountains produced notable wines in pre-Islamic times.[1]
History
Work on the winery began in 2003[2] by the Saadé family, and they produced their first vintage wine in 2006.[3] The Saadé family, of Christian Orthodox origins,[4] is originally from the coastal city of Latakia, known in ancient times as Laodicea-by-the-sea. The Saadé family traces its mercantile roots to the 18th and 19th century with prominent representatives such as Gabriel Saadé (1854-1939) and Rodolphe Saadé (1900-1956). With an initial involvement in commodities’ trading and various industries, the family developed maritime and land transport activities on the initiative of Johnny R. Saadé, Rodolphe’s son, in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and France. Diversification was to follow with new activities in the wine making, tourism, real estate and financial fields.
The Cellar
The Agence Epure, under the direction of Serge Lansalot, architect in Libourne (France), developed a winery concept, on behalf of Bargylus, with the latest equipment available in the field.
The facility is made of 3400 m2 of construction including a 2880 hectoliters capacity winery, two designated spaces for stocking wine with a capacity of 840 barrels. Bottling as well as stocking (600,000 bottles) are done in the estate. Along with the development is a large tasting facility that will be open regularly to the public. The modern architecture of Chateau Bargylus is inspired by the local architectural identity with the use of stones and predominantly planted terraces.
Ingredients
Bargylus uses Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot grapes for its red wines, and Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc grapes for its white wines.
References
- ↑ Rawlinson, George (2005) History of Phoenicia I.B. Tauris, London, page 184, ISBN 1-84511-019-6
- ↑ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33450300
- ↑ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33450300
- ↑ http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-33450300
External links
- Bargylus Wines Syria winery official website
- Lebanon – Sunning grapesThe first wine from the Johnny R. Saadé family was the Syrian Bargylus, whose grapes are grown on 20 hectares of land at Jebel al-Ansariyeh on the outskirts of the port city of Lattakia and which produced its first harvest in 2006.
- 'Very old world' wine makes a comeback in Lebanon and Syria CNN: Inside the Middle East 18 December 2009
- Lebanese-Syrian Brothers Look West The New York Times 16 March 2012
- First Syrian wine to hit UK Decanter.com 12 March 2012
- The global grapevine ft.com 21 April 2012
- Syrian Vintner Carries On in a Time of War PRI's The World 7 June 2013
- Top 100 Making An Impact In The Arab World Forbes Middle-east