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LES VIGNOBLES DE LA FAMILLE JOHNNY R. SAADÉ THE WINE ESTATES OF THE JOHNNY R. SAADÉ FAMILY
It is now twelve years since the Johnny R. Saadé family first launched two ambitious projects in the arena of Middle Eastern wines. One project was the revival of a Syrian vineyard that dates back to the time of the Canaanites, the ancient Greeks and the Romans. The other was a pioneering winemaking venture in Lebanon’s Bekaa valley. The wines that now flow from these two properties are named Bargylus and Château Marsyas respectively – and thanks to the passion of Sandro and Karim Saadé, they stand comparison with the best in the world, attracting the interest of wine lovers everywhere.
Le domaine situéà 900 mètres avec une exposition maritime
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Summary THE JOHNNY R. SAADÉ FAMILY
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THE WINES OF SYRIA
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DOMAINE DE BARGYLUS
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The domaine The terroir The climate Varietals and vineyard husbandry Harvest and vinification Maturation The wines The map
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The Johnny R. Saadé family
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mbedded within a strong eastern tradition, the Johnny R. Saadé family draws, from its Levantine roots, a passion for challenges among which the renaissance of the ancient vineyards of the Orient. The Saadé family, of Orthodox Christian origins, is a typical representative of Levantine syncretism with roots in the ancient coastal city of Laodicea (modern Lattakia) as well as Antioch, Alexandria, Tripoli (Lebanon) and Mount Lebanon. 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).
Johnny R. Saadé with his 2 sons Sandro (left) and Karim
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ith 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 quick to follow with new activities in the wine making, tourism, real estate and financial fields.
The philosophy that has guided the family. “Wine has everything to do with the land.” Alongside Karim and Sandro stood Stéphane Derenoncourt, the great Bordeaux wine consultant who works with passionate and committed winegrowers all around the world.
The decision was taken: “We are going to do it right here in our own country.” Next came a long study to find the best land for their purposes. That would take four years for Syria and five years for Lebanon. This patient approach reflects the philosophy that has guided the family in this project. “Wine has everything to do with the land.” Terroir came first, and the terroirs they eventually chose were virgin land in Lebanon’s Bekaa valley and in Syria, one of the most ancient vinegrowing sites in the world. Alongside Karim and Sandro stood Stéphane Derenoncourt, the great Bordeaux wine consultant who works with passionate and committed winegrowers all around the world.
Now the family’s businesses are managed by Johnny’s sons, Karim and Sandro, and their adventure in the world of wine today represents the achievement of a long-standing family ambition. It is something that the family had been considering for years. Their father was always passionate about wine, say the brothers. “Bordeaux was his first favourite, and then later he fell in love with the Cotes du Rhone reds.” It was in 1998 that the brothers first began to consider the options. In the first instance, they looked towards Bordeaux – the “obvious choice” – then they had second thoughts.
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The vines of Domaine de Bargylus
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The wines of Syria
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n 63 BC, the Romans defeated King Mithridates VI, putting an end to the Seleucid dynasty. Syria was occupied, and the Romans took possession of a fertile land. Towns such as Palmyra, Antioch, Damascus and Emesa served as centres for trade between Rome and the Middle East, their caravans heading for Arabia and the Silk Road. The vine meanwhile was already established, and no centurion set forth without a bit of salt and several vine seedlings in his bag. The Romans had planted vines right across the Empire, and they would do the same in Syria at the foot of Mount Bargylus, known today by the name of Jebel Al-AnsariyĂŠ. The Roman winegrowers had vision, and they established a fabulous terroir. But when they left, followed by the Byzantines, the vine lost its patron and only several monasteries from the time of the Crusades still produced wine. Located at 900 meters, the domaine has a maritime exposure
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In 1928, a peasant discovered a tombstone close to Lattaquie, which in turn revealed the site of Ougarit, known today as Ras Chamra. This ancient Levantine city had given its name to a kingdom that was the link between the Mediterranean and Mesopotamia, the Hittite empire and Egypt. Cultivated and open to the world, this society produced an uncommonlyrich civilisation, confirmed by the discovery here of one of the world’s first cuneiform alphabets.
In this fertile maritime Syria with its temperate climate, Phoenicians and Romans found what they needed to create a cradle for the civilisation of wine. From Ougarit in the north and further south from Laodicea (today Lattaquie) wines were exported to Egypt, Greece and Rome. As the ancient Greek geographer Strabo wrote: “Laodicea supplied Alexandria with the larger part of the wine it consumed.” (Geography, Vol V, Book XVI).
The vine meanwhile was already established, and no centurion set forth without a bit of salt and several vine seedlings in his bag.
On the tree-lined Bargylus peaks, there remains one visible vestige of this ancient vine-growing enterprise. At the foot of a levelled mound are fermentation tanks dug out of the limestone rock by the Romans.
Ougarit’s economy was essentially agricultural, centred on cereal crops, olives and vines. In his book “Ougarit and the great powers”, historian Michael Astour tells that “the slopes of Mount Bargylus were covered with vineyards and olive groves.”
On the tree-lined Bargylus peaks, there remains one visible vestige of this ancient vine-growing enterprise. At the foot of a levelled mound are fermentation tanks dug out of the limestone rock by the Romans. Domaine de Bargylus is the Johnny R. Saadé family’s project to revive this vineyard that was planted by the Romans 2000 years ago – to honour this ancient terroir and create a great wine. Respect for nature, ambition and passion are all plainly evident here. The project commenced in 2004.
A millenary terroir
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The domaine
n the north-east of Syria, the valley of the Orontes forms the link between the grassland plains and the cultivated lands. This is the cradle of the Roman dynasty of Severan, and the rich land that is home to the Domaine de Bargylus. Antioch is not far distant, and the nearby village of Deir Touma, literally “Convent of Thomas”, stands close to relics of the crusading era and the famous Saladin. Cited by Pliny the Elder, Mount Bargylus, known today as Jebel AlAnsariyé, spreads from the Orontes Valley near the ancient city of Antioch to the Eleutherus Valley in the south of ancient Emesa.
This land is a country of mystery and legends where wine and alphabet were revealed to man and where the ancients. This land is a country of mystery and legends where wine and alphabet were revealed to man and where the ancients grew vines more than 3000 years ago. Located in the hinterland of the Hellenistic city of Laodicea – the modern Syrian city of Lattakia – and the Canaanite metropolis of Ugarit, the slopes of Mount Bargylus were richly covered with vines during the Greco-roman era. The Bargylus wine estate is precisely located near Deir Touma, literally translated as the “convent of Thomas”, not far from the archeological vestiges of the crusading era and the famous Saladin.
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A soil composed of clay, limestone and flinstone
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The terroir
ho could fail to be moved by the awesome wild nature of the Bargylus landscape with its imposing mountain background – especially when you feel the ancient history that resides in this place. The Bargylus vines are planted on small gentle slopes, today covering twenty hectares divided 75% red and 25% white. Stéphane Derenoncourt quickly recognised this as a “fabulous” terroir.
Stéphane Derenoncourt quickly recognised this as a “fabulous” terroir. The vineyard is effectively located on a geological fault. On one side, the soils are limestone of an exceptional kind; on the other side, the limestone is mixed with flint that amplifies the mineral qualities in the wines. The vineyard is effectively located on a geological fault. On one side, the soils are limestone of an exceptional kind; on the other side, the limestone is mixed with flint that amplifies the mineral qualities in the wines. The clays are the link between these two soil profiles. Darker and more intense than the Bekaa clays, they are the element that forges the character and complexity of the reds.
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The climate
he vineyard spreads across the hinterland of Lattaquie, at an altitude of 900 metres, with large variations in temperature from day to night that favour the development of aromas. The climate is quite unlike the climate at Château Marsyas – fresher and above all not so dry. Here the maritime winds that blow from the Mediterranean favour rain (900mm per year, compared with 600mm at Marsyas). The summers are reasonably hot, enough for good and lengthy ripening of the grapes. Autumns are often premature, which favours slow phenolic ripening without sacrificing the acidity of the grapes or their aromatic freshness.
The vineyard under the snow
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Varietals and vineyard husbandry
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ver the years, this particular climate has altered the domaine’s approach to husbandry and the choice of grape variety. Some years, the Cabernet Sauvignon cannot be harvested before the beginning of November. And with some autumns, it doesn’t ripen at all. Syrah then becomes the natural choice.
Vine husbandry here reflects the Saadés’ personal convictions. The approach is more or less organic, using all means to conserve the personality of the soil and the individual character of this exceptional terroir. This Rhône Valley varietal is perfectly adapted to claylimestone soils and its annual cycle of growth is shorter than the Cabernet Sauvignon’s. Syrah is used in combination with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
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Harvest and vinification
n a Mediterranean climate, harvesting the grapes at their optimum point of maturity is a vital component in the success of the vintage. You have to retain freshness without compromising the development of the tannins. Harvesting is done by hand and vinification follows the same rules as at Marsyas: avoiding too much extraction so as to conserve the natural qualities of a wine with an essentially Mediterranean character.
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Maturation
he first vintages served to establish the standard here. Bargylus wines are aged like certain Bordeaux grands crus. All the reds are aged in barrels, with 25% new oak each year. This painstaking maturation does not aim to give the wines a wood quality, just add an element of complexity and round off the tannins. Final blending takes place after 12-14 months of ageing.
Vine husbandry here reflects the Saadés’ personal convictions. The approach is more or less organic, using all means to conserve the personality of the soil and the individual character of this exceptional terroir.
The red is a blend with a dominance of Syrah
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The wines
he style of Bargylus reds has evolved with the passing years. The first vintage, the 2006, was based on a blend of one-third Cabernet Sauvignon, one-third Syrah and one-third Merlot. The obvious success of the Syrah then basically changed the profile of the wine. The Bargylus 2010 is composed of two-thirds Syrah, and onethird a combination of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
Domaine de Bargylus produces two vintages, one red and one white
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The map
Al Hasakah Aleppo Idlib
Ar Raqqah
Latakia Dayr Az Zawir Hamah Tartus Hims
Damascus
Al Qunaytirah
Dara'a
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As Suwayda