Mersel 'Leb Nat' Gold 2024 Producer: Mersel Wine (Lebanon) Style: Pétillant Naturel (“pet nat”) sparkling Vintage: 2024 Grapes: ~50% Viognier + 50% Merwah (indigenous Lebanese variety) Alcohol: ~12–12.5% Farming: Organic, minimal intervention 🧭 What makes it interesting Uses Merwah, a rare native Lebanese grape (often from very old vines) Grown at very high altitude (≈1600–1700m), which keeps it fresh despite warm climate Part of the natural wine movement—no additives, no fining/filtering So stylistically, it sits in that funky, low-intervention, “alive” wine category. 🧪 How it’s made (why it’s cloudy & fizzy) Made using the ancestral method (pet nat) Bottled before fermentation finishes, so bubbles form naturally in bottle Aged on lees ~5–6 months, then disgorged Result: Light fizz (not as intense as Champagne) Often slightly cloudy or hazy More rustic and textural 👃 Taste profile From producer + importer notes: Fruit: lychee, banana, pineapple, citrus Texture: soft, slightly creamy from lees Fizz: gentle, delicate bubbles Overall vibe: fresh, fruity, a bit wild Think:👉 somewhere between prosecco, cider, and natural wine funk 🍽️ How to drink it Serve cold (5–8°C) like Champagne Expect a bit of pressure—open carefully Great with: seafood mezze / Middle Eastern food salty snacks picnic drinking This is very much a casual, fun sparkling, not a formal one. 👍 Bottom line Buy it if: you like pet nat, natural wines, or want something unusual Skip it if: you want clean, precise, traditional sparkling (e.g. Champagne style) It’s basically:👉 juicy, lightly fizzy, slightly funky, and very drink-now