Dar Richi 2023 "Helem" Skin-Contact Chardonnay

100% Chardonnay

Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

Medium Body

Rustic and textural. Notes of citrus preserves, black tea, and herbs.

"Helem" is a Chardonnay with 10 days of skin contact that has been fermented and aged in terracotta amphora. The wines go through malolactic conversion naturally and are racked twice before being bottled in late spring.

Produced in collaboration with Mersel Wine. This project was created by Abdullah Richi, who moved to Lebanon to escape the atrocities of the Syrian war. Abdullah was interested in winemaking, and through observational learning with Mersel's winemaker Eddie, he developed two wines: a red still wine, "Hanan," named after his wife, and a skin-contact Chardonnay, "Helem," which means "dream" in Arabic, signifying his dream of making his own wine.

Abdullah's dream is to go back to Syria and establish his own winery there. At Mersel Wine, we encourage people to follow their dreams and are all for giving back to the community and leaving a positive impact on others. Way to go Abdullah for creating these sensational wines!