Domaine de Bargylus is a wine estate on the slopes of the Coastal Mountain Range in Syria. These mountains, known as Mount Bargylus in the Hellenistic and roman periods, produced notable wines in pre-Islamic times. Dubbed as the "world's most dangerous wine" by the international media, Domaine de Bargylus is managed by two brothers Karim and Sandro Saadé, with the assistance of renowned consultant Stéphane Derenoncourt. It has been cited by wine critic Jancis Robinson as "arguably the finest wine of the eastern mediterranean".
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History
The Saadé family began works on the winery in 2003. The first vintage was produced in 2006. The Saadé family, of Orthodox Christian origins, is originally from the coastal city of Latakia, known in ancient times as Laodicea ad Mare (i.e. "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 Saadé, Rodolphe’s son, in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and France. Johnny Saadé shifted his activities to the wine making, tourism and real estate fields.
The family owns another winery in Lebanon's Beqaa valley, Château Marsyas.
Other members of this latakian family are Syrian intellectual and historian Gabriel W.Saadé (1922-1997) and his niece Leila Badre, a prominent Lebanese-Syrian archaeologist.
Grape varieties
Bargylus uses Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot grapes for its red wines, and Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc grapes for its white wines.
Soil
Limestone is a dominant geological component of the area where the vineyard is situated.