Address
316 West Geer St, Suite A, Durham, NC 27701
Hours
Mon. Closed
Tue. - Thu. 11am - 9pm
Fri. & Sat. 11am - 10pm
Sun. 11am - 8pm
Downtown Durham's neighborhood bottle shop and wine bar offering curbside pickup, local delivery, and shipping to 43 states.
Free Delivery in Durham & Chapel Hill
with a $120 Minimum Order.
Raleigh, Cary, Hillsborough and Surrounding
zip codes minimum $200.
We cannot ship to ND, SD, NH, UT, MS, PA, or KY. email info@louelladurham.com for shipping options
Overview
The weather was terrible. We had winter until June. Hail came. Biblical weather! I tried to make a Chateau Musar, but 2 years later found it wasn’t up to my standards, so we distilled it. The best grape that year was Obaideh – Serge Hochar
Obaideh is thought to be an ancestor of Chardonnay. These vines are on original rootstocks and are grown in at 1200- 1400 metres above sea level in the foothills of the Anti-Lebanon mountains. Released after several years in bottle, it will continue to develop complexity over many more and is suited to a wide range of food from rich pates, rillettes and cheese, to delicately spiced Asian cuisine.
Grape Varietals Obaideh
Vineyard Region Mount Lebanon slopes
Winemaking
This particular vintage is 100% Obaideh. A proportion was barrel fermented with natural yeasts in 225 litre French oak barriques, then matured for nine months. Blended with the stainless-steel cuvee and bottled. Aged in the winery’s cellars before release.
Tasting Notes
Beautifully deep amber colour with aromas of hot buttered toast, caramel, vanilla and toffee apples. Dry, but the weighty texture and aroma/flavour associations lend a perceived sweetness. A wonderfully complex wine with many layers of spice, fruit and development that keep revealing themselves in the glass as time passes.
Aged for nine months only due to the lightness of vintage, this wine exudes melon aromas, possesses a medium body with a clean and pleasant aftertaste. Pair confidently with fried Mediterranean fish famous for their intense taste. Pan-fried tuna with tomatoes, green and red peppers enriched with extra-virgin olive oil would be an excellent match too – Hrayr Berberoglu, foodreference.com
Deep orange gold. On the nose, beginning to mature and open up. Good depth and concentration. Lovely flavours of old Cheddar cheese and surprisingly high acidity. Very good length on the aftertaste. Will age for long time. After an hour in the glass, the wine started to develop its characteristic honey aromas which also revealed themselves on the palate alongside a beautiful vanilla and beeswax aroma. The next morning saw it develop a rich, sweet, cognac-like nose; bone dry, powerful yet elegant on the palate with pronounced alcohol and hot and long finish. By day three, the middle nose had developed even more – Bartholomew Broadbent, October 2019
You can't judge this wine too quickly; it needs to be tasted with an open mind over a long period. The initial aromas are delicate: dried flowers and dried apricots; nice but not complex. Then in the mouth it becomes something unique – an intriguing wine that hides its class in a cryptic message. On the first day I gave it 92 points, but it is only from day two that it starts to show its amazing complexity, becoming something between a wine and an elixir. It starts to fade away on the fifth day after opening. Decanting is a must – Pedro Ballesteros Torres MW, June 2020
Alcohol
12.5% Alc./Vol.
LouElla is Downtown Durham's neighborhood bottle shop, bar, and event space offering curated wine, craft beer, and fortified selections from family operated producers. The business takes its name and mission from owner and proprietor Campbell Davis's Great Aunt LouElla who was much beloved for her warmth, hospitality, and generous spirit. Whether we are serving you at the bar or helping you pick that perfect bottle to host your celebration, our mission is to share LouElla's hospitality with the community.
Campbell Davis
Owner & Manager
For Cam Davis, LouElla is the culmination of more than 20 years of experience in the hospitality and beverage industry. Cam has successfully managed some of Durham’s finest locally and nationally recognized establishments, including Hutchin's Garage, Guglhupf, Rue Cler, and Durham Catering Company. He brings a wealth of wine and beverage knowledge, not only from his extensive restaurant experience, but also from his tenure as Durham Sales Manager for wine distributor Bordeaux, Fine and Rare.
Hours
Mon. Closed
Tue. - Thu. 11am - 9pm
Fri. & Sat. 11am - 10pm
Sun. 11am - 8pm