Brett happens

Bekaa Valley 2009, Petit Noir, Cave Kouroum ($13.55, 11097549)
Founded in 1998, the winery is based in the village of Kefraya in the Bekaa Valley. The 180 hectares of vineyards are on the eastern slope of Mount Barouk at an elevation of 900 m. This is a blend of Cinsault (50%), Carignan (25%), Grenache (15%) and Syrah (10%) from sustainably farmed vines. The grapes are manually harvested and sorted. Traditional vinification with both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation taking place. Matured six months in French oak fûts. Reducing sugar: 1.8 g/l. 14.5% ABV. Quebec agent: ABVS.
Pencil shavings, red berry jam, dried herbs, hints of sweet spice and a whiff of alcohol. Smooth, clean and medium-bodied. A really promising attack fades disappointingly fast and there’s not much else to take its place. A bit hot at room temperature, better after a couple of hours in the carafe and 30 minutes in the fridge: rounder, fuller and fruitier with good acidity and a fair finish, though you’ll have to look elsewhere for depth. With its savoury Rhône-ish flavour profile and Bordeaux-ish structure and weight, it’s stylistically between a Côtes-du-Rhône and a cru bourgeois. Memorable above all for being one of the better reds in its price bracket, not that there’s anything wrong with that. (Buy again? Sure.)