Massaya, 'Le Colombier', 2022

'One-Liner'
Juicy, spicy Lebanese red with Mediterranean flair – raspberry, cherry and bramble fruit wrapped in pepper, herbs and supple tannins.

Tasting Note
Bright ruby with cherry reflections, opening with aromas of raspberry, ripe cherry and bramble fruit alongside white pepper and warm spice. The palate is generous but wonderfully fresh, with juicy red fruit carried by soft, rounded tannins and a lively savoury edge. Hints of liquorice, leather and dried herbs build through the middle without obscuring the wine’s easy-going fruit. There is no obvious oak influence, allowing the high-altitude freshness and purity of the blend to remain centre stage. Supple and persistent on the finish, with red berries, pepper and gentle earthy spice lingering behind.

Country: Lebanon
Region: Beqaa Valley
Sub-Region: Tanaïl
Grape(s): 35% Grenache Noir, 35% Cinsault, 30% Tempranillo
ABV: 14.5%
Friendly: Vegan, Vegetarian, Sustainable

Awards & Critics' Scores
WineAlign – 89/100

The Story
Massaya grew from Sami and Ramzi Ghosn’s determination to revive their family property at Tanaïl after the Lebanese civil war. Having first rebuilt the estate around traditional arak, the brothers turned to wine in the late 1990s and formed a remarkable partnership with Dominique Hébrard of Bordeaux and Frédéric and Daniel Brunier of Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s Vieux Télégraphe. Le Colombier draws on Grenache, Cinsault and Tempranillo from high-altitude, chalky-clay vineyards in the Beqaa Valley, with vines averaging around forty years old. The grapes are picked by hand, fermented in stainless steel and matured for a year in vat rather than oak, producing a vivid, uncomplicated expression of Lebanese fruit and Mediterranean spice.

Perfect With... (click me for the recipe)
- Meat/fish: Slow-braised beef goulash with sweet paprika and caraway
- Vegetarian: Roast aubergine with spiced tomatoes and whipped feta
- Vegan: Roast cauliflower and mushroom curry with toasted almonds