Massaya reds

Posted on 12 January 2012

I received these three bottles of Lebanese red wine from a Polish importer. I’m a big fan of Lebanese wine. Château Musar belongs to a handful of my personal favourite (see review here), and I’m also fond of the wines made at Château Ksara and Kefraya, among others. Massaya, the famous joint-venture between the Lebanese Ghosni family and some high-profile French château owners, has never exactly thrilled me, but I’ve enjoyed their wines in the past, especially the Classic Red, always a mouthful of rich Mediterranean fruit, and a great buy.

These three new releases are better than I remembered. They are quite thrilling, in fact, and again it’s the entry-level 2008 Classic Red that shines – bursting with fresh fruit flavours, Mediterranean character, sweetness, ripeness, richness, but not excessive – in fact there’s an underlying freshness that makes this a stunner with food. (This wine is 60% Cinsault, 14.5% alc., and interestingly for a wine from this part of the world, sealed with a stelvin screwcap).

The 2007 Silver Selection is oak-aged, unlike the above, and the blend changes (Grenache dominates with 40%). The style is similarly Rhôney, but the whole is heavier, fleshier, and also more peppery and spicy-exotic – obviously it’s suggestion but this bouquet reminds me of Oriental spice markets, and is perhaps more distinctive than the Classic Red. On the palate there’s a black peppercorn quality, perhaps from the 15% Mourvèdre. A touch of evolution. At 18€ it’s a fairly serious bottle, and I really enjoy it.

The 2000 Gold Reserve is one of the early bottlings made at Massaya (first vintage was 1998). It’s now a fairly evolved wine, though it drinks well. With 50% Cabernet Sauvignon this is in a different register, with vegetal, herbaceous, mentholly notes, although there’s plenty of richness and an oily texture, too (and high alcohol). The combination is a little odd at first, but with time in the glass it integrates. Although a bit less successful than the Silver, this is a good bottle – but I think recent vintages are better than this now.

These wines are showing Massaya in very good shape indeed, and I’m really impressed with their basic red – at 11-12€ I’ll be exploring it again regularly. Lebanese wine as a daily treat in Poland – the good side of globalisation.

Disclosure

Source of wine: tasting samples from the Polish importer.