Château Marsyas
Bekaa Valley Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc
Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
2011 vintage. A Bekaa Valley Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc blend. Never tasted an older vintage of this, so I was glad to come across a bottle of 2011. It looks like an orange wine, which might be a sign of oxydation, but the rancio tones work perfectly in this wine. Intense perfume of dried fruits, flowers, almonds and faint hints of honey and bee wax. At 14,85% abv, this is by no means a shy wine, but the alcohol is perfectly integrated in a powerful body of dried pineapple and spices, balanced by good acidity and an impressive minty length. In my experience Chardonnay and Sauvignon generally do not blend harmoniously, but in this case it works beautifully. I love it when a wine destroys my common beliefs, and it also shows there is life beyond Musar for ageworthy Lebanese whites. Given the economic situation in Lebanon, I invite you all to buy as many Lebanese wines as possible.
2011 vintage. A Bekaa Valley Chardonnay/Sauvignon Blanc blend. Never tasted an older vintage of this, so I was glad to come across a bottle of 2011. It looks like an orange wine, which might be a sign of oxydation, but the rancio tones work perfectly in this wine. Intense perfume of dried fruits, flowers, almonds and faint hints of honey and bee wax. At 14,85% abv, this is by no means a shy wine, but the alcohol is perfectly integrated in a powerful body of dried pineapple and spices, balanced by good acidity and an impressive minty length. In my experience Chardonnay and Sauvignon generally do not blend harmoniously, but in this case it works beautifully. I love it when a wine destroys my common beliefs, and it also shows there is life beyond Musar for ageworthy Lebanese whites. Given the economic situation in Lebanon, I invite you all to buy as many Lebanese wines as possible.
Jul 23rd, 2020