Massaya Le Colombier Red Blend, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

Description

Massaya Le Colombier is a premium Lebanese red wine produced in the Bekaa Valley and is an old vine blend of Grenache Noir, Cinsault and Tempranillo. A bold and elegant tribute to the region’s winemaking soul, capturing the rugged beauty and vibrant terroir of the valley with remarkable finesse. Deep ruby in the glass, it unfolds with layers of ripe black fruit, warm spice, and a whisper of garrigue, perfect with lamb dishes or Middle Eastern mezze. A Lebanese take on the classic Rhône style.

Massaya Le Colombier Winemaking

• Grape Blend: 35% Grenache Noir, 35% Cinsault, and 30% Tempranillo
• Harvesting: Grapes are hand-picked into small crates and carefully sorted on tables at the winery
• Vinification: Fully destemmed and traditionally fermented for 20 to 30 days in stainless-steel vats
• Maturation: Aged for 12 months in vats
• Production: Approximately 130,000 bottles per vintage

Vineyards

The grapes for Massaya Le Colombier are sourced from 37 acres of hillside vineyards in the Beqaa Valley, located at 900 to 1200 metres above sea level in the foothills of the Mount Lebanon mountain range. These old vines are on average 40 years old and are planted on soils composed of chalk and clay.

About Massaya – Lebanon’s Leading Wine Producer

Massaya Wines was founded by brothers Sami and Ramzi Ghosn in 1998. After years of civil war, the brothers reclaimed their family estate and began producing the region’s aniseed spirit, Arak. It was not long before the brothers entered into wine production: the first bottles of Arak were produced in 1994, with the first wines released from the 1999 vintage.

The brothers had connections with Dominique Hebrard of Château Cheval Blanc and the Brunier family of Le Vieux Télégraphe, who were both interested in the potential of Lebanon’s ancient terroir. Both would become partners in the enterprise and lend their significant winemaking expertise. Today, along with Chateau Musar, Kefraya and Ixsir, they are recognised as one of the leading producers of Lebanese wines.

Wineries

Massaya operates two wineries. The original Tanail winery, on the Beqaa Valley estate acquired by the brothers’ father Michel Ghosn in the 1970s, produces 300,000 bottles annually across a range of red varieties – Cinsault, Grenache, Mourvèdre, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Tempranillo – and also features a temperature-controlled ageing facility.

The second winery, established in 2014 at Faqra near the Mzaar ski resort, focuses exclusively on white wine. Producing 65,000 bottles of Massaya Blanc from vineyards at up to 1,700 metres, it is equipped entirely with French oak vessels from a cooperage in Calvados – from 220-litre barrels and 650-litre demi-muids up to 3,000-litre casks and 4,000-litre foudres- with the smaller vessels also used for fermentation.

Sustainability

Sustainability sits at the heart of everything Massaya does. At Faqra, every drop of water is recycled for watering their gardens, while 90% of waste from the winery and restaurants finds a second life: as compost, pet food, or upcycled plastic, cardboard and metal. Nothing is wasted.

Come along and visit us or order Massaya Le Colombier online from Fareham Wine Cellar for UK delivery.