Massaya, Silver Selection Red, Bekaa Valley

Au restaurant. Première rencontre avec cet assemblage rhodanien du Liban... Je craignais la haute teneur en alcool (14.5%) mais les années lui ont fait du bien. A bien accompagné les plats thaïs!

Popped and poured; consumed over a 24 hour period. This is my third experience with Massaya but first with the Silver Selection (the previous two were with the separate vintages of the Gold Reserve which I found quite nice wines indeed). This bottle was a blend of Grenache, Cinsault, Cab. Sauvignon and Mourvedre; listed respective of their prominence in the blend. Bouquet seemed a bit muted...some muddled fruit and a touch of oak...maybe some freshly oiled ball glove too. I …

Dinner with Henry/Karen (Hix Belgravia) : decent aroma but a bit gripping and austere towards the end.

The 2008 Silver Selection is a tremendous effort. Sweet red and blue fruits as well as toasty oak waft from the glass. Blueberry and blackberry fruit on the attack to finish with stiff upright tannins that are a tad overbearing right now. However, the tannins are chewy and suggest longevity and quality. This wine has potential and is worth following for at least five years.

Dunkles Kirschenrot. Elegante, würzige Nase mit feinen Holznoten. Ausgewogen und mittelkräftig am Gaumen mit langem Abgang.