Massaya, Bekaa Valley

Organic

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Sami and Ramzi Ghosn
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The New Star of Lebanon

The Ghosn brothers Sami and Ramzi were determined to realize their dream by bringing to life great wines at the Tanaïl Property. To do this, they decided to bring in priceless know-how to one of the world’s oldest wine producing regions. On 27 May 1998, a partnership was formed with an ambition to produce a world class Lebanese wine in the Bekaa Valley. It brought together The Ghosn brothers, Dominique Hébrard, owner of Château Trianon and the Brunier brothers, Daniel, and Frédéric, co-proprietor at Le Vieux Télégraphe.

The new wine was to have a limited annual production and it was to be called Massaya, named the time of day when twilight sets on the vineyard and the sky turns purple as the sun sets behind Mount-Lebanon. This prestigious Franco-Lebanese collaboration has united great men of wine and created optimum conditions for making great wine, taking advantage of the exceptional soil here in the Bekaa. Not only did Massaya become a world class Lebanese wine, it was the catalyst for the renaissance of the Lebanese wine tradition. A very special place, the vineyards of the Tanaïl Estate are located at an altitude of 1000 meters above sea level in the Bekaa Valley, where the slopes are protected by Mount Lebanon and the Anti Lebanon mountains. Free of frost and disease, the Bekaa Valley enjoys a unique climate with long gentle summers, wet winters and an average temperature of 25 degrees that is perfect for viticulture. What makes a grand cru? Massaya wines enjoy a very special soil and benefit from the special attention they receive. Their development has become an art form. The grape varieties are traditional, but the results are exciting.