Château Oumsiyat 'Cuvée Membliarus' Assyrtico has subtle aromas of white fruits and flinty mineral notes. Its delicate floral character and refreshing, mouthwatering finish make it an ideal match for Mediterranean flavours. With citrus and spicy flavours and a lovely touch of salinity, this is a perfect seafood wine. Experience a beautifully mineral taste and refreshing finish.

Cuvée Membliarus is a nod to the Greek origins of Assyrtico on Santorini.  Membliarus was the Phoenician Governor of Santorini, then known as Thera in the 6th Century BC.  Despite Santorini being relatively close by, this is the first Assyrtico produced in Lebanon.

Critic Review

JancisRobinson.com: 16.5Pts (2022 vintage)

"A little bit flinty/smoky and very, very tight. Texture like cotton sheets twisted into a rope. Like their Obeidy and Merwah, it's a salty wine, but this is salty with barely a trace of fruit. Maybe lemon. Steely. Massive acidity (or is that minerality that is making my whole mouth vibrate?). This might well develop in bottle. It will be interesting to see if it does. In the meantime, shuck those oysters and throw shellfish on the grill."
Tamlyn Currin

About the Producer

Passion and heritage has been passed down through the Bou Sleiman family for four generations. When Joseph Bou Sleiman took over the reins at Château Oumsiyat, he blended respect for local tradition with modern techniques to craft contemporary wines. A passionate vine grower, Joseph also built a modern winery in the village of Mtein, where he creates wines that are a fusion of Old World and New World. The grapes are grown in the 78-hectare vineyard, situated at over 1,000 metres elevation in the beautiful Bekaa Valley, between Mount Lebanon to the west and the Anti-Lebanon Mountains to the east. The altitude, microclimate and soils combine in this ancient terroir to produce fresh wines with a very Mediterranean “feel.”

Vineyard and Winery

Cuvée Membliarus is named after the Phoenician Governor of Santorini. The vines are
planted on the slopes of the Bekaa Valley at an altitude of 1,000 metres above sea
level, where the warm days are tempered by cooler nights. The summer diurnal
temperature difference is 20°C, which encourages an extended ripening period,
concentrating the flavours and aromatic complexity in the berries, while retaining
balancing acidity from the cool nights. The soil is calcareous clay which is a cool soil
that has good water retention properties to nourish the vines during the hot, dry
summers. Due to its pH, calcareous clay soils tend to produce refreshing wines, which
encourages further balance to the ripeness of fruit. The vines are cane pruned and are
planted at a density of 4,000 vines per hectare. The vineyard is cultivated with respect
for the environment and the grapes are manually harvested at optimal maturity.

The grapes were carefully selected to ensure the healthy and ripe fruit was vinified and
then gently pressed. The must was racked and cool fermented in stainless steel tanks
at controlled temperatures of 14 to 16°C, with selected yeasts. The wine delivers a crisp,
fresh style as it did not go through malolactic conversion. It was lightly filtered prior to
bottling.