Red Wine

Château Marsyas

2016, 75cl

Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

Château Marsyas

“Newly born and already gaining growing renown: Château Marsyas” — Le Figaro, 2016

The Beqaa Valley is actually a plateau stretching from north to south in Lebanon, located between Mount Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon mountain range, at an altitude reaching 1,000 meters. The soil is red, indicative of the presence of iron, which, together with white stones, forms a clay-limestone environment ideal for vines. Limestone gives the Lebanese terroir its unique character, forcing vine roots to penetrate deeply into the ground.

The vineyard covers 65 hectares, with vines planted between 12 and 17 years ago (since 2005). The planting density is 6,250 vines per hectare, with a yield of about 1 kg per vine.

Harvesting is done by hand, in small 15 kg crates, with rigorous grape selection.

Regarding vinification, the grapes undergo double sorting upon reception and are transported by gravity to preserve quality. Extraction is gentle, with punching down (“pigeage”) applied in selected tanks. The wine is aged for 12 months in a mix of new and used barrels, balancing freshness and complexity.

The vintage that produced this wine was marked by a harsh but short winter, followed by a generous spring that encouraged lush vegetative growth. Flowering was rapid and uniform, benefiting from an early end to rainfall. The summer was relatively mild, without extreme heat waves, allowing an early harvest starting in the second week of August, with grapes ripe and balanced in flavor and aroma.

Allergens information

Contains sulphites.

Johnny R. Saadé Holdings S.A.L.

The Saadé family, of Greek Orthodox Christian origin, has its roots in the coastal city of Latakia, Syria, known in antiquity as Laodicea ad Mare. With a commercial tradition established since the 18th century, the family distinguished itself in international trade, maritime and land transport, and industry, with a presence in various countries across the Middle East and Europe. In the 2000s, under the leadership of Johnny R. Saadé, the family founded Johnny R. Saadé Holdings S.A.L. Today, his sons, Karim and Sandro Saadé, manage the wine estates — Domaine de Bargylus and Château Marsyas — with a contemporary and international vision.

Established in 2003, with the first vintage released in 2006, Domaine de Bargylus is often described as the best wine in Syria. Located at 990 meters altitude on slopes facing the Mediterranean Sea, the vineyard benefits from an exceptional terroir: limestone soils with clay, significant daily temperature variation, and high rainfall. Production follows an approach inspired by the French style, under the guidance of renowned French winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt, whose philosophy emphasizes terroir expression, sustainability, and minimal enological intervention. Despite logistical challenges arising from the geopolitical context, winemaking is rigorously supervised: samples are sent outside Syria for tastings and technical decisions in close collaboration with the winemaking team.

In 2007, the Saadé family expanded their winemaking project to the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon with the establishment of Château Marsyas. Covering approximately 600,000 square meters, the estate is located in the villages of Kefraya and Tell Dnoub, in a region historically known as the Marsyas Valley. Château Marsyas follows the same philosophy of precision and authenticity applied to Bargylus, also benefiting from the consultancy of Stéphane Derenoncourt. The wines reflect the character of the Lebanese terroir, combined with the sophistication and elegance of modern and demanding winemaking.