Tasting notes:
Chateau Oumsiyat ‘Cuvee Membliarus’ Assyrtico. Subtle aromas of white fruits and flinty mineral notes are framed by a delicate floral character. Linear on the palate with a wonderfully refreshing and mouthwatering finish.
Food match:
Try with seafood, shellfish and fish dishes, or with light tomato pastas.
Producer/Region:
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.
Winemaking: Chateau Oumsiyat ‘Cuvee Membliarus’ Assyrtico
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.
2022 was characterised as an early vintage. Low rainfall during winter was followed by hot, dry conditions in the summer. The dry, warm weather helped keep the vineyard disease free and produced grapes with good concentration of fruit. The vintage took place earlier than in average years, with fruit in excellent health and good polyphenolic maturity.