Review: Middle Eastern Wines of Domaine de Bargylus and Chateau Marsyas, 2026 Releases
Most drinkers don’t think of the middle east as a wine production hotspot, but wine has been made in this area for the bulk of human history, daring back (or so I read) to roughly 8000 BCE. Today, you’ll find the well-regarded Chateau Musar as the most noteworthy winery in the region, a Lebanese producer whose wines regularly sit on lists alongside those from Bordeaux and Tuscany.
Today, areas like Syria and Lebanon don’t resemble the regions of centuries ago, ravaged by wars and national seizures that have decimated many vineyards and producers. Here’s some context from Domaine de Bargylus and Chateau Marsyas to consider:
Making wine in Syria is a real challenge given the lack of wine culture and infrastructure. The task became even more difficult with the outbreak of the war in 2011, rendering the Saadé brothers unable to visit the estate ever since. Besides the obvious security problems, Bargylus also poses a logistical challenge: harvesting is done over the phone by Johnny’s sons, Karim and Sandro. Grape samples for each variety and for each plot are sent by taxi for tasting in Beirut in order to determine the different harvesting dates. Laboratory tests are conducted outside the country. Endless and complex processes are also necessary to ensure the exportation of the wines.
Compounded with the war in Syria, the family faces a climate of national political and economic crises in Lebanon. The August 4th Port of Beirut blast in 2020 nearly took the lives of Johnny, Karim, and Sandro who were meeting in the family offices located less than 600 meters from the port when 3,000 kg of ammonium nitrate exploded. The premises were completely destroyed, with shattered windows and collapsed walls. Johnny and Sandro were projected several meters apart. Luckily, Karim was standing behind a structural wall at the time of the blast and suffered very light injuries. It took an hour to get Johnny out of the building from the ninth floor, descending through the emergency stairs and wading through rubble. They stopped a passing car to convey them to the nearest hospital, where Johnny was kept in intensive care for 11 days and hospitalized for nearly a month. Sandro, who was on crutches for several weeks, did not have time to recover and with Karim had to organize the harvesting process , which started ten days later, on August 15th, 2020, for Château Marsyas and in early September for Bargylus. They established their interim headquarters in their father Johnny’s hospital room from which they managed the whole operation for both Bargylus and Château Marsyas.
So think about that the next day you think you’re having a bad day.
These two wineries sent recent release samples for us to taste, courtesy of importer Pendenza. Let’s dig in.
2020 Chateau Marsyas B-Qa Lebanon – A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Syrah, 10% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, but I doubt you’d be able to figure out any of that based on a sample of this incredibly dense experience. Flavors of raisin dominate, with backing from overtones of cloves, asphalt, and some menthol, which develops as the wine gets a little air on it. The utter richness of this wine is hard to fully elucidate, so unctuous it can come across like Port at times. The Cabernet ultimately dominates, its heavy tannins sparring with blown-out black fruit notes, dark chocolate, and a dousing of prune juice. A bruising 15.25% abv, and you feel every bit of it. B / $27
2019 Domaine de Bargylus Ja-B-Al Syria – 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Syrah. This is a richer and more well-rounded wine, successfully melding the richness and understated sweetness of Cabernet with the density and earthiness of the Syrah. The combination works likes a dream, quickly coaxing out currants and blackberries dusted with cloves along with a surprisingly delightful pinch of cinnamon and some more savory notes of dried black olives. Dark chocolate informs the lengthy, rich finish, though its alcohol level surprises at a mere 14% abv. Highly worthwhile. A- / $41
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