Wine AdvocateWith 12% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot and 38% each of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, Massoud’s 2004 Assemblage seems to incorporate in its aromatic panoply the resin and blueberry typical of Petit Verdot (never before used here) as well as licorice and diverse black fruits. Dense and intense on the palate, this full-bodied wine will, I suspect, need at least another year before it shows its real personality. An impressively long, low-toned finish offers great promise. Speaking of which, the 2005s here are amazingly formidable from cask at this stage. Score range: 88-91.
Score: 91.
—David Schildknecht,
June
2006.
