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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 115 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Rbhan12 on 3/21/2024 & rated 92 points: Really lovely. Mix of red fruits with interesting earthy savory notes. Plenty of structure here to age further. Does very well with food. (1906 views) | | | Tasted by danme on 12/31/2023 & rated 92 points: Like a Late Bottled Vintage Port on the nose. In the mouth dark fruits, medical herbs, slight vanilla and oakiness. Full bodied with a good mix of tannins and acidity. Not an every day wine but will brighten up every holiday and served with food. (2509 views) | | | Tasted by winchester-xi on 12/19/2023: First Musar. Rather distinctive aromatic and flavor profile for what I assume are the usual Bordeaux varietals(?). Did well with 24 hours of air. (2429 views) | | | Tasted by NiklasW on 11/4/2023 & rated 90 points: Decanted for 1.5 hours. Lots of red cherry here, very fresh with good acidity and strong tannins. This is a racey wine, much going on, and feeling quite young at the moment. (3042 views) | | | Tasted by RajivAyyangar on 8/25/2023 & rated 93 points: Prism II w/ Sashi (Prism, Berlin): @prism. Mid-inflection but has a powerful jolt of slightly raisinated black fruit. Lovely VA too. It’s quite musar-y but still young. Definitely a bold, almost port-like style on the nose right now. But still balanced and light on the palate.
From Jacqueline (wine director): “Due to insufficient rain in spring, the whole life cycle of the vine was almost 30 days delayed, which led to a harvest that only finished in mid October. With that comes very concentrated fruit and a bit more power than we’re used to.” (3278 views) | | | Tasted by Janne Rydheim on 8/24/2023 & rated 86 points: Hugh Johnsson 👍
Lagras minst 15 år (2897 views) | | | Tasted by thesternowl on 6/18/2023 & rated 94 points: It was Father’s Day and I had decided on grilled rack of lamb for dinner so I selected this bottle of 2011 Chateau Musar rouge from our cellar. According to Musar’s records, the 2011 vintage was one of the most challenging since the early 1990's. It was ultimately a late-maturing vintage with harvest taking place on October 13th, the latest since the 1983 vintage!
I decanted this bottle about eight hours prior to dinner. It should be noted that immediately upon opening, the bouquet was strikingly gorgeous with powerful aromatics that were obvious from several feet away and this trait carried through until dinner time.
In the glass, the wine presents a deep garnet color. Slightly turbid with a near opaque core. On the nose, black plums, blackberries, cassis, tobacco, organic earth, exotic spices, leather, spiced meat, and pomegranate. I detect a touch of VA as well. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ tannins and medium+ acid. Confirming the nose with an added bit of red rope licorice. Lovely, long, savory…amazing. This was a brilliant compliment to the lamb (which was served with beets and goat cheese and fattoush) and everything I wanted in a Musar tonight. Drinking well now with a hefty decant and I expect well cellared examples to drink well past 2035. (3146 views) | | | Tasted by jepstein4031 on 4/23/2023 & rated 90 points: Opened two bottles of this with leg of lamb. Double decanted, but only so I could pour from the bottle. Spices, stewed fruit and other tertiary aromas and tastes stating to take hold. Good tannins and great with food. Continued drinking the next night. Tannins settled down some, and it was actually an excellent pairing with Chicken Marsala. (3867 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 3/16/2023 & rated 91 points: Sweet spices and herbs in the quite expressive bouquet. On the palate a lot of sweet spices, friendly and juicy acidity and mild tannin which is slightly drying in the finish. (3511 views) | | | Tasted by forceberry on 3/11/2023 & rated 92 points: A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2011 in Beqaa was very difficult with a cool yet dry beginning, followed by very rainiy April and May, delaying the grape maturation. The grapes were still underripe by the time they are normally harvested and ultimately the harvest was finished only by mid-October - the latest in the history of Musar, save for the vintage 1983. Fermented spontaneously in concrete, aged in oak barrels for a year. Blended together in February 2015, left to marry for a few years and bottled in summer 2015. 14% alcohol, 2 g/l residual sugar and 5,7 g/l acidity. Aerated in a decanter for four hours before tasting the wine.
Deep, luminous and still quite youthful black cherry color. The nose feels savory, a bit restrained and somewhat not unlike a warm-vintage Bordeaux with attractive, layered aromas of ripe blackcurrants, some tobacco, a little bit of bretty leather, light sweet notes of black cherries, a hint of earth and a touch of balsamic lift. The wine feels ripe, silky and very balanced on the palate with a moderately full body and nuanced flavors of ripe forest fruits and juicy dark fruits, some savory notes of earthy spices, a little bit of sweeter strawberry, light nuances of pipe tobacco, a bretty hint of leathery funk and a touch of fresh blueberries. The overall sense is enjoyably firm and balanced, thanks to the high acidity and ripe yet quite ample medium-plus tannins that slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is ripe, juicy and moderately grippy with a lengthy, layered aftertaste of tobacco and sweet black cherry, some leathery notes of brett, a little bit of wizened fig, light Bordeaux-like nuances of blackcurrant-driven dark fruit, a hint of peppery spice and a touch of earth.
A fine and sophisticated vintage of Musar that has taken a turn towards more Bordelais style; I guess this was due to a combination of blackcurrant-driven Cab fruit gaining some emphasis along with a fine touch of vague, leathery brett funk - something that the wine didn't show when I tasted it the last time in late 2019. Back then the wine showed good sense of balance, but came across as very clean, polished and somewhat straightforward in nature. Now, with 3½ additional years under its belt, the wine has picked up some depth and complexity without really compromising any of its structure. Originally I didn't know what to think of this vintage - it seemed a bit anonymous with the very characterful 2010 vintage and the sweet, porty 2012 vintage. However, now it seems there is nothing to worry about: this wine is evolving steadily in the right direction and with enough aging it will turn into a fine mature Musar. Solid value at 39,90€. (3086 views) | | | Tasted by Vinorojo24 on 2/14/2023 & rated 89 points: Jeremy have an 83 (3419 views) | | | Tasted by NickBurwood on 2/13/2023 & rated 91 points: Has really opened up since my '18 note and now in its prime. Black à point plum and dark hedge berry fruit, earth, some strap, dry spice and mellowing out tannins.
Given its accelerating maturity, a Musar for the medium haul. Now till 2026. 91?+ (3453 views) | | | Tasted by srp_gc on 2/6/2023: Excellent Musar. As always, give it plenty of time to warm from cellar temperature, including a good couple of hours or more in decanter. Plenty of life in this bottle. (3174 views) | | | Tasted by david bohm on 12/29/2022 & rated 89 points: Prima glas. Soepel, maar vol van smaak. (3064 views) | | | Tasted by jepstein4031 on 12/16/2022 & rated 91 points: Drinking beautifully. Powerful on the nose and palate, but still delicate in some respects. Moderate tannins and acid. Slight stewed fruit with a little bit of heat. Mediterranean spice. Slight oxidation on finish. Decanted and drank. No need to wait. Enjoyed with rack of lamb. (2622 views) | | | Tasted by StefanVB on 11/21/2022: WS 87 Gekruide, zuidelijke gerechten, rundvlees en lamsvlees van de grill. Parker: The 2010 Musar Jeune red is a blend of 60% Cinsault and 20% each of Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, all unoaked. This is the type of entry level wine I see in various regions at v WS: A minerally red, with dried Asian spice notes to the raspberry and red currant flavors. Raspberry jam and curry accents show on the finish. Drink now. 6,000 cases made. Chateau Musar was founded in 1930 by Gaston Hochar, although since 1959 it has be (723 views) | | | Tasted by 165Wine on 11/5/2022 & rated 93 points: Wow. What a beautiful wine. Showing complexity and delicacy at every level. Over several hours in carafe, wine displayed lovely floral notes of eucalyptus, tea, currants, cherry, tar and chocolate. Light-bodied and very smooth on the palate. Drinking perfectly. Don’t ignore this one. It was like catching a glimpse of that rare and beautiful bird resting for a moment in your garden. (3083 views) | | | Tasted by Poisey on 8/13/2022 & rated 93 points: Plumb, cherry and dates lead to a robust concentrated pallet. Powerful finish with dried herbs, celery stalk, and tones of lush dark fruit. Polished with lots left in the tank. Drink 2025-2039. (3817 views) | | | Tasted by peter.mancell@mfg.com.au on 2/6/2022 & rated 88 points: Underwhelming, sadly.
Big dark fruit but rather on the sour side. Texture Ok but not great.
Only have one more, hope it drinks better! (5490 views) | | | Tasted by King_Arthur on 1/9/2022 & rated 94 points: Hmm, my rating keeps going up for this wine. Opened it a few hours before drinking. Convinced us with fantastic nose, excellent structure and balance. Didn't show any sign of being too old, seems to be in a perfect drinking window now. But no hurry (5412 views) | | | Tasted by Redsquare82 on 12/25/2021 & rated 94 points: Decanted for 2 hours. Straight out of the bottle it smelled like sour cherries and had a luscious tartness. After opening it had a scent of black cherries, mulberries, and chocolate. Taste of cherry, plum, olive, blackberries, with strong acidity balancing velvety tannins. This wine is still young, but a joy to drink nonetheless. Excellent, long finish. (4675 views) | | | Tasted by Roughl on 12/21/2021 & rated 91 points: Similar as my tasting note earlier this year. Nice to drink this next to 2010 Valdicava brunello. The brunello has a more masculine and serious structure, but this definitively has personality and is a wine worth having in your cellar. (4653 views) | | | Tasted by Alvarovazquez on 12/13/2021 & rated 91 points: A delicious fruity Cabernet blend in a Bordeaux style, closer to a St Emilion or a Napa Cab blend. Ready to drink now after 2 hour slow ox. Paired it with Lebanese food. Enjoy! (2193 views) | | | Tasted by ThijsV on 11/13/2021 & rated 92 points: Family weekend tasting; 11/13/2021-11/14/2021 (Egmond): Still young, could easily handle 10-15 years based on the structure. Raisins, figs, black fruit, red cherries, plum, even a hint of banana, mushrooms, oranges
Medium+ tannnins, medium+ acidity, long finish (4482 views) | | | Tasted by Tyss on 10/3/2021: 40-årsgave fra Mari og Jarle, drakk til lammecarré på hytta. (4334 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Importer Highlight: Boucherville Weinhandlung (5/22/2019)
(Chateau Musar Red) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (2/19/2018)
(Ch Musar Bekaa Valley Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (1/2/2021)
(Chateau Musar) Dark red violet color; appealing, aromatic, baking spice, plum preserves, dried berries, anise, cherry liqueur nose; silky textured, dried cherry, licorice, plum preserves, baking spice, cherry liqueur palate with balancing acidity; medium-plus finish (a voluptuous, ripe style of this classic wine; 13.5% alcohol; natural cork) 92+ points 92 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JebDunnuck.com and JancisRobinson.com and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Chateau Musar Producer website
Source: VinConnect (VinConnect.com)
Housed in an 18th century castle in Ghazir, about 25 km north of Beirut, Chateau Musar was founded in 1930 by Gaston Hochar, inspired by Lebanon’s 6,000-year winemaking tradition and his friendship with Ronald Barton of Chateau Leoville-Barton in Saint Julien. The estate’s name in Arabic is ‘M’zar,’ meaning “place of extraordinary beauty/shrine to be visited,” an ideal name for this fascinating estate.
The vines for the estate’s unique wines are located in the famed Bekaa Valley, an area celebrated for its viticulture since Biblical times. At the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, bordered by Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, Lebanon’s favorable geographical and climatic conditions have always held abundant promise for the cultivation of grapes. The Bekaa Valley is positioned particularly well, nestled between the ‘Lebanon’ and ‘Anti-Lebanon’ mountain ranges at 34° N of the equator.
The vineyards of Musar are planted at altitudes ranging from 1,000 – 1,500 meters (3,280 – 4,921 ft) above sea level. The vines benefit from cool nights and seasonal temperatures (snow in winter and hot summers), resulting in long ripening periods. The vineyard soils are predominantly calcareous/limestone with gravel and stone, resulting in wines of distinctive character and blends of appealing complexity.
The vineyards’ remote location coupled with the Hochar family’s respect for the environment has resulted in ‘organic’ vineyards by default since the 1950s, even long before the term was coined. The estate obtained organic certification for its vineyards in 2005, the first producer in Lebanon to do so. All the grapes are hand-harvested by local Bedouins in the cool of the morning in order to preserve freshness, the harvest usually taking place between August and October.
The Chateau Musar winery is located in Ghazir about two and a half hour’s drive from the Bekaa Valley. The cellars are dug into the mountainside providing perfect condition for long term wine storage. The wines of Chateau Musar are produced with a ‘non-interventionist’ wine making philosophy; fermentation starts naturally with ambient yeasts, the bare minimum of sulfur is used and the Chateau Musar wines are neither fined nor filtered. Individual varieties from different vineyards are kept separately up to two years, and constantly tasted to understand their unique personalities and characteristics. The final blending process is an intrinsic part of the winemaking art at Chateau Musar — winemaking by instinct.
The estate produces three lines: the flagship range includes Chateau Musar Red, Chateau Musar White and Chateau Musar Rosé; Hochar Père et Fils Red – a more accessible red, produced from a single vineyard site in the Bekaa Valley and ready to drink upon release at year five (as opposed to Chateau Musar Red which the family recommends to drink starting from year 15); and Musar Jeune — unoaked vibrant wines intended for immediate drinking. The Chateau Musar Red and White wines undergo lengthy bottle ageing in the estate cellars and are released only after seven years.
Chateau Musar first achieved international recognition during the Bristol Wine Fair in England in 1979, where the wine press and prominent critics including Michael Broadbent declared it “the discovery of the fair”. In 1984, Decanter wine magazine named Serge Hochar their first ever “Man of the Year” for his extraordinary achievements, determination and dedication to producing outstanding wines during the difficult years of the Lebanese civil war.
Today, Chateau Musar wines are known worldwide for their finesse, elegance and extraordinary ability to age, and the estate still offers mesmerizing wines dating back to the 1950’s.
Speaking about the wines of Chateau Musar, Serge Hochar said “the harmony of nature is better than anything we could ever create. I believe it should be a priority to seek to drink what is ‘true’ rather than what is ‘good’ “. When speaking about quality in wine he added “I once produced a wine that was technically perfect but it lacked the charms of imperfection”.
With its captivating history and the incredible passion and dedication of the Hochar family, Chateau Musar has achieved a sort of cult-like status and is one of the most written-about and discussed wines in the world today.2011 Chateau MusarProducer notes: "The 2011 vintage is our traditional blend of approximately one-third each of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan. The bottling took place 3 years later in 2014, after the wines spent a year in French Nevers oak barrels. Released in the spring of 2018, the Château Musar Red of this year is a dark blood red color with a rich, fragrant fruit nose; mulberries, black cherries, plums with a hint of mocha. The palate is very intesne and concentrated, it's full of volume and characterized by forest and black fruits with elegant spice. The tannins are soft and juicy and it has a lengthy finish. A great match for red meats, especially game, seasonal casseroles and mature cheeses."Chateau MusarA guide to the style
In youth, Chateau Musar Reds are dense and richly-textured, with intense ‘baked fruit’ characters: plums, damsons, cranberries, cherries, figs and dates. Bordeaux grape Cabernet Sauvignon lends black fruit flavours; Rhône grapes Cinsault and Carignan contribute fragrance (violets; pepper) and supple spiciness. Either set of qualities might dominate a particular vintage, but the style is always emphatically Lebanese: enticingly aromatic, with persistent fruit flavours. Over decades the wines acquire tawny hues and mellow notes. We still offer wines from the 1950s: mesmerising artefacts of vintage.
Grapes and vines
Seven years in the making, Chateau Musar Red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault from vineyards near the Bekaa Valley villages of Ammiq, Aana and Kefraya on gravelly soils over limestone. Planted from the 1930s onwards, yields are low from these mature bushvines (average age: 40 years): 35hl per hectare.
Winemaking
The varietal components in Chateau Musar Red undergo lengthy fermentations in cement-lined vats at temperatures below 30°C. Racked from their yeast ‘lees’ 6 months after the harvest they are transferred into French barrels (oak from the forest of Nevers, one-third new each vintage) for one year.
Blending
The varietal components are brought together two years after the harvest; the resulting blend is then placed back in cement-lined tanks before being bottled 12 months later. Each wine is blended to reflect the strengths of the vintage: in hotter years, Cabernet Sauvignon might dominate (the thick-skinned grapes fare better in the heat); cooler conditions can favour the Cinsault grape. After 4 years’ bottle maturation in the deep stone cellars of Chateau Musar, the finished wines are released a full seven years after the harvest.
Decanting and serving
Bottled unfined and unfiltered, Chateau Musar Reds are suitable for vegans (fining agents often contain animal proteins); they’re also richly-textured and likely to ‘throw a crust’. This is a common feature of most fine wines and is especially true of Musar Red vintages over a decade old. Ideally, bottles should be stood up the night before opening to settle any sediment. After careful decanting (and discarding of sediment, usually in the last centimetre of the bottle) the wine should be allowed to breathe for several hours and served at 18°C with roasts, grills (especially lamb), casseroles, game, and mature cheeses.
Storage
To keep the wines showing at their best, bottles must be cellared in darkness, lying on their sides and not subjected to unnecessary movement or fluctuations in temperature.Red Blend. |
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