Chateau Musar is perhaps the best known of the Lebanese wine producers. Founded in 1930 by Gaston Hochar it was under the stewardship of his son Serge that the wines gained an international reputation.
Vineyards are located in the fertile Bekaa Valley and harvested grapes are then transported by lorry to the winery which is located in Ghazir which is about 25Km from the city of Beirut. The red wine is a blend of three varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault, usually in equal proportions. All fruit is handpicked and fermentation takes place in cement vats using wild yeasts. Once fermentation is complete the wine is placed in French oak barrels for 12 months followed by a further period in the vats. Wines are blended and bottled, without fining or filtration, after three years but are then retained in the winery for at least four more years before release onto the market. This means that Chateau Musar is at least seven years old when it appears on the shelves.
Chateau Musar Red
Chateau Musar 2003 – garnet in colour which fades to tawny at the rim. Aromas of cherry, red fruits and spice. The palate has a touch of sweetness, it is light with red fruits, dried herbs, peppery spice, chocolate and a nice savoury sweetness. The finish is long and peppery. Very approachable and drinking very well.
Chateau Musar 2002 – garnet in colour, slightly deeper and dusky in appearance. Nose not as approachable as 2003, quite closed. Lots of red fruits and bags of peppery spice with some cola and a finish of medicinal cherry.
Chateau Musar 2001 – Similar in appearance to 2003. Blaqckfruits, cherry, farmy and dried mushroom. The palate is medium bodied, cherry, raspberry, cola and peppery spice but all is quite restrained. Tannins are dry.
Chateau Musar 2000 – mid garnet with a tawny rim. The nose is subtle and complex mix of dried fruits, cherry, tobacco and spice. The palate is rich, full bodied dark fruit with lovely balance. A savoury/meaty finish that lingers.
Chateau Musar 1999 – garnet/tawny in appearance. Nose is savoury, meaty, farmy, smokey with dark cherry. Palate has lots of dark cherry, spice, peppery fruit with touch of violets. The finish is long and lingering. A wine of depth and complexity that continues to develop in the glass.
Chateau Musar 1998 – light garnet with tawny rim. The nose is lighter but still has real character with cherry and savoury spice. Palate is light and the fruit is drying a little but this has real elegance.
Chateau Musar 1996 – Tawny, clear and bright. Nose is not very expressive. Palate is light and full of mature fruit flavours, cherry, fig, raisins, coffee. Dry but with real character.
Chateau Musar White
The white wine is a blend of two indigenous Lebanese grape varieties, Obaideh and Merwah. The vineyards are old planted between 50 and 90 years ago. Obaideh is a variety which is high in sugar and low in acidity and believed to be related to Chardonnay. Merwah is a variety thought to be related to Semillon which can produce distinctive wines but may lack in acidity at times. The two varieties blended together produce a distinctive and age worthy wine.
At Musar they are fermented and partly aged in oak barrels before finishing off in stainless steel. Blending is usually in the proportion 2/3 Obaideh to 1/3 Merwah.
Chateau Musar 2009 – yellow/gold in appearance, clear and bright. The nose is a little closed but there is lemon citrus, tropical fruits and a touch of nuttiness. The palate has a silky, creamy texture and wonderful balance. Tropical fruits abound, banana, pineapple together with honey and marzipan. The finish is as wonderful as it is long.
Chateau Musar 1992 – golden in appearance with great intensity. Nose is closed and not very expressive at all. The palate is dry and sherry like with a slight buttery texture. Improves in glass to give some stone fruits and a touch of honey.
Chateau Musar 1991 – Deep gold in appearance. The nose is subtle with smokey honeycomb. The palate is pineapple, peach, apricot, marzipan and is complex. As it opens out there are flavours of lemon and quince emerging. There is a dryness and a lingering lemon/honeycomb finish.