Chateau Musar in 2014
In my continuing coverage from this year’s prowein, additional information on which can be found here(http://www.snooth.com/articles/prowein-2014/). I follow up today with a brief peek at one of the world’s greatest wineries, and certainly the greatest wine of Lebanon. You know who I’m talking about.
Of course it is Chateau Musar and their true story of commitment and perseverance. Located in the Bekaa valley, Musar and the Hochar family that own it have made wine in times of peace, and amidst the gunfire of war. While this verdant valley on the eastern side of lebanon has seen tumultuous times over the recent decades, Musar has been a winery of remarkable stability. My experience with their wines goes back to the 1977 vintage, enjoyed many times over the years, and as far back as the 1967 clandestinely poured from under Serge Hochar’s jacket at a large wine tasting held in NYC back in about 1985. As I found out on this day, that is not a rare occurrence.
It’s difficult to describe Musar’s red wines, though their white can be compared to some obscure wines. A bit like a white Rhone crossed with Tondonia Blanco and with a bit more VA. That might be a turnoff to some, but is more likely simply indecipherable to most. Let’s just say that you have to try these wines to understand them, they sort of defy wine criticism in the modern sense of the word, as might be expected of a wine produced from the ancient and indigenous obaideh and merwah grapes. The one thing to be aware of is the fact that the whites love age, and show better as they get older. Counterintuitive yes, but what isn’t when it comes to Musar?
Could it be the red? Absolutely not. Simply made, Chateau Musar is absolutely one of the world’s greatest chameleons. Produced from an ever changing blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan, Musar’s flagship wine is like the proverbial box of chocolates each year. Sometimes dry, other’s with a touch of sweetness, varying levels of VA, some mysterious aromatics in their youth. They, like their white counterparts, tend to blossom at about age 10 and move from strength to strength thereafter.
Musar’s portfolio of wines has expended over the years to include new blends under the Jeune and Hochar labels. Less expensive, and more immediate that the traditional Musar wines, these serve as intriguing counterpoints to the arch traditional, and increasingly expensive Chateau wines. Fresher, fruitier, and yes less expensive, these are wines that prove the viability of Lebanon as a wine producing region, relying not ont he quirky and historic but rather on the fundamentals of success: broad appeal and the bottom line.
I do prefer the classic wines, have many of them in my cellar in fact, but can’t deny the appeal of something different to add to the Musar portfolio. I had the thrill of tasting all of these wines at the prowein stand of Musar, and while the reps poured the wines at first it was not long before I was joined by the winemaker Tarek Sakr for a discussion of what it is like to grow grapes in Lebanon - “Why trellis in a sunny country. You need shade!” - and then finally Serge himself, ever spry and enthusiastic. You can tell that not only does Serve love to talk about his wines, after all a life’s work and adventure, but he also loves to meet people you derive pleasure from his wines. It’s a fair deal if you ask me. I, as the deriver, got the best of the deal one would think.
Back in the day, I’m talking roughly of the mid to late 1980s, you really couldn’t give Musar away. Things were much simpler then. There were no wine blogs turning you on to cool new things and announcing the arrival of geek wines from all corners of the earth. Wine shops bought wines, and then had to sell them to their public As an ex-wine retailer let me tell you that it is much easier to sell a $20 California cabernet than some $15 Lebanese red blend. Today that is of course changing, with current vintages of Chateau Musar selling in the mid $40 range for current releases, while I was picking up the 1977 and 1980-1983 vintages for a few dollars back in that day.
I drank them all, down to my last bottle of both the 1977 and 1980 if cellar inventory is to be trusted. Today those wines retail for close to $300 a bottle. My how times have changed. People are catching on to the beauty of Chateau Musar. Maybe you should as well? The Jeune and Hochar are widely distributed, and while they don’t deliver the Musar fully monty experience, they do serve to let you know that you should know more about Chateau Musar.
[PAGEBREAK]
2013 Musar Jeune Blanc $20
A bit mineral on the nose this smells and tastes almost like a rose. Fruity up front, then turning lean and chalky on the back. The palate show off pretty citrusy fruit with a fine floral undertone in a soft, fairly rich, perfumed style. A blend of Viognier, Vermentino, and Chardonnay. 87pts
2012 Musar Jeune Rouge $20
100% Cinsault
Dusty, earthy, and a bit floral on the nose. This opens with a nice, bright hit of acid then turns a bit inky on the palate which is dry and decidedly tight showing off flashes of minerality and dusty light yet persistent tannins on the moderately long finish. 87pts
2011 Musar Jeune Rouge $20
A blend of Cabernet, Cinsault, and Syrah
Very floral basenotes greet the nose which turns a bit funky before gaining black fruit aromas. On entry this is quite bright bringing lots of fresh if slightly inky black fruit to the palate and showing decent earth and herb driven complexity along with little stiff tannins on the moderastly long finish. 88pts
Chateau Musar Hochar Pere e Fils Rouge
Sometimes referred to as the second wine of Chateau Musar, the Hochar line is in fact a distinct wine with fruit coming from a single vineyard in the bekaa Valley with deep, gravelly soils that lay atop a base of limestone. the vines are over 50 years old and provide the Cinsault, grenache, carignan, and cabernet Sauvignon that goes into the blend, with the majority being Cinsault.
2009 Chateau Musar Hochar Pere e Fils Rouge $28
Inky and high toned on the nose this offers up a bit of VA to add brightness to the nose which is all about brushy black fruit, forest floor and underbrush. Spicy and black fruited in the mouth, this is rather seamless with lovely cherry fruit and pink peppercorn notes emerging on the back end and driving through the plummy finish. Lovely stuff. 89pts
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2007 Chateau Musar $50
Birch bark, sweet herbs, and hot rock aromas contribute to this unusual but appealing bouquet. Medium light weight in the mouth and rather dry and austere, this has a really fine texture and although this is young there is a nice blend of fruit and medicinal complexity that really only emerges on the finish. The plate remains young and firm with fine tannins driving the fairly long finish. 91pts
2004 Chateau Musar $50
VA hits the nose along with obvious signs of a bit of caramel evolution on the spicy nose,. On entry this is smooth, with surprising freshness to the red fruited palate which shows a bit of boysenberry and mineral complexity on the backend. This shows good evolution of flavor on the palate but the structure, still quite firm, seems to be lagging behind. 89pts
1998 Chateau Musar $100
Gorgeous on the nose, all spicy and bright, and at point with great arrayed aromas of red fruit, all leathery, spicy, and toasty with a hint of dusty brick. On entry one finds a hint of sweetness adding to the round and open mouthfeel. This is bright enough to stay fresh and balanced in the mouth and while it is a bit rustic it’s also quite nuanced with plummy fruit and tremendous spicy complexity on the back and through the long finish. Char up some duck of game and you’ll be good to go. 92pts
1979 Chateau Musar
A little stinky on the nose and frankly a touch off-putting but this does show complexity with composty base notes and some herbal accents. In the mouth this tells a different story. It’s bright and finely textured with real elegance on the palate, quite a change from the nose. This still has lovely cherry, though it is a touch dry and short, but still drinking at near peak. 89pts
1977 Chateau Musar $300
This is simply stunning on the nose with layers of oyster shells, earthy, wild cherry, and icy medicinal aromas and just a hint of diesel. Bright and juicy in the mouth, this shows really transparent and bright red fruits framed with nuanced earth and dried brush notes. It’s elegant and a bit short but shows greater freshness than the 1979 today. 90pts
2006 Chateau Musar Blanc $40
Smokey and stinky on the nose with real complexity but not at all fruit driven though this does show a hint of corn. In the mouth this is a bit young and unformed, showing an early touch of sweetness supporting rich, white fruits on the palate. Firm and long, there’s some great chalky minerality on the finish along with some citrus note accents and a lingering note of corn silk. fascinating stuff. 89pts
2000 Chateau Musar Blanc $60
VA greets the nose and adds lift and power to the remarkable display of wood glue, mint, spicy florals, limestone, and honeycomb aromas. In the mouth this is all smooth, supple and integrated with a little minty spice early on the palate leading to notes of dried fruit, honeycomb, and dried yellow cherries. Good length and lovely nuance on the finish complete the picture. Really at a lovely, if youthful stage. 92pts
1966 Chateau Musar Blanc $400
Intensely aromatic this is all smoky herbs and soil notes with a remarkable freshness and subtle dried citrus fruit character. Unique, complex and captivating in the mouth. This retains a bright nature to it with rapier acids supportingly gorgeously fresh honeycomb, mineral, and dried citrus pith flavors. Really so elegant and fine. Each sip reveals a bit more detail. Fabulous wine and a real treat. 94pts
Of course it is Chateau Musar and their true story of commitment and perseverance. Located in the Bekaa valley, Musar and the Hochar family that own it have made wine in times of peace, and amidst the gunfire of war. While this verdant valley on the eastern side of lebanon has seen tumultuous times over the recent decades, Musar has been a winery of remarkable stability. My experience with their wines goes back to the 1977 vintage, enjoyed many times over the years, and as far back as the 1967 clandestinely poured from under Serge Hochar’s jacket at a large wine tasting held in NYC back in about 1985. As I found out on this day, that is not a rare occurrence.
It’s difficult to describe Musar’s red wines, though their white can be compared to some obscure wines. A bit like a white Rhone crossed with Tondonia Blanco and with a bit more VA. That might be a turnoff to some, but is more likely simply indecipherable to most. Let’s just say that you have to try these wines to understand them, they sort of defy wine criticism in the modern sense of the word, as might be expected of a wine produced from the ancient and indigenous obaideh and merwah grapes. The one thing to be aware of is the fact that the whites love age, and show better as they get older. Counterintuitive yes, but what isn’t when it comes to Musar?
Could it be the red? Absolutely not. Simply made, Chateau Musar is absolutely one of the world’s greatest chameleons. Produced from an ever changing blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan, Musar’s flagship wine is like the proverbial box of chocolates each year. Sometimes dry, other’s with a touch of sweetness, varying levels of VA, some mysterious aromatics in their youth. They, like their white counterparts, tend to blossom at about age 10 and move from strength to strength thereafter.
Musar’s portfolio of wines has expended over the years to include new blends under the Jeune and Hochar labels. Less expensive, and more immediate that the traditional Musar wines, these serve as intriguing counterpoints to the arch traditional, and increasingly expensive Chateau wines. Fresher, fruitier, and yes less expensive, these are wines that prove the viability of Lebanon as a wine producing region, relying not ont he quirky and historic but rather on the fundamentals of success: broad appeal and the bottom line.
I do prefer the classic wines, have many of them in my cellar in fact, but can’t deny the appeal of something different to add to the Musar portfolio. I had the thrill of tasting all of these wines at the prowein stand of Musar, and while the reps poured the wines at first it was not long before I was joined by the winemaker Tarek Sakr for a discussion of what it is like to grow grapes in Lebanon - “Why trellis in a sunny country. You need shade!” - and then finally Serge himself, ever spry and enthusiastic. You can tell that not only does Serve love to talk about his wines, after all a life’s work and adventure, but he also loves to meet people you derive pleasure from his wines. It’s a fair deal if you ask me. I, as the deriver, got the best of the deal one would think.
Back in the day, I’m talking roughly of the mid to late 1980s, you really couldn’t give Musar away. Things were much simpler then. There were no wine blogs turning you on to cool new things and announcing the arrival of geek wines from all corners of the earth. Wine shops bought wines, and then had to sell them to their public As an ex-wine retailer let me tell you that it is much easier to sell a $20 California cabernet than some $15 Lebanese red blend. Today that is of course changing, with current vintages of Chateau Musar selling in the mid $40 range for current releases, while I was picking up the 1977 and 1980-1983 vintages for a few dollars back in that day.
I drank them all, down to my last bottle of both the 1977 and 1980 if cellar inventory is to be trusted. Today those wines retail for close to $300 a bottle. My how times have changed. People are catching on to the beauty of Chateau Musar. Maybe you should as well? The Jeune and Hochar are widely distributed, and while they don’t deliver the Musar fully monty experience, they do serve to let you know that you should know more about Chateau Musar.
[PAGEBREAK]
2013 Musar Jeune Blanc $20
A bit mineral on the nose this smells and tastes almost like a rose. Fruity up front, then turning lean and chalky on the back. The palate show off pretty citrusy fruit with a fine floral undertone in a soft, fairly rich, perfumed style. A blend of Viognier, Vermentino, and Chardonnay. 87pts
2012 Musar Jeune Rouge $20
100% Cinsault
Dusty, earthy, and a bit floral on the nose. This opens with a nice, bright hit of acid then turns a bit inky on the palate which is dry and decidedly tight showing off flashes of minerality and dusty light yet persistent tannins on the moderately long finish. 87pts
2011 Musar Jeune Rouge $20
A blend of Cabernet, Cinsault, and Syrah
Very floral basenotes greet the nose which turns a bit funky before gaining black fruit aromas. On entry this is quite bright bringing lots of fresh if slightly inky black fruit to the palate and showing decent earth and herb driven complexity along with little stiff tannins on the moderastly long finish. 88pts
Chateau Musar Hochar Pere e Fils Rouge
Sometimes referred to as the second wine of Chateau Musar, the Hochar line is in fact a distinct wine with fruit coming from a single vineyard in the bekaa Valley with deep, gravelly soils that lay atop a base of limestone. the vines are over 50 years old and provide the Cinsault, grenache, carignan, and cabernet Sauvignon that goes into the blend, with the majority being Cinsault.
2009 Chateau Musar Hochar Pere e Fils Rouge $28
Inky and high toned on the nose this offers up a bit of VA to add brightness to the nose which is all about brushy black fruit, forest floor and underbrush. Spicy and black fruited in the mouth, this is rather seamless with lovely cherry fruit and pink peppercorn notes emerging on the back end and driving through the plummy finish. Lovely stuff. 89pts
[PAGEBREAK]
2007 Chateau Musar $50
Birch bark, sweet herbs, and hot rock aromas contribute to this unusual but appealing bouquet. Medium light weight in the mouth and rather dry and austere, this has a really fine texture and although this is young there is a nice blend of fruit and medicinal complexity that really only emerges on the finish. The plate remains young and firm with fine tannins driving the fairly long finish. 91pts
2004 Chateau Musar $50
VA hits the nose along with obvious signs of a bit of caramel evolution on the spicy nose,. On entry this is smooth, with surprising freshness to the red fruited palate which shows a bit of boysenberry and mineral complexity on the backend. This shows good evolution of flavor on the palate but the structure, still quite firm, seems to be lagging behind. 89pts
1998 Chateau Musar $100
Gorgeous on the nose, all spicy and bright, and at point with great arrayed aromas of red fruit, all leathery, spicy, and toasty with a hint of dusty brick. On entry one finds a hint of sweetness adding to the round and open mouthfeel. This is bright enough to stay fresh and balanced in the mouth and while it is a bit rustic it’s also quite nuanced with plummy fruit and tremendous spicy complexity on the back and through the long finish. Char up some duck of game and you’ll be good to go. 92pts
1979 Chateau Musar
A little stinky on the nose and frankly a touch off-putting but this does show complexity with composty base notes and some herbal accents. In the mouth this tells a different story. It’s bright and finely textured with real elegance on the palate, quite a change from the nose. This still has lovely cherry, though it is a touch dry and short, but still drinking at near peak. 89pts
1977 Chateau Musar $300
This is simply stunning on the nose with layers of oyster shells, earthy, wild cherry, and icy medicinal aromas and just a hint of diesel. Bright and juicy in the mouth, this shows really transparent and bright red fruits framed with nuanced earth and dried brush notes. It’s elegant and a bit short but shows greater freshness than the 1979 today. 90pts
2006 Chateau Musar Blanc $40
Smokey and stinky on the nose with real complexity but not at all fruit driven though this does show a hint of corn. In the mouth this is a bit young and unformed, showing an early touch of sweetness supporting rich, white fruits on the palate. Firm and long, there’s some great chalky minerality on the finish along with some citrus note accents and a lingering note of corn silk. fascinating stuff. 89pts
2000 Chateau Musar Blanc $60
VA greets the nose and adds lift and power to the remarkable display of wood glue, mint, spicy florals, limestone, and honeycomb aromas. In the mouth this is all smooth, supple and integrated with a little minty spice early on the palate leading to notes of dried fruit, honeycomb, and dried yellow cherries. Good length and lovely nuance on the finish complete the picture. Really at a lovely, if youthful stage. 92pts
1966 Chateau Musar Blanc $400
Intensely aromatic this is all smoky herbs and soil notes with a remarkable freshness and subtle dried citrus fruit character. Unique, complex and captivating in the mouth. This retains a bright nature to it with rapier acids supportingly gorgeously fresh honeycomb, mineral, and dried citrus pith flavors. Really so elegant and fine. Each sip reveals a bit more detail. Fabulous wine and a real treat. 94pts