Few wine producers founded in the modern era can claim to have witnessed as many world-changing events as the famous Château Musar in Lebanon's Beka'a Valley. Perilously close to the tumultuous border with Syria, Musar has quite literally seen the front lines of some of the world's most heart breaking conflicts. Proprietor Gaston Hochar deserves the highest esteem for refusing to slake his production throughout multiple regional wars, meanwhile maintaining his standards of high quality and unique style. That said, Musar, has a reptutation for streaky vintages, with some underwhelming wines for the reputation held by the château. Let us see how this ten-year-old vintage performs...
Country of Origin: Lebanon
Region: Beka'a valley
Varieties: Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Syrah
Price range: £20-25
Biodynamic/ Organic
Appearance: Time resting in bottle has done some lovely things to the colour of this wine. I am a highly visual taster, and often I fear that my tastes are overly influenced by the appearance of the wine in the glass, but this is a beautiful brick red, showing a thorough aging process over the ten years since vintage. It isn't terribly clear, somewhat reminiscent of a young Burgundy but with a slight orange tinge.
Nose: Great aromatics to be sure, dark cherries and a dusty black currant showing the quality of the Cabernet here. I've heard rumours that Gaston Hochar pulled a rather cavalier move in taking some Cabernet cuttings from Château Lafite-Rothschild, and if that's so, it's interesting to see how that affects this Cinsault-dominated blend. A bit of pencil lead, which leads me to think that the Cinsault is definitely being overwhelmed by the Cabernet and a hint of brine shows the character of the aged Syrah. Over all, a unique and complex nose, worth a long consideration. Beautiful so far!
Palate: Despite the age on this fellow, the tannins were quite grippy upon first opening the bottle, again showing the strength of the Cabernet, but they have mellowed out quite a lot giving a chance for the delicate Carignan and Cinsault to show through on the palate. A hint of flowers and dusty earth add a lovely complexity to this glass of fine wine.
Overall: Some have ventured the timeless error of comparing this wine to the classic regions of Burgundy and Bordeaux, for it's elegance and it's grip respectively. This is completely beside the point of Musar. It is unique stuff with a character of it's own. Definitely worth consideration as a serious fine wine for a great value. Check your vintages and get a good one and hold onto it at least ten years! It will reward your patience, especially when it takes part in a mouthful of good spiced roast lamb.
Score: 89/100
