Chateau Musar Wine Dinner

17 April 2011: Last night we went to a Château Musar wine dinner at the Foreign Correspondents Club.  It was so nice to have Serge Hochar talking about his wines (in fact, he talked more when he visited each table individually).  There were 5 wines: Musar Rosé 2006, Musar Blanc 2003, Hochar Père et Fils 2003, Château Musar 1999 and an Arack de Musar.  I brought along a Château Musar 2000 so that we could compare the two vintages side by side. 

Château Musar Rosé 2006
A blend of Cinsault and Obeideh. Aged 6 - 9 months in oak barrels and released after 2 years in bottle.  Salmon-pink hue.  Redcurrant, peach, citrus, green apple, candied fruit, showing some nutty, savoury and spicy character on the palate.  Refreshing, with a slightly rounded character.  Slight bitter almond finish. 14/20

Château Musar Blanc 2003
A blend of Lebanese indigenous white grape varieties: Merwah and Obeideh, grown in vineyards at 1300 metres above sea level.  Fermented and matured in French oak barrels for about 9 months, released after 4 years in bottle.  Almost in an oxidised and mature style, but maintaining its acidity and zestiness.  A bright golden colour.  Quince, lemon peel, marzipan, dried apricot, brioche, tarte tatin, layered with a honeyed character.  Weighty style, but balanced with tangy acidity.  A little short on finish.  13.5/20 (Afraid I haven't quite got the acquired taste for this classic Musar style.....)

Hochar Père et Fils 2003
Made in an earlier approachable style.  Blend of Cinsault and Carignan, with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache.  Fermented in cement, before ageing 6 - 9 months in oak vats.  Bottled without fining or filtering.  Released after bottling.  Quite pungent and medicinal, animal-like on the nose, gradually filling with blackberry, prune and fig, with some leathery, spicy and chocolate notes.  Very soft tannin, with vibrant acidity.  Reminded me of a Barbera.....a well-made red wine with some complexity, intended for early drinking.  A good food wine.  14.5/20

Château Musar 1999
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan.  Fermented in concrete, followed by brief time in vats, before racking into French oak barrels for 12 - 15 months of ageing, before racking into vats again.  After two years of ageing in oak barrels and vats, the wine is blended and bottled.  The wine then spends 3 - 4 years in bottle before release.  Serge said that the 1999 was a very rich and powerful vintage and it showed in the comparison with 2000, which was a relatively cooler vintage.  He said he would drink his 2000 before the 1999.  The 1999 showed a deep ruby core, with just a hint of brick-red colour at the rim.  An intense and complex nose of dried fruit, prune, plum, stewed black fruit, creme de cassis, warm spices and Mediterranean herbs.  Reminded me of the wines from Languedoc Roussillon.   Rich mouthfeel, robust structure from the very ripe tannin and good levels of acidity.  Finishes long.  Could drink now, with 2 hours of decanting or for further cellaring for enjoyment over next 10+ years.  (Serge is still enjoying his 1959 vintage - the first one he vinified!) 17+/20

Château Musar 1999
Similar blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan and similar winemaking technique.  However, this wine tasted more Cabernet Sauvignon (or Bordeaux) like, made in a cool climate style.  Elegant, well-balanced, with a beautifully crafted structure of fine tannin and lively acidity.  Black cherry, blackcurrant, fig, spicy, chocolate, coffee, tobacco and a hint of Mediterranean herbs. Decanted for about 1.5 hour. Finishes very long.  Drinking beautifully now and will age gracefully for the next 10+ years.  17+/20

Arack de Musar
Distilled grape must aged for 5 - 10 years, before being redistilled in the presence of anis seeds.  Distilled 4 times altogether.  Final ageing in terracotta amphorae for 12 - 24 months before release.  I had a sip but decided to stay with our red wine, which went equally well with the baclava (yummy!)

I really enjoyed this wine dinner and felt that I had rediscovered Musar (after having tasted it before on a number of occasions).  The discussion with Serge and his presence put the whole thing into perspective for me.  I am so glad that I've rediscovered this estate because the wines are truly unique,  not only because they are made in one of the world's hottest spots, constantly at risk of mortar shells, but also they are expressive, characterful and above all, well-priced.  Bravo to Serge and his family for keeping this wonderful estate going!