It was in 1930 that Gaston Hochar, of Lebanon’s Chateau Musar, planted his first vineyards, after returning from Bordeaux. Major Ronald Barton (of Chateau Langoa-Barton), who was stationed in Lebanon during World War II, befriended Gaston Hochar, strengthening links with Bordeaux and influencing the Musar style.

Gaston’s first son, Serge, became Chateau Musars winemaker in 1959, while completing his winemaking studies at the University of Oenology in Bordeaux, under the tutorage of Jean Riberau and Emile Peynaud. 3 years later, Ronald Hochar (Gaston’s second son) takes over the financial and marketing aspects of the winery.

It wasn’t until 1977 that Serge Hochar finalised the formula for Chateau Musar Reds. 2 years later, Michael Broadbent discovers’ Chateau Musar at the Bristol Wine Fair, hailing the 1967 vintage as the “Find of the Fair”. Chateau Musar opens its UK Company to develop its sales into the UK market and thereafter into Europe.

In 1984, Decanter magazine nominates Serge Hochar as their first Man of the Year’, recognising his dedication to producing superb wines throughout Lebanon’s Civil War (1975-1990).

The family tradition continued in 1994 when Gaston Hochar, Serge’s son joins the winery, to later become its managing director and again in 2003 when Ralph Hochar, Ronald’s son joins the UK office in charge of sales in the on-trade.

2006 saw Chateau Musar obtains its first official, Organic certification for some of its vineyards.

Most recently in 2010, Serge Hochar receives the lifetime achievement award from the German magazine Der FeinSchmeker. Also Marc Hochar, Serge’s second son, joins his brother Gaston to help run and expand the winery’s activities.

The Chateau Musar’s range of wines are this houses most famous range of wines. These are their Grands Vins’, each with their unique signature and imprint in the world of wine. Since 1930, every aspect of production, grape sourcing, fermentation, oak-ageing and bottle maturation, has been trialled to achieve the ultimate expression of Musar’s specific terroirs’ (site-specific interactions of soil, vine, climate and time).

Organic from the outside, Chateau Musar’s red vineyards are siruated towards the Southern end of the Bekka Valley, North of Lake Qaroun and about 30km South-East of Beirut. They lie near the villages of Aana and Kefraya on a range of gravelly soils over limestone ideally suited to viticulture. The wide range of soil types and aspects results in wines of distinctive character and blends of appealing complexity.

Vinification

2018 began with an impressive 355mm of rain and snow in January, while February was also abundant with 162mm of rain to irrigate the soils. March followed with 41mm and April, with 27mm, was the icing on the cake; after the 15th of April, a surprise increase in temperature encouraged the vines to open. May & June were exceptional as 52mm and 32mm of rain fell during the blooming period, the vines loved the additional water and the harvest certainly looked promising. July was true to form with no water and temperatures increased to an average of 35 degrees Celsius. Then in August we had a 3-day heatwave with temperatures of 39 and 40 degrees.

Cinsault was harvested on the 4th of September and what a surprise the grapes were dried with high sugar content. This is the first time we have experienced this from our Cinsault vineyards and showed us that nothing can be taken for granted; no grape can escape changing climatic conditions, each year is different and unique.

The 2018 is an equal split of Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan.

Each varietal was fermented with their natural yeasts in concrete vats, then aged for 12 months in French Nevers oak barrels before blending in January 2021. Fermentation of the red grapes this year was challenging: Cabernet Sauvignon was first due to the earlier harvest date and was easy to manage, while Cinsault and Carignan needed more attention with their fermentations closely monitored to finish the last gram of grape sugar. Malolactic fermentations for these two grapes were still pending 3 months after the beginning of the harvest as a reminder of the very delicate fermentation and exceptional Cinsault behaviour.

This vintage was bottled, without fining or filtration, during the summer months of July and August 2021.

Tasting Notes

The 2018 vintage has a deep garnet colour in the glass with dried cherries and mature red fruits on the nose. The palate isrich and concentrated with cranberries, raisins, and dates; there is good acidity with fine tannins. It has an enticing smoky,dusty fruit with soft liquorice undertones and at 6 years of age upon release, it is already developed and mature.