Tasting Note

Red cherries, plums, carob and figs dominate the nose with a hint of eastern spice. Kirsch and plums follow through to the palate with blackcurrant and chocolate. The tannins are velvety soft and this wine has a lot of depth and fruit concentration with a long finish.

Producer

Chateau Musar is regarded as one of the worlds truly iconic wineries.

It was established in 1930 by Gaston Hochar, who was inspired by Lebanons 6,000-year history of winemaking and his own travels to Bordeaux. The Hochar family, who are of French descent, arrived in Lebanon during the 12thCentury as knights of the crusades and have remained there ever since. Their association with wine began in the 1920s when France was assigned the League of Nations mandate for Syria, which at the time included Lebanon. During this time Gaston Hochar started producing his wines with noblesse which were so good that they greatly impressed senior officers in the French army. Later, Major Ronald Barton, of Chteau Langoa-Barton, who was stationed in Lebanon during World War II, became a great friend of Gaston Hochar, cementing the links between Chateau Musar and Bordeaux that remain to this day.

The familys connections with wine were further strengthened when Serge Hochar, Gastons eldest son decided to study oenology and became a student of Emile Peynaud at the University of Oenology in Bordeaux. Having declared to his father I want to make the wine my way, I want it to be known world-wide and I want you to quit! he became Chateau Musars winemaker in 1959, Gaston senior having graciously given way.

He then spent 18 years perfecting the blend for Chateau Musars Red and was selected as Decanter Magazines first Man of the Year in 1984 for his dedication to producing superb quality wines during Lebanons Civil War (1975-1990). Serge had two sons: Gaston and Marc. Both have studied engineering and worked in the banking sector. Gaston now manages the day-to-day running of the Chateau Musar winery, while Marc manages its commercial aspects.

Like his brother Serge, Ronald Hochar was encouraged to participate at Musar from an early age. Having studied law, Ronalds contributions on the commercial and logistical fronts remain vital to the business.

Now run by the 3rdgeneration of the family, Chateau Musar is acknowledged as the benchmark of the region, with a long-established reputation for producing great wines renowned for their complexity, elegance and extraordinary ageing ability, be it their red blends or their whites produced from indigenous grapes. The wines are produced with a non-interventionist philosophy using organically grown grapes from vineyards located at an altitude of 1000 metres in the famed Bekaa Valley.

Chateau Musar Red – Hay Wines