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NOTES
The Middle East is known to be the place where people first made wine in ancient times. Certainly not the centre of the wine world these days, but presided over by Lebanon's indomitable Serge Hochar of Chateau Musar. Even through Lebanon's long Civil War, he has managed to make famously long lived dry reds from Cabernet Sauvignon and Cinsault that have thrown many options games into turmoil. Hochar was Decanter Magazine's first ever 'Man of the Year'.
The vineyards of Château Musar are located at an altitude of over 3,000 feet (1,000 meters) in the Bekaa Valley where the vines are sheltered by the surrounding mountains running parallel to the Mediterranean coast. They cover 180 hectares and produce a limited yield of about 35 hl/ha. The Bekaa Valley is almost frost and disease free, with long mild summers, rainy winters with an annual rainfall of 500mm, and an average temperature of 25 degrees Celsius.
The red wines are made from a blend of different grape varieties, mainly: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan. The vines are grown on a gravely soil with a limestone base. The composition varies from one year to the next, giving Château Musar a different character and identity each year.
TASTING NOTES
A deep red scarlet colour with terracotta tones at the rim, it has a complex nose of cigar box spice, warm leather, baked fruits, figs, leather, tobacco, ripe morello cherries and blackcurrants. The palate has intense flavours of red cherries, dark chocolate, olives, figs, damsons-even chocolate and velvet smooth tannins on the very long finish.
REVIEWS
This is something that's hard to find. But if you really want to impress your friends, it's worth looking for. This is a remarkable red wine from the Bekaa Valley that has the character and class of Bordeaux but a totally different taste. We have had many vintages of it going to the early '70s and loved every one. Sometimes you can buy it for very little, because wine shops don't know what it is, and sometimes you can buy it for a lot of money, because wine shops know exactly what it is. Find a bottle of this and you will be invited to dinner again. Wall Street Journal
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