Musar Industry Tasting at Wingtip with Marc Hochar

Wingtip
Tasted Monday, April 4, 2016 by RajivAyyangar with 408 views

Introduction

https://www.evernote.com/l/ABYGXRl3IHlJmKwZdPcEBCCkWPPAbzoEK9c

Flight 1 - The main wines (12 Notes)

  • 2008 Chateau Musar 91 Points

    Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

    Still primary, with stem-like herbaceousness, dark cherry and red cherry. Structured and tight with firm tannins (medium plus). Reminds me of a more primary version of the 2004. This isn’t Musar yet. Wait at least 10 years.
    Score: Around 9

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  • 2007 Chateau Musar 91 Points

    Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

    Still primary, with rich ripe pomegranate fruit and a hint of white mushroom development. Seems perhaps Cinsault dominant? Like the ’08, this isn’t even recognizably Musar yet. Wait another 10 years.
    Score: Around 9

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  • 2004 Chateau Musar

    Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

    Rich dark blackberry on a savory tamari backdrop. Still tight and needs air. In the mouth, powerful with bright acidity. My impression with Tim a few weeks ago was better - the bottle opened up over a few hours.

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  • 2000 Chateau Musar 91 Points

    Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

    Slightly burnt, and perhaps a little reductive. Floral and feral at the same time (brettanomyces). In the context of Musar, this tends towards the red-fruited spectrum, more Burgundian than Rhonish. Excellent savory bretty tamari blackberry on the palate. Less aggressively structured than the ’04. Elegant and aromatic.
    Score: Right now, around 9

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  • 1998 Chateau Musar

    Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

    More open than the 2000. Voluptuous ripe red fruit. Softer structure for Musar. Similar to 2000 - floral and bretty, red cherry, tending towards Burgundian.

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  • 1990 Chateau Musar 93 Points

    Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

    Dark garner with some brown at the rim.
    Earthy, with slightly burnt damp earth. There’s a note of damp compost with chocolatey blackberry that I really love on this. More earth-driven than the ’98 or ’00. Dried rose poupourri. Noticeable VA - a balsamic prickle.
    In the mouth, a balsamic prickle as well. Prickly red strawberry fruit. I caught a glimpse of incandescent blackcurrant tertiary fruit, but this either needs more time in the bottle, or more air to show it.
    9-9.5.

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  • 2004 Chateau Musar Rosé 93 Points

    Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

    Stunning! Sweet almond biscuit. Sweet savory apples. Starting to develop Musarian honey and toast aromas. Slight baked strawberries. Honeysuckle.
    Medium plus body with slightly elevated acid. Savory strawberry. Slight tannins. Extremely persistent on the palate. Finishes with sweet scone (lees).
    9-9.5

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  • 2007 Chateau Musar Blanc 91 Points

    Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

    This has yet to undergo its inflection. Primary and youthful (for Musar) with waxy yellow lemon, green apple, slight apple balsamic, and some fresh yellow apples. Fresh and delightful, but almost unrecognizable from its elders.
    Score: Around 9 now, but who knows what will happen!

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  • 2006 Chateau Musar Blanc 94 Points

    Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

    This seems to be starting its inflection. There’s a primary/youthful character - fresh lemon juice and candle wax (primary for Musar, that is). It’s starting to develop raw freshly-peeled carrot, with a hint of lemon and wax. Slight white button mushrooms. Slight sweet baguette (a little oak - barely noticeable).
    Phenomenal acidity and length.
    Around 9.5 already. I think this will be incredible when fully transformed (~10 more years, and then it will intensify for decades more).

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  • 2004 Chateau Musar Blanc 91 Points

    Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

    This is also beginning to transform - more like the ’06 than the ’07. Fresh raw carrot, hinting at beeswax and toast. The tertiary fruit is noticeably rawer and more primary than the '99. A bit reductive (burnt rubber). Very promising. Persistent with great acidity.
    Score: around 9, but this could be great further into its transformation. Right now it doesn’t have much primary fruit, nor the Musarian tertiary fruit. You might say it’s in the awkward phase.

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  • 1999 Chateau Musar Blanc 91 Points

    Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

    This is at the inflection point - there’s no primary fruit yet, but the Musarian tertiary fruit is still quite raw and new. Slightly reductive (burnt rubber) with honey on lightly-toasted bread. Tart apple skin, sweet toasted cashews. Slight carrot halwa.
    Slightly bitter in the mouth with brightly lingering acidity.
    Score: around 9, but this is just starting its transformation.

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  • 1989 Chateau Musar Blanc 95 Points

    Lebanon, Bekaa Valley

    Very similar to the bottle a few weeks ago. This is fully tertiary and singing! A rich glowing golden color. Savory sweet carrot halwa, dried honey on toast, toasted scone, browned/noisette butter. Waxy apply integrated complexity. This is the kind of wine that dredges up warm memories with each taste.
    Score: around 9.5

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Flight 2 - Walk-around tasting of their ancillary wines (5 Notes)

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