Deep gold, hinting at salmon color - on sight I’d believe this is a 2013-16 rosé! Opened in the morning. Strong honey out of the glass! Baked apple and perfumed honey. Feels rich and a little youthful for Musar. Not super complex out of the bottle, but delicious.
In the evening, sautéed butter carrot emerged. Not super strong at first, but it intensified. Lovely length. Warm flavors.
This is just-post-inflection! It’s delicious now but will probably intensify a lot over the next 5 yrs.
Med minus ruby. explosive aromatic intensity! Strong tamari and perfumed blackberry. Brett. Well balanced on the palate. Dried orange cinnamon. Hint of the ethereal cassis note that will probably increase with years. Ashish commented that it's not the most complex Musar. I might describe it as...easily broken into components, each of which isn't that complex. But together they're delightfully and distinctively Musar. It maybe doesn't (yet?) have the depth and complexity of the '95 or '72, but I'm a fan!
Of the three London bottles, this is the one with the middle ullage - upper shoulder. Opened in the morning. Cork has some damp residue on the top. Cork soaked completely through. Out of the bottle: slightly singed blackberry - and a hint of perfumed tamari-cassis. It smells similar to how the 72 smelled - evoking a sense of noble reduction, almost.
Decision: don’t decant. Leave this upright at room temp.
At dinner, after the 98 musar: a little savory and soft vegetal tomato notes. Soft and melted generic old wine tamari flavor. This feels pretty reticent. Maybe faded. Not sure. It’s not awake yet but the cassis core is starting to come out.
Medium structure on the palate - so integrated. Soft light tannins. Medium acid, alcohol, body. Totally melted tannins.
It’s pretty advanced and it’s harder for me to pick out the musar character (vs good-old-wine character) compared with the 98.
Verduno: generally lighter, more approachable wines. Medium minus ruby. Garnet rim.
Slight hint of something I thought might be TCA. Perfumed VA. Cherry - maraschino. Deep fruit. Hint of tamari wood development. (Not new oak, just tertiary notes). Medium body. Elevated alcohol. High tannins. Chewy and satisfying. A little melted. Elevated acid. Low bitterness. Deep cherry and sandalwood spice on the palate. Cherry stalks. So good.
2006 Chateau Musar Blanc 91 Points
Lebanon, Bekaa Valley
Deep gold, hinting at salmon color - on sight I’d believe this is a 2013-16 rosé!
Opened in the morning. Strong honey out of the glass! Baked apple and perfumed honey. Feels rich and a little youthful for Musar. Not super complex out of the bottle, but delicious.
In the evening, sautéed butter carrot emerged. Not super strong at first, but it intensified. Lovely length. Warm flavors.
This is just-post-inflection! It’s delicious now but will probably intensify a lot over the next 5 yrs.
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2006 Perrier-Jouët Champagne Belle Epoque
France, Champagne
medium yellow color. Blanc does Blancs. Smells fresh. Yellow apples. Pie crust. A hint of savory toasted Parmesan rind. Chilled apple core.
Tastes delicious! Toasted almond pastry with hints of savory Parmesan. High minus acid. Maybe 8g dosage?
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1998 Chateau Musar 93 Points
Lebanon, Bekaa Valley
Med minus ruby. explosive aromatic intensity! Strong tamari and perfumed blackberry. Brett.
Well balanced on the palate. Dried orange cinnamon. Hint of the ethereal cassis note that will probably increase with years.
Ashish commented that it's not the most complex Musar. I might describe it as...easily broken into components, each of which isn't that complex. But together they're delightfully and distinctively Musar. It maybe doesn't (yet?) have the depth and complexity of the '95 or '72, but I'm a fan!
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1982 Chateau Musar 91 Points
Lebanon, Bekaa Valley
Of the three London bottles, this is the one with the middle ullage - upper shoulder. Opened in the morning. Cork has some damp residue on the top. Cork soaked completely through.
Out of the bottle: slightly singed blackberry - and a hint of perfumed tamari-cassis. It smells similar to how the 72 smelled - evoking a sense of noble reduction, almost.
Decision: don’t decant. Leave this upright at room temp.
At dinner, after the 98 musar: a little savory and soft vegetal tomato notes. Soft and melted generic old wine tamari flavor. This feels pretty reticent. Maybe faded. Not sure. It’s not awake yet but the cassis core is starting to come out.
Medium structure on the palate - so integrated. Soft light tannins. Medium acid, alcohol, body. Totally melted tannins.
It’s pretty advanced and it’s harder for me to pick out the musar character (vs good-old-wine character) compared with the 98.
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2006 Fratelli Alessandria Barolo San Lorenzo
Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo
Verduno: generally lighter, more approachable wines.
Medium minus ruby. Garnet rim.
Slight hint of something I thought might be TCA. Perfumed VA. Cherry - maraschino. Deep fruit. Hint of tamari wood development. (Not new oak, just tertiary notes).
Medium body. Elevated alcohol. High tannins. Chewy and satisfying. A little melted. Elevated acid. Low bitterness. Deep cherry and sandalwood spice on the palate. Cherry stalks. So good.
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