Really interesting this. Typical Musar originality on both nose and taste. Did look old but didn't look too old. Flavour profile was 'bursting' with lots of spice and red fruit flavours. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Don't think the wine will get better but equally guess it will last another 3 ish years.
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Really sweet, dark cherry, sherry, hint of raspberry, complex and deep. Soft mouth feel, strong alcohol, sour cherry in here, the rhubarb from rhubarb and custard. Really really good, strong tannins. Best with food, would take spicy or hearty food
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Deep garnet. Black fruits, caramel, cedar & spice nose. Very well balanced with well integrated tannins. Blackcurrants, spice and prunes palate. Excellent wine. A one off for me (gift) but I will look out for this in the future. This gives me the impression that it will continue drinking well for 5-10 years.
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First of these. Beguiling and complex nose - i get a bit of new plastic pencil case / first day of school aroma (which i love), then some gravel and grilled meat and finally some sweet raspberry, blackcurrant and light red plum - quite a ride. Palate delivers deep (but not jammy) fruit from the nose supported by a mineral streak, there is then a wave of fresh acidity that brings very sweet but sapid fruit back before a smooth, and again rather sweet finish. Somewhat Amarone esque with the sweetness and dried fruit. Drinking now but I’m not quite sure of this, feels too sweet for me.
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Complex aroma - caramel, smoke, soft warm spice hints of fruit - figs, raspberry. Tastes very savoury, long and lovely finish, not harsh or overly hot or spicy finish. Good but not hard grip. Some toast and pencil shavings. Ends with some soft red fruits ans sour cherry grip. Really really lovely
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Let sit upright overnight - notes from PNP and last bottle was corked. Medium red color. Killer nose - soy, bing cherry, leather, red licorice, citrus on nose. Palate was medium body, low tannins, medium+ acidity and very long finish. Flavor profile on palate consistent with nose. 93-94 range. Loved this. Unique wine.
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Full on from a mag, opened an hour in advance and decanted. Amazing cherry / kirsch nose. Palate was full on and full of stuffing. Very enjoyable with steak.
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I have enjoyed multiple bottles of this vintage of Musar even though it is relatively young. Rich, ripe, earthy, deliciously funky, lots of good years ahead. Drink now to 2037.
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2012 in Beqaa began cool and snowy, followed by a rainy April, a promising May and a hot summer, starting with a hot June and a heatwave in July. Normally the grapes are harvested variety by variety, but this year the harvest was done vineyard by vineyard. Fermented spontaneously in concrete, aged in oak barrels for a year. Blended together in February 2015, left to marry for a few years and bottled in summer 2015. 14,5% alcohol, 4 g/l (or 6,8 g/l, depending on the source) residual sugar, 6,7 g/l acidity and pH 3,5. Aerated in a decanter for four hours before tasting the wine.
Deep, dark and almost fully opaque blackish-red color with a slightly evolved pomegranate hue. The nose feels noticeably big, sweet and even slightly porty with solar aromas of cherry marmalade and dried figs, some lifted notes of nail polish, a little bit of prunes and raisiny dark fruit, light perfumed floral nuances, a hint of balsamic VA and touch of alcohol heat, lending the nose a somewhat Amarone-like quality. The wine feels very rich, silky and relatively sweet-toned on the palate with a full body and dry-ish to borderline off-dry flavors of dried figs and raisin soup, some cherry marmalade tones, light volatile nuances of nail polish and balsamico, a little bit of pomegranate juice, a hint of overripe strawberry and a touch of blueberry juice. The acidity feels surprisingly high for such a sunny, sweet-toned wine dominated by dried-fruit flavors, whereas the medium tannins feel pretty supple, lending some firmness to the mouthfeel but relatively little to the structure. The finish is ripe, juicy and somewhat sweet-toned with a some tannic grip and a long, lush aftertaste of blueberry jam and cherry marmalade, some dried figs, a little bit of raisiny dark fruit, light lifted notes of nail polish, a hint of overripe strawberry and a touch of savory spice.
I feel this very atypical vintage of Musar seemed more balanced when I tasted it the last time, 3½ years ago. Back then the wine tasted similarly jammy and sweet-toned as now, but it wasn't leaning as heavily on the dried-fruit flavors and it also had a pleasant streak of sour cherry bitterness that nicely counterpointed the sweeter fruit flavors. This time the wine felt more porty in nature: heavier, subtly sweeter and slightly softer with quite a bit more emphasis on the dried-fruit flavors. Tasting this back in 2019, I felt the wine wasn't going to be as long-lived as your typical vintage of Musar, but at least it was pretty attractive for its quality back then. Re-tasting this wine now, I felt my initial assessment was confirmed: this is not going to be a long-lived vintage, as the wine feels like it is getting only heavier, clumsier and less attractive than upon release. It feels as though the wine was a Levantine Ripasso or Appassimento back then - and now it is a full-blown Lebanese Amarone. It might be that the wine could do a magic turnaround with even further aging, but I'm not getting my hopes up at this point. Feeling slightly pricey for the quality at 39€.
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From a magnum with a good closure. Very slight bricking up with a narrow clear rim. Nose is pure VA as ever with Musar - nail varnish remover - but in a good way! Very full bodied with a definite Carignan twist - the previous reviews reference port and I get that, but there is a residual acidity that sees it through. Soft tannin and nice long finish.
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Gekruide, zuidelijke gerechten, rundvlees en lamsvlees van de grill. Chateau Musar was founded in 1930 by Gaston Hochar, although since 1959 it has been run by his two sons Serge and Ronald. Serge Hochar is the more prominent of the two, as although he is responsible for making the wine, he also finds time to travel
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Double decanted, 12 hours. Wall of fruit, sweet raisins (the ones in the red box you had as a kid). Big but no lack of drinkability. No funkiness. Agree with the notes below on low acidity and reminiscent of Port (something a diner at our table also mentioned).
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Decanted for an hour and a half. Hmm, this is very much like a North American Cab, very heavy on black fruit, bordering on porty. This is not really what I am expecting from Musar. A pity, this is our wedding year, and I bought a bunch of bottles, but I don’t think this has the stuffing to last for many more years.
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Decanted 3 hours. Initially robust aromas of sweet fruits and violets faded soon. Deep, dark and dusty. Palate of stewed fruits, mostly prunes, raisins, figs and overly ripe berries. Alcohol in front and acid in back. A rather sweet undertone. This wine is almost port like.
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Pours a dark garnet, after decanting for over an hour. Bought from a bottle shop, and my first ever Musar. Had Château Ksara before but was told this was a legendary producer from the Bekaa valley.
On the nose: it has a sherry like character, oxidative, sweet dry fruits like pitted prunes, Christmas spices
On the palate: dark plums, kirsch, carob pods, raisins, grippy tannins and resinous, long finished, and a wonderful wine.
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Acid content on the lower side. Sugar, on the other hand, was on the levels almost bordering with semi-dry wine. I have no idea which food would be a good pair to this. Drank without any, but not much as it was too cloying to me. At the same time, women praised it as the eighth wonder! So, the score reflects the average between my 84 and (at least) 95 of feminine tasters.
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WOW, none of the funky confusion of some vintages of Musar in youth. This is all elegance, with complexity simmering upon PnP, developing throughout 1st night dinner. 2nd day its beginning to really stretch it's legs, boding a long delicious life ahead.
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I'm always a bit wary trying a Musar under 10 years old, if only just, and recent examples of younger vintages have been a little too global style and not Musar to me. I was really impressed with this and certainly agree on previous sweetness and richness comments but equally there was the Musar volatility in plain sight. So the balance was already good and with time the complexity will be more impressive. Probably the best young example I have had for many years.
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Strong tobacco, dark cherry, and a touch of burnt orange(?) on the nose. Follows through strongly on the palate, tobacco comes with a slightly surprising level of sweetness plus dark fruit. Medium acidity, average finish.
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Drank over 3 nights - best on night 2/3 - About 5 years from being really interesting. Was surprised at the "sweetness" of this wine as ploher's note mentions. I had the '11 Musar and totally different style as was the 2000 vintage (you'd expect that to be different) that I had a month or 2 ago. One other random note, on nose, would compare this to one of Paolo Bea's Sagrantinos which is a compliment - palate is different though given high tannin profile of Sagrantino.
On nose, bright cherry, pomegranate, licorice and some savory tobacco notes. Palate was similar to nose. Full body, high acidity, integrated tannins and long finish (where tannins really show up). While different than what I expected given prior vintages, it was still really enjoyable, especially on night 2/3. 92 on night 1, 93+ on night 2/3.
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Musar Vertical: Dark, very sweet blackberry bouquet, almost cassis; tame, accessible palate, almost innocuous, very sweet, candied and dried dark fruit, some heat as well. Singular style and almost an "outlier", really sweet and pleasing. Raises question marks. 16/20
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Apart from a lesser Hochar I have never tasted Musar, this bottle was a shared evenings drinking alongside several 'different' reds from the middle east. I'm going into a detailed description as many have described well how this wine differs from the norm, what I would say it is a big step up from the Hochar which I could take or leave, but it is still an acquired taste, there is that meaty element in there, a good decant to open it up first, but despite enjoying the bottle as a wine that stands on its own I can't personally say that I would go overboard with eulogies about it, good yes well made but simply not really my taste, though I would drink again.
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First 'young' bottle of Musar I've opened for a long time and it tasted, well, young. That said, a good deal of fruit that would have mellowed with another 5-10 years in bottle was a great match with the duck! Lots of spice and smoke in the depth.
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A fresh and lifted wine, with aromas of cedar cigar box, pencil lead, and black fruits. Excellent length. Will be great to see how this develops in the comin years
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I've been drinking Musar for about 20 years. I've had vintages from numerous decades. This is the best Musar I have ever tasted. The 2012 is a work of art. It's the pinnacle of fearlessly original winemaking. Beautiful ruby colour. Soaring perfume of figs, eucalyptus and carob. Subtle hints of treacle, cocoa and a rich jammy burst of forest late summer wild berries. Youthful and vigorous. It has nerve, energy and tension in glorious abundance. And the finish is a gustatory cacophony of liquorice, fig jam, fudge, Moroccan mint, oodles of dark chocolate, endless sticky sweet and sour berries and a heavenly fragrance of musk, truffle and come-hither seductions that should floor the coldest heart. A true work of genius. Something that came up a few times in the conversation was the idea that this was right now at its perfect point in the drinking window. I think this is likely true. So although this will still be good for another 10, 12 years, it is at its finest right now, and will start to lose some of its edge and balance, I suspect in a couple of years' time.
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Hi-tone strawberry fruit, with plenty of spice. Nice core of acidity, and a juicy palate. Classy wine, with lots of character. Long and balanced. High-ish aclcohol does not translate into a tiring wine. Showing development, but has the bones to age and transform.
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See Jonezky review for more detail. Definitely unusual but extremely enjoyable even at this age. I would add chocolate to the extensive flavour notes in the Jonezky review
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Don't like the first sips at all. So I put the bottle in the fridge and try it again when it has cooled down. Maybe at 15 degrees?
And that does the trick. Partly. It is much better. But this is my least favourite Musar of them I tried. Maybe around 86-88? I have one more and think I will forget that for at least 5 years.
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Almost opaque dark red and brownish colour. On the nose it’s ripe and surprisingly developed. Lot’s of black currant. Liquorice, espresso, raisins, sweaty leather and sweet spice.
On the palate the wine is medium bodied and sweet toned but also very sour and tannic, witch gives me this candy aspect of fruit. Black currant, figs and cherry. Cornichons, star anis, shy vanilla and rosemary, charcoaled beef. Oak is quite restrained.
The aftertaste is longish, fruity, tannic and juicy. Strawberry jam and spice.
This was my first bottle of Musar. It’s very different and interesting wine. I feel like it’s little off balance though and I feel the flavour only on the sides of my tongue. Maybe it’s on an awkward stage at the moment. There is a lot of structure and the tannins are so gripping that I’m sure there is room for many years of ageing. It’s paradoxical. It’s austere and elegant. Sweet and sour. Developed and youthful. Is this just typical Musar? Perhaps some of you can give me some insight? However I did enjoy this and I’m thrilled to try another vintage soon.
Eðalklúbbur, vínsmakk #4 vor 2020 (Marbakkabraut 12): Þroski í lit. Smá ryðtónar í jöðrunum. Þroskaður ilmur. Sólber, sveskjur. Við þyrlun komu upp límtónar (UHU). Mikil oxun í bragði síðan mátti finna tjöru og dökka ávexti. Talsverð sýra. Síðan eftir að hafa staðið smá stund í glasi þá komu fram bruna og púðurtónar. Vínið ekki alveg í jafnvægi á þessum tímapunkti. Vantar ávöxt til að vega upp á móti tannínum. Myndi líklega henta vel með góðri steik.
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Showing its youth. Not much VA, but lovely honeyed wood, dark fruit amalgam, suave texture with drying tannins. Nice, but not showing the complexity of age
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Very dense and syrupy on the palate - almost off-dry - with a somewhat oxidative character which makes me question the soundness of the bottle. It reminds me of the syrupy Nero d’Avolas I used to drink when I lived in Sicily. Like those, this is pleasant to drink, but it has none of the Bordeaux-like elegance or funky barnyard character I have found in previous Musar vintages. However, like the 2011, it is very light in tannin. I would need to sample another bottle to know for sure if this one was flawed.
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My first and probably last Lebanese wine :). PnP’d, but probably needs a decant of some sort. Dark purple color. Alcohol, blackberries, mint, and candied apples on the nose. Deep, concentrated wine that is hot and very tannic. Plums and dark fruit on the palate. Cross between Italy and Spain. Short finish. This wine needs to settle down big time! Maybe age will help?
Luftet i 1 time og servert til entrecôte med oliven og hvitløk. Mørk og tett rødfarge med litt blått. Kraftig og konsentrert aroma og smak med kompleksitet. Masse fersk solbær og tydelige grønne urter. Litt fersk lær, god søtlig rosin-aktig tobakk, og noe lakris. Medium fylde med masse solbær-frukt. Lang avslutningen med tydelige, fine tanniner. Kunne hatt litt mer friskhet, men alt i alt en topp vin!
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Smaken kraftfull - fast i min mun utan en bombastisk erkänsla, mer kryddigt-fylligt. Direkta inslag av mogna Victoriaplommon, läder, koncentrerade körsbär och tobak. Där bakom lite hasselnötter (framförallt det sträva, lätt beska tunna ”innanskalet”), cederträ och lätt bitter mörk chockad.
Tyckte att den tappade enormt, och snabbt, efter en timme. Den sämsta Musar jag druckit tror jag. Inte alls van att dricka dem så unga men ville testa. Vet inte om det var ett dåligt val, eller om det var en mysko flaska.
Avstår betyg men ska jag indikera något blir det mellan 80 och 85.
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Tasted after the 2010. Sweet fruit on nose and palate, still quite primary, very juicy. Spicy and grippy on the palate, youthful but very intense. Vibrant, long finish. Very promising. Hold. 92-93+
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Chateau Musar Tasting: Medium red with some bricking at shoulders Violets and spice on the nose. Complex and changing palate, with black fruit, brambles, and herbs. Saline and savoury. Still quite young.
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A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2012 in Beqaa began cool and snowy, followed by a rainy April, a promising May and a hot summer, starting with a hot June and a heatwave in July. Normally the grapes are harvested variety by variety, but this year the harvest was done vineyard by vineyard. Fermented spontaneously in concrete, aged in oak barrels for a year. Blended together in February 2015, left to marry for a few years and bottled in summer 2015. 14,5% alcohol, 4 g/l (or 6,8 g/l, depending on the source) residual sugar, 6,7 g/l acidity and pH 3,5. Decanted for a few hours before tasting the wine.
Dark and almost fully opaque blackish red color with a little bit of developed figgy brown hue. The nose feels dusty, ripe and somewhat sweet-toned with aromas of peppery spice, some sweet balsamic VA, a little bit of ripe figs, light raisiny tones and a hint of wizened black cherry. Thew wine is full-bodied, very ripe and enjoyably bright on the palate with flavors of juicy dark fruits, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of lifted nail polish VA, light strawberry jam tones, a hint of ripe cranberry and a touch of peppery spice. There seems to be a touch of residual sugar sweetness here, accentuating the sweeter and jammier fruit tones. However, the wine is surprisingly fresh and structured at the same time, due to the high acidity and medium tannins that slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is rich, long and slightly sweet with moderate tannic grip and juicy flavors of strawberry jam, some boysenberries, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, a lifted hint of nail polish and a touch of dried figs.
An exceptionally ripe and noticeably sweet-toned vintage of Musar with quite a bit of that volatile lift that is so typical of this idiosyncratic winery. The wine was so rich and jammy for a Musar that I needed to check if there was some residual sugar here in this vintage, and lo and behold, the wine certainly isn't bone dry! However, despite the touch of sugary sweetness and high alcohol, the wine is remarkably high in acidity as well, which manages to make the wine stay relatively well together. Furthermore, the somewhat bitter sour cherry tones nicely counterpoint the sweeter notes, further balancing out the wine. Overall the wine is very accessible at the moment due to its round, juicy and rich fruit, but I really have no doubt that this vintage couldn't age nicely in a cellar as well. Not my favorite Musar vintage due to its sweet edge, but not a disappointment either - on the contrary, this is surprisingly attractive for the style. Perhaps a bit pricey at 39,00€, though.
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Ch. Musar Dinner with Marc Hochar (The Bunker, Crown Wine Cellars, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Pre-decanted for around 10 hours by Marc Hochar. Semi-opaque purple/red colour....looks Californian. Nose is ripe, jammy, sweet fruit....quite nice even though not what I normally seek in a Musar. Palate is surprisingly approachable at 7 years old when my normal rule of thumb for Musar is to wait 15 years......really surprising, almost Californian, though a bit green and still too much alcoholic heat on the back end. But there is no doubting that this is classic Ch. Musar in the making. Very impressed despite my inbred preference for more decades of ageing when it comes to Ch Musar.
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Raspberry and blackberry fruit on the nose. Feeling very young. Lovely palate. Packed with fruit, leather and chocolate. Immense length. Very young, but already drinking well.
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Just out of bottle - Inky crimson. Sweet black fruit, light touch of meat. Sweet, prunes, figs on the palate. Very sightly grippy. Too cloying for me at this stage. Here's to me hoping on its development over the next decade. 85-86.
Very primary at this point, but showing Musar characteristics. Touch of VA on the nose with tons of fruit, also on the palate with gritty tannins. Let's see what time does to this!
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4/14/2024 - JayP Likes this wine: 89 Points
Really interesting this. Typical Musar originality on both nose and taste. Did look old but didn't look too old. Flavour profile was 'bursting' with lots of spice and red fruit flavours. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Don't think the wine will get better but equally guess it will last another 3 ish years.
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4/5/2024 - lloyd.cochrane@googlemail.com wrote: 93 Points
Really sweet, dark cherry, sherry, hint of raspberry, complex and deep. Soft mouth feel, strong alcohol, sour cherry in here, the rhubarb from rhubarb and custard. Really really good, strong tannins. Best with food, would take spicy or hearty food
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3/30/2024 - Dwongl wrote: 92 Points
Typical musar sweet flavours. Medium bodied and reminiscent of boiled lollies and gummy bears. Not much funk and nice finish.
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1/18/2024 - foyfrcs Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep garnet.
Black fruits, caramel, cedar & spice nose.
Very well balanced with well integrated tannins.
Blackcurrants, spice and prunes palate.
Excellent wine.
A one off for me (gift) but I will look out for this in the future.
This gives me the impression that it will continue drinking well for 5-10 years.
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11/12/2023 - FalksVinkällare Likes this wine: 95 Points
Mogen men fortfarande tanniner
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10/19/2023 - Radders12345 wrote:
First of these.
Beguiling and complex nose - i get a bit of new plastic pencil case / first day of school aroma (which i love), then some gravel and grilled meat and finally some sweet raspberry, blackcurrant and light red plum - quite a ride.
Palate delivers deep (but not jammy) fruit from the nose supported by a mineral streak, there is then a wave of fresh acidity that brings very sweet but sapid fruit back before a smooth, and again rather sweet finish. Somewhat Amarone esque with the sweetness and dried fruit. Drinking now but I’m not quite sure of this, feels too sweet for me.
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8/16/2023 - lloyd.cochrane@googlemail.com wrote: 90 Points
Complex aroma - caramel, smoke, soft warm spice hints of fruit - figs, raspberry. Tastes very savoury, long and lovely finish, not harsh or overly hot or spicy finish. Good but not hard grip. Some toast and pencil shavings. Ends with some soft red fruits ans sour cherry grip. Really really lovely
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8/6/2023 - CWilliam wrote: 94 Points
Let sit upright overnight - notes from PNP and last bottle was corked. Medium red color. Killer nose - soy, bing cherry, leather, red licorice, citrus on nose. Palate was medium body, low tannins, medium+ acidity and very long finish. Flavor profile on palate consistent with nose. 93-94 range. Loved this. Unique wine.
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7/22/2023 - CWilliam wrote: flawed
Corked! Opened another bottle from same vintage / vendor and all good
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7/2/2023 - MonkeyBiz101 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Full on from a mag, opened an hour in advance and decanted. Amazing cherry / kirsch nose. Palate was full on and full of stuffing. Very enjoyable with steak.
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6/26/2023 - StainedGlass Likes this wine: 91 Points
I have enjoyed multiple bottles of this vintage of Musar even though it is relatively young. Rich, ripe, earthy, deliciously funky, lots of good years ahead. Drink now to 2037.
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5/14/2023 - John Boyer Likes this wine: 93 Points
Good
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3/11/2023 - forceberry wrote: 87 Points
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2012 in Beqaa began cool and snowy, followed by a rainy April, a promising May and a hot summer, starting with a hot June and a heatwave in July. Normally the grapes are harvested variety by variety, but this year the harvest was done vineyard by vineyard. Fermented spontaneously in concrete, aged in oak barrels for a year. Blended together in February 2015, left to marry for a few years and bottled in summer 2015. 14,5% alcohol, 4 g/l (or 6,8 g/l, depending on the source) residual sugar, 6,7 g/l acidity and pH 3,5. Aerated in a decanter for four hours before tasting the wine.
Deep, dark and almost fully opaque blackish-red color with a slightly evolved pomegranate hue. The nose feels noticeably big, sweet and even slightly porty with solar aromas of cherry marmalade and dried figs, some lifted notes of nail polish, a little bit of prunes and raisiny dark fruit, light perfumed floral nuances, a hint of balsamic VA and touch of alcohol heat, lending the nose a somewhat Amarone-like quality. The wine feels very rich, silky and relatively sweet-toned on the palate with a full body and dry-ish to borderline off-dry flavors of dried figs and raisin soup, some cherry marmalade tones, light volatile nuances of nail polish and balsamico, a little bit of pomegranate juice, a hint of overripe strawberry and a touch of blueberry juice. The acidity feels surprisingly high for such a sunny, sweet-toned wine dominated by dried-fruit flavors, whereas the medium tannins feel pretty supple, lending some firmness to the mouthfeel but relatively little to the structure. The finish is ripe, juicy and somewhat sweet-toned with a some tannic grip and a long, lush aftertaste of blueberry jam and cherry marmalade, some dried figs, a little bit of raisiny dark fruit, light lifted notes of nail polish, a hint of overripe strawberry and a touch of savory spice.
I feel this very atypical vintage of Musar seemed more balanced when I tasted it the last time, 3½ years ago. Back then the wine tasted similarly jammy and sweet-toned as now, but it wasn't leaning as heavily on the dried-fruit flavors and it also had a pleasant streak of sour cherry bitterness that nicely counterpointed the sweeter fruit flavors. This time the wine felt more porty in nature: heavier, subtly sweeter and slightly softer with quite a bit more emphasis on the dried-fruit flavors. Tasting this back in 2019, I felt the wine wasn't going to be as long-lived as your typical vintage of Musar, but at least it was pretty attractive for its quality back then. Re-tasting this wine now, I felt my initial assessment was confirmed: this is not going to be a long-lived vintage, as the wine feels like it is getting only heavier, clumsier and less attractive than upon release. It feels as though the wine was a Levantine Ripasso or Appassimento back then - and now it is a full-blown Lebanese Amarone. It might be that the wine could do a magic turnaround with even further aging, but I'm not getting my hopes up at this point. Feeling slightly pricey for the quality at 39€.
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12/24/2022 - J'agnes Likes this wine: 90 Points
From a magnum with a good closure. Very slight bricking up with a narrow clear rim. Nose is pure VA as ever with Musar - nail varnish remover - but in a good way! Very full bodied with a definite Carignan twist - the previous reviews reference port and I get that, but there is a residual acidity that sees it through. Soft tannin and nice long finish.
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11/21/2022 - StefanVB wrote:
Gekruide, zuidelijke gerechten, rundvlees en lamsvlees van de grill. Chateau Musar was founded in 1930 by Gaston Hochar, although since 1959 it has been run by his two sons Serge and Ronald. Serge Hochar is the more prominent of the two, as although he is responsible for making the wine, he also finds time to travel
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11/8/2022 - Crusher54 wrote: 86 Points
First ever Musar and agree with the porty sentiment. Keep the second for 10 yrs perhaps? So sweet and sugary but strangely moreish.
Would like to try a vintage with better scores. What happened in 2012?
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9/14/2022 - danchaq wrote: 92 Points
Double decanted, 12 hours.
Wall of fruit, sweet raisins (the ones in the red box you had as a kid). Big but no lack of drinkability. No funkiness.
Agree with the notes below on low acidity and reminiscent of Port (something a diner at our table also mentioned).
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8/24/2022 - ABECellar wrote: flawed
Flawed
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8/19/2022 - jonathanknowles Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wonderful smell. Cherry, kirsch, boiled sweets. Full bodied, low acid, slightly porty in the mouth, liquorice and leather. Floral finish. Excellent.
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7/31/2022 - dera wrote: flawed
Like drinking tomato soup. Cork showed signs of very minor seepage.
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7/31/2022 - Jverhoef Does not like this wine: 70 Points
Effervescent even after decaying three hours
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7/10/2022 - NiklasW wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for an hour and a half. Hmm, this is very much like a North American Cab, very heavy on black fruit, bordering on porty. This is not really what I am expecting from Musar. A pity, this is our wedding year, and I bought a bunch of bottles, but I don’t think this has the stuffing to last for many more years.
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6/19/2022 - bugdoced wrote: flawed
buzzy oxidation
not drinkable
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6/3/2022 - Stoic Warrior wrote: 85 Points
Decanted 3 hours. Initially robust aromas of sweet fruits and violets faded soon. Deep, dark and dusty. Palate of stewed fruits, mostly prunes, raisins, figs and overly ripe berries. Alcohol in front and acid in back. A rather sweet undertone. This wine is almost port like.
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5/14/2022 - DanyMorcos wrote: 87 Points
On the nose: black and blue fruit, Egyptian carob, and oxidative/sherry notes.
On the palate: elegant, tannins activate at the back of the palate, and excellent finish.
Dried fruit bonanza
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5/14/2022 - chmorc Likes this wine: 95 Points
Pours a dark garnet, after decanting for over an hour. Bought from a bottle shop, and my first ever Musar. Had Château Ksara before but was told this was a legendary producer from the Bekaa valley.
On the nose: it has a sherry like character, oxidative, sweet dry fruits like pitted prunes, Christmas spices
On the palate: dark plums, kirsch, carob pods, raisins, grippy tannins and resinous, long finished, and a wonderful wine.
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3/25/2022 - G.O. wrote: 89 Points
Acid content on the lower side. Sugar, on the other hand, was on the levels almost bordering with semi-dry wine. I have no idea which food would be a good pair to this. Drank without any, but not much as it was too cloying to me. At the same time, women praised it as the eighth wonder! So, the score reflects the average between my 84 and (at least) 95 of feminine tasters.
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3/5/2022 - jhack1961 Likes this wine: 92 Points
WOW, none of the funky confusion of some vintages of Musar in youth. This is all elegance, with complexity simmering upon PnP, developing throughout 1st night dinner. 2nd day its beginning to really stretch it's legs, boding a long delicious life ahead.
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1/29/2022 - Loathesome Likes this wine: 92 Points
I'm always a bit wary trying a Musar under 10 years old, if only just, and recent examples of younger vintages have been a little too global style and not Musar to me. I was really impressed with this and certainly agree on previous sweetness and richness comments but equally there was the Musar volatility in plain sight. So the balance was already good and with time the complexity will be more impressive. Probably the best young example I have had for many years.
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1/21/2022 - Sav11 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Strong tobacco, dark cherry, and a touch of burnt orange(?) on the nose. Follows through strongly on the palate, tobacco comes with a slightly surprising level of sweetness plus dark fruit. Medium acidity, average finish.
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12/21/2021 - CWilliam wrote: 92 Points
Drank over 3 nights - best on night 2/3 - About 5 years from being really interesting. Was surprised at the "sweetness" of this wine as ploher's note mentions. I had the '11 Musar and totally different style as was the 2000 vintage (you'd expect that to be different) that I had a month or 2 ago. One other random note, on nose, would compare this to one of Paolo Bea's Sagrantinos which is a compliment - palate is different though given high tannin profile of Sagrantino.
On nose, bright cherry, pomegranate, licorice and some savory tobacco notes. Palate was similar to nose. Full body, high acidity, integrated tannins and long finish (where tannins really show up). While different than what I expected given prior vintages, it was still really enjoyable, especially on night 2/3. 92 on night 1, 93+ on night 2/3.
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12/4/2021 - Jason Wu Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted at Terroir Renaissance. Dark fruit, wet leaves, toast. Complex and great length.
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8/30/2021 - ploher wrote:
Musar Vertical: Dark, very sweet blackberry bouquet, almost cassis; tame, accessible palate, almost innocuous, very sweet, candied and dried dark fruit, some heat as well. Singular style and almost an "outlier", really sweet and pleasing. Raises question marks. 16/20
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5/9/2021 - nimac65 wrote:
Read, LOT of plumb and old Rasin, typical leb bdx style.
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2/13/2021 - janka wrote: 85 Points
I normaly like Musar but this was not at it best. Port like and not as it should be. Hope the other bottles are better.
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2/1/2021 - robferguson1 wrote: 90 Points
Pleasant
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1/30/2021 - Osiris021 Likes this wine: 93 Points
No formal notes.
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12/18/2020 - angelcyn Likes this wine: 89 Points
Apart from a lesser Hochar I have never tasted Musar, this bottle was a shared evenings drinking alongside several 'different' reds from the middle east.
I'm going into a detailed description as many have described well how this wine differs from the norm, what I would say it is a big step up from the Hochar which I could take or leave, but it is still an acquired taste, there is that meaty element in there, a good decant to open it up first, but despite enjoying the bottle as a wine that stands on its own I can't personally say that I would go overboard with eulogies about it, good yes well made but simply not really my taste, though I would drink again.
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12/6/2020 - srp_gc Likes this wine:
First 'young' bottle of Musar I've opened for a long time and it tasted, well, young. That said, a good deal of fruit that would have mellowed with another 5-10 years in bottle was a great match with the duck! Lots of spice and smoke in the depth.
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10/16/2020 - Alykhan V Likes this wine: 91 Points
A fresh and lifted wine, with aromas of cedar cigar box, pencil lead, and black fruits. Excellent length. Will be great to see how this develops in the comin years
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10/11/2020 - ricard Likes this wine: 96 Points
I've been drinking Musar for about 20 years. I've had vintages from numerous decades. This is the best Musar I have ever tasted. The 2012 is a work of art. It's the pinnacle of fearlessly original winemaking. Beautiful ruby colour. Soaring perfume of figs, eucalyptus and carob. Subtle hints of treacle, cocoa and a rich jammy burst of forest late summer wild berries. Youthful and vigorous. It has nerve, energy and tension in glorious abundance. And the finish is a gustatory cacophony of liquorice, fig jam, fudge, Moroccan mint, oodles of dark chocolate, endless sticky sweet and sour berries and a heavenly fragrance of musk, truffle and come-hither seductions that should floor the coldest heart. A true work of genius. Something that came up a few times in the conversation was the idea that this was right now at its perfect point in the drinking window. I think this is likely true. So although this will still be good for another 10, 12 years, it is at its finest right now, and will start to lose some of its edge and balance, I suspect in a couple of years' time.
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8/31/2020 - Marc wrote: 91 Points
Hi-tone strawberry fruit, with plenty of spice. Nice core of acidity, and a juicy palate. Classy wine, with lots of character. Long and balanced. High-ish aclcohol does not translate into a tiring wine. Showing development, but has the bones to age and transform.
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8/19/2020 - Get Real Likes this wine: 91 Points
See Jonezky review for more detail. Definitely unusual but extremely enjoyable even at this age. I would add chocolate to the extensive flavour notes in the Jonezky review
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8/2/2020 - Ulveström wrote: 88 Points
Good balance with nice fruity and tobacco nose, oaky flavour. Dispite I think this is to much port like with some disturbing sweetness.
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7/2/2020 - adamanko wrote: 87 Points
Don't like the first sips at all. So I put the bottle in the fridge and try it again when it has cooled down. Maybe at 15 degrees?
And that does the trick. Partly. It is much better. But this is my least favourite Musar of them I tried. Maybe around 86-88? I have one more and think I will forget that for at least 5 years.
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6/26/2020 - Jonezky Likes this wine: 88 Points
Almost opaque dark red and brownish colour. On the nose it’s ripe and surprisingly developed. Lot’s of black currant. Liquorice, espresso, raisins, sweaty leather and sweet spice.
On the palate the wine is medium bodied and sweet toned but also very sour and tannic, witch gives me this candy aspect of fruit. Black currant, figs and cherry. Cornichons, star anis, shy vanilla and rosemary, charcoaled beef. Oak is quite restrained.
The aftertaste is longish, fruity, tannic and juicy. Strawberry jam and spice.
This was my first bottle of Musar. It’s very different and interesting wine. I feel like it’s little off balance though and I feel the flavour only on the sides of my tongue. Maybe it’s on an awkward stage at the moment. There is a lot of structure and the tannins are so gripping that I’m sure there is room for many years of ageing. It’s paradoxical. It’s austere and elegant. Sweet and sour. Developed and youthful. Is this just typical Musar? Perhaps some of you can give me some insight? However I did enjoy this and I’m thrilled to try another vintage soon.
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6/12/2020 - bitdrerik wrote: 88 Points
Eðalklúbbur, vínsmakk #4 vor 2020 (Marbakkabraut 12): Þroski í lit. Smá ryðtónar í jöðrunum. Þroskaður ilmur. Sólber, sveskjur. Við þyrlun komu upp límtónar (UHU). Mikil oxun í bragði síðan mátti finna tjöru og dökka ávexti. Talsverð sýra. Síðan eftir að hafa staðið smá stund í glasi þá komu fram bruna og púðurtónar. Vínið ekki alveg í jafnvægi á þessum tímapunkti. Vantar ávöxt til að vega upp á móti tannínum. Myndi líklega henta vel með góðri steik.
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6/7/2020 - Bearbus wrote:
Showing its youth. Not much VA, but lovely honeyed wood, dark fruit amalgam, suave texture with drying tannins. Nice, but not showing the complexity of age
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5/3/2020 - Poussin wrote:
Very dense and syrupy on the palate - almost off-dry - with a somewhat oxidative character which makes me question the soundness of the bottle. It reminds me of the syrupy Nero d’Avolas I used to drink when I lived in Sicily. Like those, this is pleasant to drink, but it has none of the Bordeaux-like elegance or funky barnyard character I have found in previous Musar vintages. However, like the 2011, it is very light in tannin. I would need to sample another bottle to know for sure if this one was flawed.
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4/25/2020 - HesjeOdd Likes this wine: 96 Points
Lær, rosin! Lett, men fyldig!
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4/24/2020 - PMJak11 Does not like this wine: 87 Points
My first and probably last Lebanese wine :). PnP’d, but probably needs a decant of some sort. Dark purple color. Alcohol, blackberries, mint, and candied apples on the nose. Deep, concentrated wine that is hot and very tannic. Plums and dark fruit on the palate. Cross between Italy and Spain. Short finish. This wine needs to settle down big time! Maybe age will help?
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4/22/2020 - janka Likes this wine: 93 Points
As I say before this is a great wine. Taste like a fine Bordeaux but for half the price.
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2/16/2020 - _Alex_ Likes this wine: 92 Points
Luftet i 1 time og servert til entrecôte med oliven og hvitløk. Mørk og tett rødfarge med litt blått. Kraftig og konsentrert aroma og smak med kompleksitet. Masse fersk solbær og tydelige grønne urter. Litt fersk lær, god søtlig rosin-aktig tobakk, og noe lakris. Medium fylde med masse solbær-frukt. Lang avslutningen med tydelige, fine tanniner. Kunne hatt litt mer friskhet, men alt i alt en topp vin!
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2/13/2020 - Trydebull wrote:
Första noterna från nyöppnad flaska och ca sex timmar framåt.
Doften ger viol, ek, syrliga körsbär, nygarvat läder, chark, lila plommon
Smaken kraftfull - fast i min mun utan en bombastisk erkänsla, mer kryddigt-fylligt.
Direkta inslag av mogna Victoriaplommon, läder, koncentrerade körsbär och tobak. Där bakom lite hasselnötter (framförallt det sträva, lätt beska tunna ”innanskalet”), cederträ och lätt bitter mörk chockad.
Tyckte att den tappade enormt, och snabbt, efter en timme. Den sämsta Musar jag druckit tror jag. Inte alls van att dricka dem så unga men ville testa. Vet inte om det var ett dåligt val, eller om det var en mysko flaska.
Avstår betyg men ska jag indikera något blir det mellan 80 och 85.
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12/30/2019 - Jonas Rogne Likes this wine: 93 Points
Svært brei, dyp og lang smak. Aroma og smak blant annet av fuktig rulletobakk.
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11/21/2019 - rossi.wine wrote: 93 Points
Tasted after the 2010. Sweet fruit on nose and palate, still quite primary, very juicy. Spicy and grippy on the palate, youthful but very intense. Vibrant, long finish. Very promising. Hold. 92-93+
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11/13/2019 - MalcolmV Likes this wine: 93 Points
Chateau Musar Tasting: Medium red with some bricking at shoulders
Violets and spice on the nose.
Complex and changing palate, with black fruit, brambles, and herbs. Saline and savoury.
Still quite young.
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11/1/2019 - Dalen77 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Superb after taste, rich and long lasting.
Saltstone grilled salmon and beef
Buy more !
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10/25/2019 - forceberry wrote: 90 Points
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2012 in Beqaa began cool and snowy, followed by a rainy April, a promising May and a hot summer, starting with a hot June and a heatwave in July. Normally the grapes are harvested variety by variety, but this year the harvest was done vineyard by vineyard. Fermented spontaneously in concrete, aged in oak barrels for a year. Blended together in February 2015, left to marry for a few years and bottled in summer 2015. 14,5% alcohol, 4 g/l (or 6,8 g/l, depending on the source) residual sugar, 6,7 g/l acidity and pH 3,5. Decanted for a few hours before tasting the wine.
Dark and almost fully opaque blackish red color with a little bit of developed figgy brown hue. The nose feels dusty, ripe and somewhat sweet-toned with aromas of peppery spice, some sweet balsamic VA, a little bit of ripe figs, light raisiny tones and a hint of wizened black cherry. Thew wine is full-bodied, very ripe and enjoyably bright on the palate with flavors of juicy dark fruits, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of lifted nail polish VA, light strawberry jam tones, a hint of ripe cranberry and a touch of peppery spice. There seems to be a touch of residual sugar sweetness here, accentuating the sweeter and jammier fruit tones. However, the wine is surprisingly fresh and structured at the same time, due to the high acidity and medium tannins that slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is rich, long and slightly sweet with moderate tannic grip and juicy flavors of strawberry jam, some boysenberries, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, a lifted hint of nail polish and a touch of dried figs.
An exceptionally ripe and noticeably sweet-toned vintage of Musar with quite a bit of that volatile lift that is so typical of this idiosyncratic winery. The wine was so rich and jammy for a Musar that I needed to check if there was some residual sugar here in this vintage, and lo and behold, the wine certainly isn't bone dry! However, despite the touch of sugary sweetness and high alcohol, the wine is remarkably high in acidity as well, which manages to make the wine stay relatively well together. Furthermore, the somewhat bitter sour cherry tones nicely counterpoint the sweeter notes, further balancing out the wine. Overall the wine is very accessible at the moment due to its round, juicy and rich fruit, but I really have no doubt that this vintage couldn't age nicely in a cellar as well. Not my favorite Musar vintage due to its sweet edge, but not a disappointment either - on the contrary, this is surprisingly attractive for the style. Perhaps a bit pricey at 39,00€, though.
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9/17/2019 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 89 Points
Ch. Musar Dinner with Marc Hochar (The Bunker, Crown Wine Cellars, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Pre-decanted for around 10 hours by Marc Hochar. Semi-opaque purple/red colour....looks Californian. Nose is ripe, jammy, sweet fruit....quite nice even though not what I normally seek in a Musar. Palate is surprisingly approachable at 7 years old when my normal rule of thumb for Musar is to wait 15 years......really surprising, almost Californian, though a bit green and still too much alcoholic heat on the back end. But there is no doubting that this is classic Ch. Musar in the making. Very impressed despite my inbred preference for more decades of ageing when it comes to Ch Musar.
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9/11/2019 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 92 Points
Raspberry and blackberry fruit on the nose. Feeling very young.
Lovely palate. Packed with fruit, leather and chocolate. Immense length.
Very young, but already drinking well.
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9/4/2019 - ZMAng wrote: 85 Points
Just out of bottle - Inky crimson. Sweet black fruit, light touch of meat. Sweet, prunes, figs on the palate. Very sightly grippy. Too cloying for me at this stage. Here's to me hoping on its development over the next decade. 85-86.
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8/30/2019 - NiklasW Likes this wine: 90 Points
Very primary at this point, but showing Musar characteristics. Touch of VA on the nose with tons of fruit, also on the palate with gritty tannins. Let's see what time does to this!
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