Mittleres Bordeauxrot. Die Nase zeigt einen Hauch von flüchtiger Säure, diese verzieht sich, macht ätherischen Noten Platz, das ist viel reife Frucht, das sind Aromen von Schwarztee und getrockneten Kräuter, sehr komplex. Im Gaumen zugänglich, weniger sperrig, als ich den Wein sonst kenne, sehr gute Tanninqualität, wohl dosierte Säure. Im Abgang langanhaltend und mit feiner Würze, rotfruchtiges Finish. Ein gelungener Musar.
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w/ kerzhner, leeann, aaron, at KINK Berlin. Fantastically open! expressive savory fruit with an underlying hint of musarian brett, oxidation, VA. It was much more expressive than the last bottle.
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Bright red fruits and rustic notes of old spices, seasoned wood and some minerality on the nose and palate. Some sweetness of fruits and volatile acid on the medium-bodied palate. The level of VA may be subjective to some. Good length and density from entry to finish which is rounded and clean. Ready to drink now and for the next 5 years. Decanting for an hour is good to open up the wine.
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Kink Berlin w/ Scott, Christophe, Anne (Kink, Berlin): @Kink Berlin Deep, aromatic cassis. Rich. Fairly primary. Silky finish. Medium plus body, med plus alcohol, med plus acid, medium tannins. No decant. Delicious, if not in a place where it’s showing complexity.
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Smaker av moden, mørk frukt, men fortsatt med en juicy friskhet. Fin kompleksitet, noe lær i lengden. Bløte men kraftige, godt integrerte tanniner, og en utmerket balanse. Supergod vin!
The wine shows a core of crystal ruby, with just a hint of bricking emerging at the upper part of the rim to hint that it is beginning to age. It presents powerful aromas of red currant, cassis, cinnamon, baking spice and black pepper. It rests on the tongue with a light-medium weight and has grippy tannins that are well balanced by angular acidity.
I paired the wine with Beef Shawarma from a local restaurant. The Beef Shawarma included a creamy sauce of warmly gentle cumin and turmeric spices that coaxed earthiness from the tender, roasted, shaved meat. This pairing was a bit of a risk, in that tannic red wines often clash with spicy dishes. And it did, indeed, push the envelope, and the wine did amplify the spices, but it ultimately worked well. Although the wine is Bordeaux-inspired, the blend and vinification have been tweaked over decades to compliment the cuisine of the region.
The pairing proved to be a successful dance between food and wine, but not in the sense of a delicate ballet. Rather, it was an energetic dabke at a raucous wedding reception, where each dancer in the line may introduce their own flourishes but nonetheless remain linked by clasped hands to yield an overall coordinated whole.
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Popped and poured. Drinking really well out of the box. Medium bodied with delicious lacy red cherry fruit with herbs and underbrush. Fairly clean without much Musar funk yet. This should be an excellent Musar that will gain complexity over time.
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[0.7] Blinds with Kfan and Janie (Kfan's): Has an intense note of almost tertiary fruit (a preview of whats to come? higher VA?). Cranberry on the palate. Strong. Red fruit. Very low impression of brett - almost not present. Great depth of red cherry. Med plus tannins. Elevated acid. Good. Singing VA fruit.
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This was on the excellent wine list at Odd Duck in Milwaukee (not related to the Odd Duck in Austin), at an irresistible price, in spite of its youth. We were not disappointed. It doesn't have the richness of a mature Musar, and it does have a fair dose of tannin and acidity, but we drank it happily. Incisive and complex, resembling more than anything a classic Barolo.
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A bit of a secret weapon in any wine list this wine and always performs albeit older bottles have been known to exhibit variability. Bordeaux-esque in feel, good use of oak, smooth and round , polished and well mannered. Very pretty worn and an easy 90-91
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This has all the elements to make one of the great vintages of Musar. Initially on opening in 24+C That VA swirled around the glass. The wine was decanted and popped into the fridge. This quickly disappeared
Drank 2 hours later, red cherries and sandalwood on the nose. A mild spiced entry with deeper fruits, blueberries and ripe damson. Very balanced in acidity, fruit and tannin. Not weighty in the mouth, but a lovely depth. Correct is not a word often associated with Musar. But this had a sense of precision.
edit: had over 3 days, this evolved beautifully. The last glass showed more sunnier fruit, but the tannin and acidity held this all together wonderfully well.
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I love Musar, but this vintage does not compare, not yet anyway. give it a couple years. I love the 13's, 05's and 99's. I bought a number of the 13's before they were gone.
Going through an adolescent awkward stage right now. Tannins and fruit are abundant but out of balance. I think it will come together with time. Left the remaining wine in the bottle for two days and found it improving. So definitely potential for the future. I'll open another bottle in 6-12 months...
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Friday Night with Salmon, Potatoes and X-Files; 5/19/2023-5/20/2023 (At home in leafy West London): Very clean for a Musar. Some gaminess, and really intense plum notes on the palate. On the finish there’s a tightness - spice and (for Musar) pretty prominent tannins. I think this has a good life ahead of it but drinking well now. At todays prices maybe it gets harder to justify but this is a lovely Musar.
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Gamey mouthfeel with concentrated fruit. The alcohol still comes out a little in the background but the balance is respected. Dense juice. Final with supple tannins and a nice woody length.
Opened a little too young for my taste but it's still a great experience because the quality is there.
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Musar reste Musar malgré la disparition de Serge. Une robe rubis bien foncé au coeur mais une touche brique sur le pourtour. Un nez de fruits noirs, viande, cuir, alcool. Une bouche aux tanins souples, les saveurs sur les fruits noirs, cerises amères (choke cherry). La finale est très longue.
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Umoden profil direkte fra flaske med treverk og tanniner som dominerende aromaer/smak. Sammen med rød frukt. Etter noen timer i karafell kommer mer moden frukt fram, noe mer tørket frukt, røyk og tjære, god fylde, lang ettersmak. Fortsatt godt med tanniner. God vin nå, blir nok enda bedre hvis man gir den 10-15 år.
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Plums, blackberry, black cherry and forest floor on the aroma. Plum and black cherry dominate the palate. Body is medium with medium acidity and tannin. Overall, its an enjoyable wine with a great aroma, that based upon its structure it’s at its peak.
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Nez complexe sur les fruits noirs, les cerises, le cuir, le chêne et les épices. En bouche, belle acidité et tannins fermes. Longueur moyenne et finale correct. Prochaine bouteille dans 5-7 ans.
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Tämä ei nyt ollut ihan parhaimmillaan. Neljä hlöä maistoi tätä sokkona. Kukaan ei tunnistanut viiniä. Viinin tuoksusta kaksi meistä sai tuoksusta esiin vain asetonin. Maku jäi jälkeen edellä maistetuista Damilano Chardonnay -vertikaalissa maistetuista viineistä. Asetonin tuoksu häiritsi myös maistamista. Vain yksi meistä piti tästä viinistä.
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The bouquet is a bit smoky with oak, licorice and cinnamon. On the palate dark and red berries, licorice, herbs and spices, oak, good acidity and round tannin. 90+
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A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2016 in Beqaa started with a good deal of rain and snow, followed by a warm April. May was relatively rainy as well, boosting vine growth. June and July were very warm and pretty dry, resulting in accelerated ripening. Cabernet was harvested first, in mid-August - earlier than ever before. Carignan and Cinsaut matured at a slower pace and were harvested in early September. The wine was fermented spontaneously, all varieties separately in concrete tanks. The fermented varietal wines were aged in oak barrels for a year, blended in February 2019, then left to marry for a few months and bottled unfined and unfiltered in the summer of 2019. 14% alcohol, 3 g/l residual sugar, 6,5 g/l acidity, pH 3,48 and 127 mg/l total SO2. Aerated in a decanter for four hours before tasting the wine.
Quite deep cherry red color. The nose feels savory, somewhat closed and a bit meaty with aromas of wizened dark fruits, some dried cherries, a little bit of roasted game, light smoky tones, a hint of savory spice and a faint rubbery touch of air balloon. The wine feels savory, firm and somewhat closed on the palate with a moderately full body and relatively aged flavors of beef jerky and raisiny tones, some dried figs, a little bit of gamey meat, light lifted nuances of sweet balsamic VA, a hint of crunchy cranberry and a touch of chokeberry bitterness. The overall feel is pretty structured and balanced, thanks to the high acidity and firm medium tannins. The finish is dry, savory and somewhat grippy with a long, slightly evolved aftertaste of dried cherries and some raisiny tones, a little bit of meat stew, light sweet nuances of ripe figs, a hint of soy sauce and a touch of savory spice.
I felt a bit conflicted after tasting this vintage: it does show good sense of balance and firmness structurally - just as it did when I tasted it last time, less than a year ago - but fruit the perspective of fruit the wine seemed much more evolved than I'd ever anticipate from a Musar released only a year ago. I don't get any of the oak aromatics many other people have commented in their tasting notes, nor did I pick up any of those from the bottle I tasted earlier - and I'm pretty sensitive to oak. Thus it is safe to say that the style is pretty typical of Musar in this vintage as well. However - just as the vintage 2014 we tasted at the same time - this wine seemed prematurely advanced. Not past its peak in any way, still thoroughly enjoyable in every way, but nevertheless definitely not showing the way it should. I enjoyed the rather bright, acid-driven overall character here, but wasn't really that enamored by the slightly tired flavors of dried fruits and meat stew. I assume all this can be chalked up to bottle variation, so this particular TN might not be representative of this vintage. At 44,95€, the quality of this bottle didn't manage to match its price.
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Medium ruby. Aromas of red cherry, red plums, cloves, cinnamon, earth. Medium+ acidity, drying tannins, taste of red cherries, plums, dark chocolate, spices. Long finish. More time in cellar will help.
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Restaurant purchase enjoyed with a Lebanese mezze - was served much too warm, so I will refrain from scoring until I can try another bottle under better conditions. I felt this was quite typical for the producer with oxidative fruit notes and firm acidity. The impression here was of a balanced Musar, neither as syrupy as the ‘11 and ‘12 nor as closed as the ‘13.
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Second time of tasting over the last two months, and it consistent in its delivery. Splash decanted in a restaurant, 10 minutes in the glass was perfectly sufficient to bring it to life. A typical Musar, and great value for money, you generally can't go wrong with this off a restaurant wine list.
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Had a 2nd bottle just days after my 1st. This is a great vintage of Musar. Loads of fruit, long finish. Also, there were no signs of va or barnyard funk on either of these, which hopefully will be a good sign for the future on this one! I'm going to load up (as I did on the '15 vintage, which I also love).
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Our expectations for the 2016 harvest were obviously influenced by our thoughts of the adverse weather we experienced in 2015 but we did have a positive start in December 2015, the month providing 130mm of rainfall. This was followed by 360mm in January accompanied by a good deal of snow, providing the soils with much needed moisture and nutrients. February and March proved cold and rainy with a further 300mm of rainfall which was hugely welcomed by the dry terrain. April was warm with an average night temperature of plus 5 degrees Celsius rather than the minus 5 of the year before. May arrived with 45mm of rain, enough to boost the vines and from then on, we began to have higher expectations for this year’s harvest. A sunny June followed with low humidity and in July, we enjoyed an average temperature of 34 degrees throughout the month. This was key in pushing the harvest towards early maturation, faster than any previous year!
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Great balance between acidity, tannins and fruit. Always on the fence with Musar as I’ve experienced loads of bottle variation, but this one was great.
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Drank blind, I guessed modern Left Bank Bordeaux.. this was a big wine, lots of plums a cassis fruit. Rich and semi extracted but also enough acid and freshness. Still tannic but approachable, softens after a couple of hours in the decanter. This out shined the Pavie Macquin we had along side it. Really an amazing surprise and a wine to buy and hold as this would be very interesting to watch progress over the next 20 years.
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Drank in a restaurant with minimal decanting time. However, that said it started to strut its stuff after 10 minutes in the glass. Unmistakably Musar with typical early bricking, and flavours of berry, spice, and leather, it is an excellent wine and surprisingly approachable, but obviously in its early stages of its drinking window and with evolvement ahead. At this stage the tannin is a little distracting, but mid palate and the finish makes you forget its youthfulness.
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Opened 1 hour before drinking. Deep crimson ruby, quite opaque and viscous. Nose is gorgeous and elegant with black figs, cassis, blueberries, dates, damp earth, cigar box, cardamom seeds, mint, cinnamon, and again black olives, dark chocolate, bell pepper coulis, sandalwood and potpourri. Quite open and already complex with some air. The mouth has great acidity and a nice saltiness, has for sure a great structure and is full bodied. The wine is balanced and the tannins are big and silky smooth. Blue dark fruits, chocolate, spicy, resinous finish on the great lenght. This Musar is already pleasurable with a good amount of air, i recommend decanting. It's very powerful yet elegant and polished. Give it minimum 5 to 10 years to see its potential, and keep it for at least two decades in the cellar. For me drink after 2027/2035.
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90+ at this point, with further aging and maturation this will easily be 92-93+ points. Enjoyed table side in Helsinki at restaurant Kolme Kruunua with hearty classic Finnish food and was a great pairing. Drink or hold but heavily leaning on the hold, with proper cellaring this has an easy 2+ decades to go. If drunk now recommend long at least 2-3 hour decant. A very reasonable QPR now and this will mature into a very good QPR wine on full maturation. This vintage is an almost equal blend of cabernet sauvignon, cinsault and carignan. Deep reddish purple, spicy and fruit forward, somewhat acidic and thus at this point of development much more a food then sipping wine, oak and tannins softening, full bodied and with a long aftertaste. Nose bright, spicy and fruit forward with black stone fruit, blackberry and black pepper. Flavor profile noteworthy for oak up front, controlled tannins and acid through out and initial black currant and blueberry giving way to a more earthy coffee, leather and tobacco finish. Highly recommend with caveat that this really needs much more time.
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Distinctive spicey Musar nose and palate which needs a couple of hours in the decanter before it starts drinking well. Needs more bottle time at this stage to soften the tannins.
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A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2016 in Beqaa started with a good deal of rain and snow, followed by a warm April. The May was relatively rainy as well, boosting vine growth. June and July were very warm and pretty dry, resulting in accelerated ripening. Cabernet was harvested first, in mid-August - earlier than ever before. Carignan and Cinsaut matured at a slower pace and were harvested in early September. The wine was fermented spontaneously, all varieties separately in concrete tanks. The fermented varietal wines were aged in oak barrels for a year, blended in February 2019, then left to marry for a few months and bottled unfined and unfiltered in the summer of 2019. 14% alcohol. Aerated in a decanter for an unknown period of time before tasting the wine blind.
Deep and dark ruby-red color that permits a little light through. Juicy, ripe and quite sunny nose with aromas of wizened blackcurrants, some raisiny tones, a little bit of sweet red fruit, light lifted notes of VA, a hint of exotic spices and a touch of smoky phenolic character. The wine is dry, juicy and slightly lifted on the palate with a moderately full body and slightly reticent flavors of peppery spice and ripe redcurrants, some bitter phenolic notes, a little bit of tart red plum, light raisiny tones, a lifted hint of balsamic VA and a touch of coniferous forest. The overall feel is quite firm and structured, thanks to both high acidity and firm medium tannins that slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is dry, slightly lifted and somewhat grippy with a long aftertaste of phenolic spice and peppery notes, some raisiny dark fruit, a little bit of tart red plums, light bretty notes of leathery funk, a hint of ripe redcurrant and a touch of tobacco.
A quite classic example of young Musar - and so recognizable that my first guess without much hesitation was "a young Musar". Feels very similar to the 2014 vintage tasted at the same age, but perhaps showing slightly less sauvage qualities, subtly more volatile lift and coming across as a bit closed and reticent now - even after a bit of aeration. As almost always, there's great promise here, but it's still quite hard to assess in which direction the wine is going to go from here, ie. whether it'll be a great wine, an exceptional wine, or something in-between. Whatever way it'll go, it is already pretty great already and I have a feeling it won't go south from here. It still needs age, though - the wine is quite closed and tightly-knit at the moment, which seems to be something that only a bit of additional age will fix. Remember to decant the wine and give it enough air (at least an hour or two) when serving it. Solid value at 44,95€.
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Wanna "Heroic Vineyards"? Visit Lebanon; 6/14/2017-6/18/2017 (Beirut - Lebanon): From a 375 ml sample. Another Gaston's experiment. Same idea as Carignan tasted previously. In my view less adequate because CS is there alright but where is typicity? I mean, this wine is well-made but there's not soul at all. Meaty, plums and black currants in an international style.
Procedente de una media botella nueva. Otro experimento de Gaston con la misma idea que para la Cariñena. Desde mi punto de vista menos adecuada porque la CS está ahí más, ¿dónde rueda la tipicidad? Quiero decir, el vino está bien hecho pero carece de alma. Cárnico, con ciruelas y grosellas negras en un estilo internacional.
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4/27/2024 - TormodKleppe Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fantastic wine from Lebanon. Still young but drinkable
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4/26/2024 - Nickdevlinnapa wrote: 91 Points
Still in its youthful phase. Paired wonderfully with Moroccan style lamb stew
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3/1/2024 - vvWine.ch wrote: 93 Points
Mittleres Bordeauxrot. Die Nase zeigt einen Hauch von flüchtiger Säure, diese verzieht sich, macht ätherischen Noten Platz, das ist viel reife Frucht, das sind Aromen von Schwarztee und getrockneten Kräuter, sehr komplex. Im Gaumen zugänglich, weniger sperrig, als ich den Wein sonst kenne, sehr gute Tanninqualität, wohl dosierte Säure. Im Abgang langanhaltend und mit feiner Würze, rotfruchtiges Finish. Ein gelungener Musar.
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1/23/2024 - J&M Cave à vin Likes this wine: 89 Points
Nice drinkable Musar, not too strong asetone flavour
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1/9/2024 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 93 Points
w/ kerzhner, leeann, aaron, at KINK Berlin.
Fantastically open! expressive savory fruit with an underlying hint of musarian brett, oxidation, VA. It was much more expressive than the last bottle.
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12/26/2023 - Psdycp wrote: 90 Points
Bright red fruits and rustic notes of old spices, seasoned wood and some minerality on the nose and palate. Some sweetness of fruits and volatile acid on the medium-bodied palate. The level of VA may be subjective to some. Good length and density from entry to finish which is rounded and clean. Ready to drink now and for the next 5 years. Decanting for an hour is good to open up the wine.
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12/21/2023 - RajivAyyangar wrote:
Kink Berlin w/ Scott, Christophe, Anne (Kink, Berlin): @Kink Berlin
Deep, aromatic cassis. Rich. Fairly primary. Silky finish. Medium plus body, med plus alcohol, med plus acid, medium tannins. No decant. Delicious, if not in a place where it’s showing complexity.
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12/21/2023 - MariusØverås Likes this wine: 92 Points
Mørk rød på farge
Duft av moden frukt og lær
Smaker av moden, mørk frukt, men fortsatt med en juicy friskhet. Fin kompleksitet, noe lær i lengden. Bløte men kraftige, godt integrerte tanniner, og en utmerket balanse. Supergod vin!
Farge 4
Lukt 12
Konsentrasjon 4
Lengde 4
Kompleksitet 5
Balanse 5
Generell 8
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12/7/2023 - MJMcCarthy Likes this wine: 91 Points
The wine shows a core of crystal ruby, with just a hint of bricking emerging at the upper part of the rim to hint that it is beginning to age. It presents powerful aromas of red currant, cassis, cinnamon, baking spice and black pepper. It rests on the tongue with a light-medium weight and has grippy tannins that are well balanced by angular acidity.
I paired the wine with Beef Shawarma from a local restaurant. The Beef Shawarma included a creamy sauce of warmly gentle cumin and turmeric spices that coaxed earthiness from the tender, roasted, shaved meat. This pairing was a bit of a risk, in that tannic red wines often clash with spicy dishes. And it did, indeed, push the envelope, and the wine did amplify the spices, but it ultimately worked well. Although the wine is Bordeaux-inspired, the blend and vinification have been tweaked over decades to compliment the cuisine of the region.
The pairing proved to be a successful dance between food and wine, but not in the sense of a delicate ballet. Rather, it was an energetic dabke at a raucous wedding reception, where each dancer in the line may introduce their own flourishes but nonetheless remain linked by clasped hands to yield an overall coordinated whole.
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11/27/2023 - mike410 Does not like this wine: 80 Points
This is so bitter and acidic that I couldn't finish one glass. I then decanted it for 2 hours with no change. Undrinkable.
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11/26/2023 - Elie Sfeir Does not like this wine:
Not my wine
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11/21/2023 - mclanew Likes this wine: 93 Points
Popped and poured. Drinking really well out of the box. Medium bodied with delicious lacy red cherry fruit with herbs and underbrush. Fairly clean without much Musar funk yet. This should be an excellent Musar that will gain complexity over time.
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11/18/2023 - janka Likes this wine: 92 Points
I really like this wine.
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11/11/2023 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 93 Points
[0.7] Blinds with Kfan and Janie (Kfan's): Has an intense note of almost tertiary fruit (a preview of whats to come? higher VA?). Cranberry on the palate. Strong. Red fruit. Very low impression of brett - almost not present. Great depth of red cherry. Med plus tannins. Elevated acid. Good. Singing VA fruit.
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11/8/2023 - knothoef wrote: 88 Points
color: ruby red
nose: leather, berrys, tobacco, pepper, cinnamon
taste: firm. redcurrent, some acidity in the aftertaste
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9/10/2023 - talbot61 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was on the excellent wine list at Odd Duck in Milwaukee (not related to the Odd Duck in Austin), at an irresistible price, in spite of its youth. We were not disappointed. It doesn't have the richness of a mature Musar, and it does have a fair dose of tannin and acidity, but we drank it happily. Incisive and complex, resembling more than anything a classic Barolo.
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9/5/2023 - Collector1855 wrote: 89 Points
During a walkabout tasting, so only brief impressions. Dark fruit, earthy, with rustic, farmyard funk.
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8/9/2023 - super007 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Really nice and smooth. From a half bottle.
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7/24/2023 - Papies wrote: 90 Points
A bit of a secret weapon in any wine list this wine and always performs albeit older bottles have been known to exhibit variability. Bordeaux-esque in feel, good use of oak, smooth and round , polished and well mannered. Very pretty worn and an easy 90-91
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6/30/2023 - chialuvwines wrote: 91 Points
Delicious. Not inferior than the French. Great producer from Lebanon.
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6/17/2023 - Dids Likes this wine: 92 Points
This has all the elements to make one of the great vintages of Musar. Initially on opening in 24+C That VA swirled around the glass. The wine was decanted and popped into the fridge. This quickly disappeared
Drank 2 hours later, red cherries and sandalwood on the nose. A mild spiced entry with deeper fruits, blueberries and ripe damson. Very balanced in acidity, fruit and tannin. Not weighty in the mouth, but a lovely depth. Correct is not a word often associated with Musar. But this had a sense of precision.
edit: had over 3 days, this evolved beautifully. The last glass showed more sunnier fruit, but the tannin and acidity held this all together wonderfully well.
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6/13/2023 - michigan dogs wrote: 88 Points
I love Musar, but this vintage does not compare, not yet anyway. give it a couple years. I love the 13's, 05's and 99's. I bought a number of the 13's before they were gone.
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6/1/2023 - Jfk Wine Likes this wine: 81 Points
Litt ung ennå
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5/29/2023 - MadeiraLev Likes this wine: 88 Points
Going through an adolescent awkward stage right now. Tannins and fruit are abundant but out of balance. I think it will come together with time. Left the remaining wine in the bottle for two days and found it improving. So definitely potential for the future. I'll open another bottle in 6-12 months...
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5/19/2023 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Friday Night with Salmon, Potatoes and X-Files; 5/19/2023-5/20/2023 (At home in leafy West London): Very clean for a Musar. Some gaminess, and really intense plum notes on the palate. On the finish there’s a tightness - spice and (for Musar) pretty prominent tannins. I think this has a good life ahead of it but drinking well now. At todays prices maybe it gets harder to justify but this is a lovely Musar.
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5/2/2023 - Eplarsen wrote:
Storfe
Sau og lam
Storvilt
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4/29/2023 - Benoit Hardy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nose of black fruits and leather.
Gamey mouthfeel with concentrated fruit. The alcohol still comes out a little in the background but the balance is respected. Dense juice. Final with supple tannins and a nice woody length.
Opened a little too young for my taste but it's still a great experience because the quality is there.
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4/18/2023 - Rodenbach99 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Musar reste Musar malgré la disparition de Serge. Une robe rubis bien foncé au coeur mais une touche brique sur le pourtour. Un nez de fruits noirs, viande, cuir, alcool. Une bouche aux tanins souples, les saveurs sur les fruits noirs, cerises amères (choke cherry). La finale est très longue.
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4/7/2023 - K_AA Likes this wine: 90 Points
Umoden profil direkte fra flaske med treverk og tanniner som dominerende aromaer/smak. Sammen med rød frukt.
Etter noen timer i karafell kommer mer moden frukt fram, noe mer tørket frukt, røyk og tjære, god fylde, lang ettersmak. Fortsatt godt med tanniner. God vin nå, blir nok enda bedre hvis man gir den 10-15 år.
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4/1/2023 - Gunakadeit Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really delicious. Maybe less characteristically Musar right now, but it’s always hard to know where young Musar will go.
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4/1/2023 - sboyle Likes this wine: 92 Points
Plums, blackberry, black cherry and forest floor on the aroma. Plum and black cherry dominate the palate. Body is medium with medium acidity and tannin. Overall, its an enjoyable wine with a great aroma, that based upon its structure it’s at its peak.
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3/31/2023 - trifreddy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nez complexe sur les fruits noirs, les cerises, le cuir, le chêne et les épices. En bouche, belle acidité et tannins fermes. Longueur moyenne et finale correct. Prochaine bouteille dans 5-7 ans.
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3/24/2023 - J&M Cave à vin wrote: 86 Points
Tämä ei nyt ollut ihan parhaimmillaan. Neljä hlöä maistoi tätä sokkona. Kukaan ei tunnistanut viiniä. Viinin tuoksusta kaksi meistä sai tuoksusta esiin vain asetonin. Maku jäi jälkeen edellä maistetuista Damilano Chardonnay -vertikaalissa maistetuista viineistä. Asetonin tuoksu häiritsi myös maistamista. Vain yksi meistä piti tästä viinistä.
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3/20/2023 - Dr. Wine MD PhD ;) Likes this wine: 91 Points
Young, bold with cherry, firm tannins, and aromas of black currants with a refreshing acidity and good length.
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3/18/2023 - Frijole wrote:
dark cherry red, medium clarity, brickish hue
Nose: cherry, roses, espresso, touch licorice, vanilla, cola, black pepper, juniper berry, clove, rosemary, minerals, oak
Pal: cherry, blood orange, espresso, touch licorice, touch cola, touch vanilla, minerals, black pepper, juniper berry, clove, touch rosemary, smoke, sandalwood
Feel: medium, astringent, savory
Finish: medium
TC8
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3/16/2023 - fourdan Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very nice relatively young Musar, it has all what you like in Musar
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3/16/2023 - Zweder wrote: 90 Points
The bouquet is a bit smoky with oak, licorice and cinnamon. On the palate dark and red berries, licorice, herbs and spices, oak, good acidity and round tannin. 90+
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3/13/2023 - KristianEriksen wrote: 92 Points
Nose: Dried fruits, red berries, herbs, leather and oak.
Palate: Complex and medium-high bodied. Red berries, raisins, oak, tobacco, herbs and tea. Concentrated fruit with a long finish.
Note: Opened up after an hour in decanter. Good to drink now, but still young. Storage potential the next ten years.
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3/12/2023 - LWI wrote: 91 Points
Grouse with friends: Rød og mørk frukt, litt negllakk (men mindre enn mang en Musar), myk, svak sødme.
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3/11/2023 - forceberry wrote: 89 Points
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2016 in Beqaa started with a good deal of rain and snow, followed by a warm April. May was relatively rainy as well, boosting vine growth. June and July were very warm and pretty dry, resulting in accelerated ripening. Cabernet was harvested first, in mid-August - earlier than ever before. Carignan and Cinsaut matured at a slower pace and were harvested in early September. The wine was fermented spontaneously, all varieties separately in concrete tanks. The fermented varietal wines were aged in oak barrels for a year, blended in February 2019, then left to marry for a few months and bottled unfined and unfiltered in the summer of 2019. 14% alcohol, 3 g/l residual sugar, 6,5 g/l acidity, pH 3,48 and 127 mg/l total SO2. Aerated in a decanter for four hours before tasting the wine.
Quite deep cherry red color. The nose feels savory, somewhat closed and a bit meaty with aromas of wizened dark fruits, some dried cherries, a little bit of roasted game, light smoky tones, a hint of savory spice and a faint rubbery touch of air balloon. The wine feels savory, firm and somewhat closed on the palate with a moderately full body and relatively aged flavors of beef jerky and raisiny tones, some dried figs, a little bit of gamey meat, light lifted nuances of sweet balsamic VA, a hint of crunchy cranberry and a touch of chokeberry bitterness. The overall feel is pretty structured and balanced, thanks to the high acidity and firm medium tannins. The finish is dry, savory and somewhat grippy with a long, slightly evolved aftertaste of dried cherries and some raisiny tones, a little bit of meat stew, light sweet nuances of ripe figs, a hint of soy sauce and a touch of savory spice.
I felt a bit conflicted after tasting this vintage: it does show good sense of balance and firmness structurally - just as it did when I tasted it last time, less than a year ago - but fruit the perspective of fruit the wine seemed much more evolved than I'd ever anticipate from a Musar released only a year ago. I don't get any of the oak aromatics many other people have commented in their tasting notes, nor did I pick up any of those from the bottle I tasted earlier - and I'm pretty sensitive to oak. Thus it is safe to say that the style is pretty typical of Musar in this vintage as well. However - just as the vintage 2014 we tasted at the same time - this wine seemed prematurely advanced. Not past its peak in any way, still thoroughly enjoyable in every way, but nevertheless definitely not showing the way it should. I enjoyed the rather bright, acid-driven overall character here, but wasn't really that enamored by the slightly tired flavors of dried fruits and meat stew. I assume all this can be chalked up to bottle variation, so this particular TN might not be representative of this vintage. At 44,95€, the quality of this bottle didn't manage to match its price.
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3/3/2023 - Livonietisr Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium ruby. Aromas of red cherry, red plums, cloves, cinnamon, earth. Medium+ acidity, drying tannins, taste of red cherries, plums, dark chocolate, spices. Long finish. More time in cellar will help.
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2/19/2023 - AGELVIS wrote: 90 Points
Gingerbread cookie, blackberry, and dried apricot. Smooth, tongue drying palate. Soft tannins, yet a surprisingly long finish.
Musar always comes across as over-oxidized, regardless of the vintage. Not sure if that’s on purpose.
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2/19/2023 - Poussin wrote:
Restaurant purchase enjoyed with a Lebanese mezze - was served much too warm, so I will refrain from scoring until I can try another bottle under better conditions. I felt this was quite typical for the producer with oxidative fruit notes and firm acidity. The impression here was of a balanced Musar, neither as syrupy as the ‘11 and ‘12 nor as closed as the ‘13.
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2/2/2023 - djhammond Likes this wine: 93 Points
Second time of tasting over the last two months, and it consistent in its delivery. Splash decanted in a restaurant, 10 minutes in the glass was perfectly sufficient to bring it to life. A typical Musar, and great value for money, you generally can't go wrong with this off a restaurant wine list.
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1/28/2023 - Thek wrote: 90 Points
this bottle was ripe and more pruney than typical. enjoyable, but not my favorite vintage (or bottle) of musar
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1/5/2023 - janka Likes this wine: 93 Points
I say it before and I say it a again. This is a top wine and a really good vintage.
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1/1/2023 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Had a 2nd bottle just days after my 1st. This is a great vintage of Musar. Loads of fruit, long finish. Also, there were no signs of va or barnyard funk on either of these, which hopefully will be a good sign for the future on this one! I'm going to load up (as I did on the '15 vintage, which I also love).
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12/26/2022 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Another classic Musar - great wine!
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12/25/2022 - StefanVB Likes this wine: 94 Points
Our expectations for the 2016 harvest were obviously influenced by our thoughts of the adverse weather we experienced in 2015 but we did have a positive start in December 2015, the month providing 130mm of rainfall. This was followed by 360mm in January accompanied by a good deal of snow, providing the soils with much needed moisture and nutrients. February and March proved cold and rainy with a further 300mm of rainfall which was hugely welcomed by the dry terrain. April was warm with an average night temperature of plus 5 degrees Celsius rather than the minus 5 of the year before. May arrived with 45mm of rain, enough to boost the vines and from then on, we began to have higher expectations for this year’s harvest. A sunny June followed with low humidity and in July, we enjoyed an average temperature of 34 degrees throughout the month. This was key in pushing the harvest towards early maturation, faster than any previous year!
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12/9/2022 - dekevain Likes this wine: 91 Points
Great balance between acidity, tannins and fruit. Always on the fence with Musar as I’ve experienced loads of bottle variation, but this one was great.
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12/8/2022 - Joelene Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank blind, I guessed modern Left Bank Bordeaux.. this was a big wine, lots of plums a cassis fruit. Rich and semi extracted but also enough acid and freshness. Still tannic but approachable, softens after a couple of hours in the decanter. This out shined the Pavie Macquin we had along side it. Really an amazing surprise and a wine to buy and hold as this would be very interesting to watch progress over the next 20 years.
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12/6/2022 - djhammond Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank in a restaurant with minimal decanting time. However, that said it started to strut its stuff after 10 minutes in the glass. Unmistakably Musar with typical early bricking, and flavours of berry, spice, and leather, it is an excellent wine and surprisingly approachable, but obviously in its early stages of its drinking window and with evolvement ahead. At this stage the tannin is a little distracting, but mid palate and the finish makes you forget its youthfulness.
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11/13/2022 - CyrilOO7 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic wine! Leather, berry, long smooth finish.
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11/10/2022 - diegovilla'ch Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened 1 hour before drinking.
Deep crimson ruby, quite opaque and viscous.
Nose is gorgeous and elegant with black figs, cassis, blueberries, dates, damp earth, cigar box, cardamom seeds, mint, cinnamon, and again black olives, dark chocolate, bell pepper coulis, sandalwood and potpourri.
Quite open and already complex with some air.
The mouth has great acidity and a nice saltiness, has for sure a great structure and is full bodied.
The wine is balanced and the tannins are big and silky smooth.
Blue dark fruits, chocolate, spicy, resinous finish on the great lenght.
This Musar is already pleasurable with a good amount of air, i recommend decanting. It's very powerful yet elegant and polished.
Give it minimum 5 to 10 years to see its potential, and keep it for at least two decades in the cellar.
For me drink after 2027/2035.
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9/9/2022 - ikkaariainen Likes this wine: 90 Points
90+ at this point, with further aging and maturation this will easily be 92-93+ points. Enjoyed table side in Helsinki at restaurant Kolme Kruunua with hearty classic Finnish food and was a great pairing. Drink or hold but heavily leaning on the hold, with proper cellaring this has an easy 2+ decades to go. If drunk now recommend long at least 2-3 hour decant. A very reasonable QPR now and this will mature into a very good QPR wine on full maturation. This vintage is an almost equal blend of cabernet sauvignon, cinsault and carignan. Deep reddish purple, spicy and fruit forward, somewhat acidic and thus at this point of development much more a food then sipping wine, oak and tannins softening, full bodied and with a long aftertaste. Nose bright, spicy and fruit forward with black stone fruit, blackberry and black pepper. Flavor profile noteworthy for oak up front, controlled tannins and acid through out and initial black currant and blueberry giving way to a more earthy coffee, leather and tobacco finish. Highly recommend with caveat that this really needs much more time.
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7/16/2022 - Gone with the wine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Distinctive spicey Musar nose and palate which needs a couple of hours in the decanter before it starts drinking well. Needs more bottle time at this stage to soften the tannins.
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7/14/2022 - forceberry wrote: 92 Points
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2016 in Beqaa started with a good deal of rain and snow, followed by a warm April. The May was relatively rainy as well, boosting vine growth. June and July were very warm and pretty dry, resulting in accelerated ripening. Cabernet was harvested first, in mid-August - earlier than ever before. Carignan and Cinsaut matured at a slower pace and were harvested in early September. The wine was fermented spontaneously, all varieties separately in concrete tanks. The fermented varietal wines were aged in oak barrels for a year, blended in February 2019, then left to marry for a few months and bottled unfined and unfiltered in the summer of 2019. 14% alcohol. Aerated in a decanter for an unknown period of time before tasting the wine blind.
Deep and dark ruby-red color that permits a little light through. Juicy, ripe and quite sunny nose with aromas of wizened blackcurrants, some raisiny tones, a little bit of sweet red fruit, light lifted notes of VA, a hint of exotic spices and a touch of smoky phenolic character. The wine is dry, juicy and slightly lifted on the palate with a moderately full body and slightly reticent flavors of peppery spice and ripe redcurrants, some bitter phenolic notes, a little bit of tart red plum, light raisiny tones, a lifted hint of balsamic VA and a touch of coniferous forest. The overall feel is quite firm and structured, thanks to both high acidity and firm medium tannins that slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is dry, slightly lifted and somewhat grippy with a long aftertaste of phenolic spice and peppery notes, some raisiny dark fruit, a little bit of tart red plums, light bretty notes of leathery funk, a hint of ripe redcurrant and a touch of tobacco.
A quite classic example of young Musar - and so recognizable that my first guess without much hesitation was "a young Musar". Feels very similar to the 2014 vintage tasted at the same age, but perhaps showing slightly less sauvage qualities, subtly more volatile lift and coming across as a bit closed and reticent now - even after a bit of aeration. As almost always, there's great promise here, but it's still quite hard to assess in which direction the wine is going to go from here, ie. whether it'll be a great wine, an exceptional wine, or something in-between. Whatever way it'll go, it is already pretty great already and I have a feeling it won't go south from here. It still needs age, though - the wine is quite closed and tightly-knit at the moment, which seems to be something that only a bit of additional age will fix. Remember to decant the wine and give it enough air (at least an hour or two) when serving it. Solid value at 44,95€.
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7/3/2022 - finewinebuff57 wrote: 89 Points
Too young of course, but that distinctive Musar spiciness on the nose and palate. Needs time and score will rise.
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6/15/2017 - Harley1199 wrote:
Wanna "Heroic Vineyards"? Visit Lebanon; 6/14/2017-6/18/2017 (Beirut - Lebanon): From a 375 ml sample. Another Gaston's experiment. Same idea as Carignan tasted previously.
In my view less adequate because CS is there alright but where is typicity? I mean, this wine is well-made but there's not soul at all. Meaty, plums and black currants in an international style.
Procedente de una media botella nueva. Otro experimento de Gaston con la misma idea que para la Cariñena.
Desde mi punto de vista menos adecuada porque la CS está ahí más, ¿dónde rueda la tipicidad? Quiero decir, el vino está bien hecho pero carece de alma. Cárnico, con ciruelas y grosellas negras en un estilo internacional.
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