Just a beautiful, balanced wine drinking so well right now. Benefited from a short decant. As soon as I opened the bottle, the aromas wafted out. Leather, violets, spice notes, settled tannins. Wish I had more.
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Small dinner with large pours (Ariana II): Cloudy, garnet colour. Lovely nose, spice cupboard on a warm day. Nice structure - more acidity than I usually experience with Musar. Definite VA on the nose and palate but definitely within the civilised band for this house.
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BWC Pot Pourri at Ariana II (Ariana 2, Kilburn, London): Double decanted 4 hours before broaching. Lovely clean nose with bright red fruits, some Moroccan bazaar spice and some hints of pickled chestnut. Palate rich and long with more of the same and a little grated chocolate.
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The Wine Society, UK, tasting of Chateau Musar. Wines introduced by owners Gaston and Mark Hochar. Venue: London.
Medium plum, slightly cloudy at the edges. Lovely aroma of mature plum fruit and earthiness, I could just inhale for hours! This is sumptuous! The palate is fully mature, but will surely be good for another 20 years. Dry, but with a hint of sweetness which lingers beautifully in the mouth. Vanilla, licquorice. Excellent!
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This is showing surprisingly well. A very "sensible" bottle of Musar, this, showing very little of the caricature aspects (VA/Brett, etc). Started off quite Grenache-like (yes, I know there's none in there!) before drifting off in a more sensuous, Cinsault direction on day 2. Super!
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Double decanted one hour before. Strong earthy/herbal, quasi musty bouquet, which I found a bit off-putting although I don't think was due to a wine fault. Medium to light mouthfeel. Dark crimson with limited bricking. Complex interplay of leather, fruit, flowers, but overall balance was a bit off. Interesting wine that was easily identified by several around the table. My first Musar---I was not overly impressed, but remain intrigued to drink better vintages.
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Super beau Musar, cerises rouge, terreux, signature musar, sans aucune brett. Le vin integre superbement sa legere sucrosite, pour finir sur une belle finale sans accroc
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Leathery, earthen, feral and spiced. Structurally sound and gracefully aged. Just sings with food. Notes of dried cherries, spice box and tobacco leaf. Could have done with more time to open up despite the double decant. I gave this wine as a gift to my Dad and it was a joy to drink it with him at nearly 20 years old.
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Brought this bottle to a Musar dinner which included the '95, '97 - '05, and '16 rouge.
This bottle was double decanted for sediment around an hour and a half before it was served. This was drinking quite well. Much more primary than most of the other bottles of rouge, primarily cherry and dried red fruit with tannins still playing a prominent role on the palate and a slightly lifted characteristic (perhaps a small dose of VA).
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Prism II w/ Sashi (Prism, Berlin): @prism. Decanted 8 hrs in advance. Intensely perfumed. Tamari blackberry. This is just singing. Deep dark fruit notes. Plenty of savory underneath, with hints of brett. This is so powerful. Over time the nose changed dramatically minute to minute. Wild flourishes of blackberry syrup, dried raspberries and candied orange, raspberry liqueur, dried oranges…it’s very fruit-driven on the nose, but tertiary fruit.
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It's a great experience to slowly enjoy an aged Musar. Complex, sanguine, distinctive Lebanese terroir, fruit still strong with tannins integrated, aspects of this wine are unexpected in the very best way possible. Contemplative. Share with someone who will appreciate it.
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8 years on from our last bottle. Very good as soon as opened. No VA. Good colour - deeper than expected. Good nose but it was slow to open. Very attractive softness on the palate with rich, sweet cherry fruit, soft integrated tannins, and subtle spice. Maraschino cherries on the long, fruit-filled palate. After almost two decades it still tastes young and supple. We drank most of it over an afternoon and evening but a portion was good next day and was an ideal accompaniment to slow-cooked pork shoulder in a sweet, spicy date sauce There seems to be some variation in the bottles described by earlier reviewers but this is superb. Ready now but with a future. We couldn’t ask for more. 92+
2004 was a very cool vintage: snow didn't melt until March, spring lasted until June and the ripening period was slowed down by constant cooler breezes. The grapes never developed much acidity and the first grapes arriving to the winery were rather low in sugar as well. However, a two-week heat wave that arrived during the harvest boosted the sugar levels in the remaining grapes. The wine was made in the traditional method of Musar: 9 months of aging in cement vats, 1 year in oak barrels, blending and maturation for 9 months in cement vats, finished with bottling and extended bottle aging before release. 14% alcohol. Decanted for four hours before tasting the wine.
Quite dark and somewhat translucent cherry-red color with a moderately evolved maroon hue. The nose feels savory, evolved and slightly oxidative with aromas of wizened red plums, some meaty tones, a little bit of smoky speck character, light strawberry tones, a hint of earth, a volatile touch of medicinal ether and a whiff of soy sauce. The wine feels evolved, open-knit and slightly oxidative on the palate with a medium body and moderately tertiary flavors of prunes and dark raisiny tones, some savory notes of meaty umami, a little bit of strawberry, light earthy notes, a hint of balsamic VA and a touch of smoke-cured meat. The ripe medium tannins feel somewhat grippy and the acidity comes across as medium-to-moderately high, maybe a bit soft. The finish is rich, silky and gently grippy with a rather long, sweet-toned and somewhat tertiary aftertaste of strawberries and raisins, some salty notes of prosciutto, a little bit of balsamic VA, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of blood and a touch of dried figs.
A nice, evolved and moderately tertiary vintage of Musar that is either at its peak or very near it - based on the slightly oxidative overtones, I wouldn't age this vintage extensively. As a whole, this feels like a middling vintage of Musar, not really packing the structure, intensity and aging potential that the surrounding vintages do. All in all, this is an enjoyable and lovely Musar in its own right, but remains a bit underwhelming in light of the better vintages. I think I've had a bit more impressive bottles of this vintage in the past - or they've been drunk at a better phase - but my views on this vintage have always been consistent: 2004 does not count among the great vintages of Musar. Priced somewhat according to its quality at 43,89€.
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Quite transparent. In the bouquet not so very expressive, but there are sweet spices like cinnamon and some oak. On the palate the same sweet spices, mild acidity and melted/nicely integrated tannin. Beautifully balanced wine.
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Drank on NGDB tour in hotel lobby in Rockford, IL. Not my fave bottle. Seemed a little rough but still nice. Herbs (lilac?) and basement and dried cranberry.
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Decanted for an hour. Delicious sweet red fruit, bit of VA, leather, hint of barnyard. Resolved tannins, excellent fruit on the palate. In a great spot now, but can take more years in the cellar!
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This is in a good place. Better than the 2000 tried side by side, which is still good but getting a little tired Prior TN applies:
“This vintage is not surprisingly improving with age but has good years ahead of it. Well balanced, rich, complex, earthy, leather, black tea, with that unmistakable Musar funk.”
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Clear medium ruby Blackcurrant, strawberry, cured meat, woody earth, hints of grass and VA (lesser than I expected, but apparent nonetheless). Medium+ acidity, medium+ body. Medium intensity of dark fruits, strawberry, raspberry, cured meat, earth, touch of florals and stems. Medium+ firm tannins. Fully open for business. Less flavour intensity on the palate than other Musar I've had. Wouldn't keep this for much longer, save where storage has been impeccable.
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Briefly, 2.5 years on from my previous note, I still find this not ready. Gave this an 8 hour decant; on first opening quite strong acidity; this moderated a bit 8 hours later, but whilst there are nice classic Musar notes on the palate, it's still thin, weak and acidic compared to, say, the 1999. Rather lacking in depth and complexity.
This is my last bottle. Maybe I'll try to find one or two more in a few years to see how it's going.
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Erstaunlich wie der Wein sich über drei Tage hält, obwohl er nach dem Öffnen durchaus ausgeprägte oxidative Aromen erkennen lässt. Diese verschwinden aber fast ganz. Dann entwickelt er sich im Duft zu einem echten Charakter. Hitzig und balsamisch nach eingekochten Pflaumen, Süßen Kirschen, Eukalyptus, Leder, Tabak, Zimt, Curry, manchmal auch Eisenspäne. Changiert anfänglich stark, findet an der Luft immer mehr zu sich. Im Geschmack erstaunlich frisch. Die markante Säure kontrastiert spannungsvoll mit dem süßen, würzigen Kern dieses eigenwilligen südlichen Roten, der sicher noch weiter in der Flasche reifen kann und wahrscheinlich auch sollte, um noch etwas runder zu werden. Bleibt lang mit markanter Würze. Beim Zustand der Korken dieses Weines ist mit großen Flaschenvarianzen zu rechnen. jetzt bis 2035.
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Still too young Give it at least 30 minutes, though preferably a few hours, in the decanter Red currants, pronounced minerality, some medicinal notes Medium+ grainy tannins Best to age this another 5 years at least
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No decant. Initially thin with balsamic notes. Woke up quickly into a core of cassis and notable homemade maraschino cherry. Plenty of tertiary aromas and perfumed VA as well. Lovely mid-inflection. Feels like it should be in a sleeper phase but it’s really awake and bold and delicious.
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A rather robust vintage with prominent notes of both plum and raspberry in front of juicy dark cherries, tart red currants, and ripe blackberries. There is also some wet wooden decking and a dew-sprinkled herb garden. Smooth tannins, lovely acidity, and a long, slightly spicy finish.
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Friend accidentally opened it, no decant. Closed, but had some bing cherry with tamari character. Felt silken, satiny on the finish. Not as aromatic or deep as I know it can be. The next day, it was a bit more aromatic, with very little 4-EP / dog fur, and more spice, perfumed cherry, slight tamari, and silken texture. Long. Young. Feels bold in style / still mid-inflection.
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Small birthday dinner. Out of bottle: medium ruby with garnet at rim. Heady nose. Perfumed VA slight Brett brown fig oxidation and blackberry jam. So unbelievably good. Rich and ripe tamari. So good I just put a cork back in and put it back in the refrigerator.
Aromatic and assertive at dinner. Definitely a bolder style. More fruit than earth - for Musar, a cleaner style. So enjoyable and just singing.
Medium body, just starting to fade at the edge. Fairly strong legs. High toned, slightly volatile, but attractively so, cherry, soft leather, a little floral and persian spices, nice weight in the mouth and a good line of acidity med+ finish. Early maturity with many years ahead
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What a beauty. It's time to drink the 2004, I don't think more cellar time will make it any better. Excellent nose more elegant than rustic, but still with those desired mineral-like qualities we Musar enthusiasts love. Color is beginning to fade from bright red to brickish-copper. We decanted for about an hour and then couldn't help but sip as it breathed throughout the evening. We had alongside a 2011 Musar to mark the differences (and let's be honest, it was an excuse to have two Musar's instead of one). I'll comment on the 2011 in the appropriate space, but boy was it fun to do. Tasted lots of bright red fruits, and everything on the nose crossed right over into the palate. This is really fun drinking. Open one of these when you have a long evening in front of you and enjoy the evolution as it breathes.
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First time trying this vintage and I couldn’t be happier with it. Bottle was impeccable and the wine tasted like classic Musar. Intoxicating floral, herbal, spicy nose with prominent dark purple flowers. Absolutely delicious palette with a nice combination of red and dark fruits, licorice, spice, herbs, earth and a hint of animal funk.
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Medium ruby with orangey tendencies. Red currant and tea on the nose. Palate is quite intense, red fruits, still some gentle grip (PNP). Great length. Just decanted now, should open up. It did. Reminded me a lot of a nicely aged Barolo.
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Medium brick red, some rim variation. It really does need a few days to open up and mellow out. Too much volatile acidity on day one. It was elegant, like a mix between Burgundy and Bordeaux. Very nice structure with long and fine tannin. Red fruits, plum, Burgundy SCFA, earth. Good with range of foods. Overall really good but I’m not convinced it lives up to the hype and value, at least with this bottle.
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Needed a good 75 minutes to start showing, but then it went crazy. Cherry, blackberry, some spices. Nicely soft but present tannins, the finish long, the depth on the palate fantastic and way beyond what I can describe. So maybe let‘s just say: we really enjoyed this!
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Needed about 30-45 min for the funk to blow off, and then was left with a lovely wine. In a great place. Red fruits, spice, ash and some oak on the nose. Palate is surprisingly bright red fruits for the age, still with a good tannic structure. When these are on there’s not much better value.
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Chateau Musar Tasting with Jane Sowter and the Dulwich Wine Society: For many in the group it was the wine of the night. Extremely concentrated. Flavour turned up to 11. Sweet figs, orange peel, olives, balsamic and chocolate. Intense, luscious, voluptuous. Q: 4/4 P: 2/3 X: 3/3 Total 9/10
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Drinking very nicely now after about a 75 minute decant. More elegant than other Musar vintages, but still with the mineral undertones you expect. Enjoyed with Prime NY Strips.
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No formal notes taken. This wine was brilliant tonight! Seamless fruit and herbaceous/cedar aromas and beautifully well integrated on the palate. One of the most beautiful and least peculiar Musars I have had. Highly recommended!
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Really nice Musar. Was drinking very nicely after about 90 minutes of decanting. Paired with Wagyu beef. 2004 is more elegant than some other vintages, with a more prominent display of floral and red berries. The minerals and essence of concrete were there, but more muted. Very well balanced and at the front end of it's drinking window. Very little cork penetration. Plenty of time to leave it in the cellar, but no reason to wait if you are itching for it.
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Mon dernier 2004...triste. Complex nose of vegetal and floral notes, homemade ketchup spices and molasses... The wine is smooth and unctuous with a beautiful warmth and fresh acidity. Ripe fruit intertwined with butterscotch flavours. Round and rich, and very long finish. Simply perfect!
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Tasted a few Musar side by side against some Pauillacs. We loved the Musars for their aromatic complexity, many of them did not have too much funk (aka Brett) as I observed in bottles before but a nice nose of musk, underbrush, sweet spices and more red than dark berries. There is a good portion of Carrignan and Cinsault next to CabSav in these wines. This makes the wine a bit lighter than a Bordeaux and also higher pitched in the aromatics. So after having tasted the 1989 (93, the lightest of all of them), 1999/2004 (94, aromatic, good mid mouth presence), 2001 (NR, light cork) we concluded that these wines are better to be compared against a South of France Blend than a Bordeaux blend.
This is everything Chateau Musar should be. Good concentration. That very rustic mature Bordeaux/Rhone style with good acidity knitting it all together. Mid weight but great length. So reassuring to see them confidentally still making this old style wine in a period of global style boredom amongst too many producers worldwide.
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This vintage is not surprisingly improving with age but has good years ahead of it. Well balanced, rich, complex, earthy, leather, black tea, with that unmistakable Musar funk.
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Really drinking very well. Bordeaux style with hint of spice that I equate with a Mediterranean wine. Still great acid. Decanted and drank an hour later. Lovely
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Chateau Musar 1999-2004 vertical blind tasting: The most “modern” tasting of the 1999-2004 vintages in the flight, this is the closest that Chateau Musar ever comes to a “pop and pour” wine. Only about an hour after opening, the 2004 becomes fragrant, with cedar and cinnamon on the nose. It also delivers a steady soft, black currant fruit flavor. It’s much less volatile than the others, except perhaps the 2001. It’s also more open and accessible, and a little less interesting, but still quite fine. Tasters rated it 3rd out of the six vintages. The 2004 is just entering its drinking window, so while there’s no need to wait, there’s no need to hurry, either.
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I know this wasn't a great idea, but I decanted and started to drink only 30 minutes later. No funk, lots of acid, little fruit, just all wrong for a Musar. A couple of hours later it had sorted itself out a bit, but still not great.
This really needs years more in the bottle or MANY hours of decant.
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Tasted after the 2000 and 2003. From magnum. Quite dark in colour, hardly any sign of evolution. Lots of depth, dark fruit, spices, cedar, earth. Excellent balance on the palate, more structured than either 2000 and 2003, quite firm and grippy, wonderful fruit, well integrated acidity. Lively, vibrant finish, very long. With the 1983 my WOTN. Drink/keep. 93-95
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A very cool vintage: snow didn't melt until March, spring lasted until June and the ripening period was slowed down by constant cooler breezes. The grapes never developed much acidity and the first grapes arriving to the winery were rather low in sugar as well. However, a two-week heat wave that arrived during the harvest boosted the sugar levels in the remaining grapes. The wine was made in the traditional method of Musar: 9 months of aging in cement vats, 1 year in oak barrels, blending and maturation for 9 months in cement vats, finished with bottling and extended bottle aging before release. 14% alcohol. Decanted for a few hours before tasting the wine.
Pale, translucent reddish-orange color with a wide, orange-yellow rim. The nose feels dry, light and rather restrained with understated aromas of licorice, some wood bark, a little bit of dried cranberries, light peppery spice, a hint of brambly raspberry and a lifted touch of nail polish. With some air the nose slowly opens up a little, revealing sweeter nuances of prunes and raisin. The wine is ripe, sweet-toned and quite mellow on the palate with juicy, soft flavors of raisin, some dried figs, a little bit of meaty umami, light jammy notes of strawberries, bretty notes of barnyard funk and leather and a touch of ripe grapey fruit. The structure is quite gentle here with medium acidity and quite round, ripe tannins. The finish is soft and medium-long with flavors of ripe strawberries, some dried figs, a little bit of earthy spice, light raspberry marmalade notes, a hint of sunny dark fruit and a subtly acetic touch of balsamic VA.
A rather soft, mellow and underwhelming vintage of Musar. The wine is definitely a recognizable example of the house style, but the modest acidity and soft, textural tannins really don't do justice to the wine and tasting this side-by-side with remarkable vintages 2005 and 2003 makes the wine come across as rather an underperformer. All in all, this is a rather awkward vintage that might come together a bit better in the future, but most likely will never reach the heights of the best vintages. Priced according to its quality at 35,95€.
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Aromatic and straight. Not that much bret- and barnyard-aromatic as expected. Ripe black fruits, sourcherry, tabacco. Good accidity, well balanced. Great effort!
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On opening a typical Musar nose but lacking the funk you expect. This was a much softer wine than last time. Typical Musar palate; cherries, strawberries a bit of spice. Some tasted blind and plumped for a left bank Bordeaux.
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Half bottle. 92/93. A fresher Musar. Has fantastic aromas of earth, baking spices, terracotta, cherries, raspberries and lingonberries Its medium to full bodied sculpted and shapely earthy red and blue fruits palate has superb depth and layers , decent but a bit volatile acidity. Ends long, fresh and flowing. 14%. Needs laying down 5 years+. Needs 5-6 hrs aeration.
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Half bottle. Medium ruby. Just opened - smoky meat, iron, dark fruit on nose. Rich and rather smooth. Sweet dark fruit on palate. Still rather direct/simple/primary and pruney, especially when compared to slightly older vintages such as the 2001. Medium to long, spicy finish. 87-89. Not much evolution over the couple of hours that this was consumed.
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Somewhat translucent and ever-so-slightly hazy cherry red color with a developed maroon hue. Rich, somewhat developed and rather sweet-toned nose with sunny aromas of pruney dark fruit, wizened strawberries, some raisiny tones, a light sweet-toned note of VA, a hint of leather and a touch of raspberry jam. There's a subtly acetic streak in the background that lends a slightly Rodenbach-y character to the nose. The wine is medium-to-moderately full-bodied, ripe and sunny on the palate with dry, complex flavors of leather, wizened dark fruits, some funky barnyard notes, a little bit of sweet raspberry, light acetic notes of balsamico and a hint of dried and slightly jammy black cherries. The wine is medium-to-moderately high in acidity with firm, somewhat grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is somewhat grippy, quite lengthy and wonderfully rich with complex, layered flavors of sweet, raisiny fruit and pruney character, some savory earthy character, a little bit of bitterness, light black cherry notes and a balsamic hint of VA.
A rich, nuanced and layered Musar that is starting to show some lovely developed complexity at the age of 15 years. Doesn't show as much bretty funk as some vintages, but feels slightly more volatile with quite rich, acetic balsamico character that manages to suit the taste surprisingly well. Compared to the previous times I've tasted this particular vintage, this didn't feel as noticeably volatile as some bottles and at the same time the wine was more open and expressive than some bottles have been. All in all, perhaps the best 2004 Musar I've had to date. Lovely stuff, priced according to its quality at 43,89€.
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Half bottle. Has full aromas of baked raspberries, strawberries, fig, leather, chalk and orange peel hints. Its medium to full bodied structured yet silky a bit animally freshly fruited black and red fruits palate has a little volatile acidity. Ends longish, fresh and impressive. 14%. Can be laid down 10 years+. Needs 4-5 hours aeration.
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Bu en vertical, clairement il faut les attendre les Musar... le 2004 et 2006 encore trop jeune à mon goût! 1999: à point, de la fraise, soyeux, long et complexe. Sublime. 2001: un peu plus animal, cuir, avec du fruit. Très bien. Le 2004 et 2006. Encore sur le fruit primaire. Tannins encore presents. Plus costaud. Une belle vertical pour évaluer l’incroyable longévité des Musar et déterminer celui à notre goût.
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Just a beautiful wine. Incredibly fragrant nose of dried dark fruit and sweet spice. On the palate, almost starts with an oxidized note that quickly changes to something much more complex with great acid, which indicates to me there is still some interesting integration to come. Enjoyed with lamb chops.
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2001 – 92. A real testament to the winemaker’s skill. See previous verticals. It’s now 18 years old and you can still taste that distinct fresh fruit on the palate. Just starting to get a little lighter now. 2002 – 90. That sharp spritz that we previously got on the front of the tongue has now finally gone. 2003 – 89. Odd one out of the evening. More ‘meaty’ and savoury. Went fine with food. We had previously found the 2003 to be much smoother. 2004 – 92. Yes, back to that medicinal cherry lozenges punch 2005 – 93. Drinking very well now. Hint of spiciness. 2007 – 92. A deeper, heavier year. You can still find some 2007’s at the larger retailers and it’s ready. Had the strongest bouquet of the lot 2007 Magnum – 93. We had fun here, putting a magnum and a standard bottle of the same year up against each other. Was there a difference? Yes. Would you know if you did not have them side by side? Unlikely. This was the star of the night. Ripe fruit. Think warm sunshine. 2008 – 91. Youngest one here and it shows immediately just looking at the rims comparing it with the others. It was the ‘reliable friend’ – easy drinking, plenty of fruit (evokes Christmas sweet spices) and went well with the cheese course A Billecart Salmon 1999 to start. All reds out of the Eurocave the night before, opened in the morning. Smoked duck with asparagus and a walnut dressing to start, beef filet with a shallot and port sauce, potatoes cooked with garlic and thyme, cheeses, rose possett with rhubarb.
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As if taking a short stroll around a Maroccan spice bazaar.
Enjoying this nightcap, which showed expressive and layered on the nose. An enticing kaleidoscope of aromas - oriental spice, leather, tobacco, dried dark fruit and aniseed - brought me instantly to a spice bazaar near you. On the palate smooth and well structured with medium body, fresh acidity and dark fruit. Spicy lingering finish. Really lovely. Always an elegant and unagitatedly beautiful wine, if given enough time in the bottle.
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Tasted next to the 2011. Expressive and layered on the nose - spices, leather, tobacco, soft dark fruit. On the palate smooth and open, well integrated acidity, lovely fruit. Spicy finish with very good length. 91-93
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Couleur brique translucide Nez typiquement Musar (fruits rouge, menthol, élevage, cuir) En bouche, c'est effectivement Musar, mais plus fin, voir dilué à l'ouverture de la bouteille. Juste l'épauler durant 3-4h lui a fait un grand bien. Moins bon que le 2006 à mes yeux, qui avait beaucoup plus de matière (de loin).
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Had it open for 8 hrs before pouring. Menthol and highish acidity, but in a good way. Tannins almost fully resolved and the wine is coming together. Very light on its feet. Really lovely. Probably 93 in 3-4 years.
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By the bottle at Noreetuh in NYC. Nose is a really intriguing balance between black fruit and forest floor in the fall with a bit of baking spice and a hint of fresh pine. Palate is also a really compelling mix between primary and secondary flavors. Bright raspberry, strawberry, ripe cherry with pencil shavings, grape leaves and a hint of fresh leather. Super delicious on its own, also great with steak and fried rice and 5-spice glazed pork chop.
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Min, Ha: From .375 L. Has some of the vibrant dark fruit, but more developed. Figs, dates, and other hints of oxidation made this seem prematurely aged with the rewards of tertiary development (I’m starting to question the value of .375’s given I’ve tasted the ‘04 recently, in-decanted, and it was amazing and much more vibrantly fruited.).
Still, it was delightful, with characteristic blackberry compote, tamari, oxidation, and almost no overt Brett signature. Structurally it seemed softer than the last ‘04 I had.
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W/Ben, MWB, AK No decant [hey - sometimes you just want Musar with good friends]
Deep dark and red fruit - slightly roasted. Hint of strawberry jam. Rocks and moss. Tamari blackberry. Caramelized roasted blackberry. Heavy satin feel to the midpalate. Delightful and rich.
Medium plus body, medium plus acid, medium tannins (melted and silky). Long finish. Paired well with Robin, Janelle Monae, Pink, and Bach BWV 131 (suspensions!!!).
Much lower impression of oxidation and brett than most Musars. This is still primary and it is glorious.
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"A taste of Libanon"-Tasting, Flight 4, Wine 3 (non-blind): Medium ruby colour. Lots of volatile acidity on the nose. Nice, fresh red and some dark fruit flavours, with good acidity, fine, ripe tannin and very good length. Too much VA for some. Outshone by the 2011 and the 2002 today.
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Potentially the most similar wine to the 1975 Mouton Rothschild ever tasted. Drinking in its prime. Lots of Bordeaux qualities like earth, mushroom, aging, coloring, etc. Pleasantly surprised with this new found treasure and now tracking down other vintages. My wife loved this. A new family favorite.
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Reached drinking window. Good example of wilder style of Musar - rather spicy and lots of VA. stil extremely harmonious, tannins well resolved and chiseled. Long complex finish. Lots of potential for the future.
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One glass. As always this wine defies the odds. it is made at altitude and in 2004 there was cooler windier weather and then a sudden heatwave. Despite these climatic issues it is a star. It has fragrant aromas of baked earthy, irony, leathery and lightly cedary loganberries, strawberries, raspberries and orange peel. Its medium to full bodied opulent extremely dense yet wonderfully silky red fruits palate has got nice earthy touches and nice acidity. Ends longish and aromatic. 14%. Superb. Opened 6hrs before. Lacks the 2003's extreme length and depth.
- Fast forming legs - This still tastes relatively young and vibrant, some early development is mixing with the fruit, theres some fine tannins giving some texture, not a particularly exciting vintage of Musar, but plenty to enjoy here and for plenty of time ahead
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In a very nice spot. Maturing, with just a little bit of funk, but still has some primary berry fruit in the mix, along with the twist of orange peel that was also manifest in the 1999 a few weeks ago. I'm not sure if this vintage has the X factor to equal the 1999, but flavor-wise it seems very similar at the moment, other than being a few years behind. It still shows some tannin which gives the surface veneer a more matte and slightly drying feel, but it fleshes out and sweetens up with air.
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Avec la couleur il est facile de dire qu’il a un certain âge. Au nez on du bois fumé au début et un peu de petits fruits subtiles vers la fin. En bouche on pourrait se ceoire à Bordeaux c’est vraiment bon et surtout pour le prix. J’ai préféré légèrement plus jeune pour avoir bu un 2009 il n’y a pas très longtemps, mais c’est tout de même très bon.
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Popped and poured to accompany flank steak. Nose of cassis, plum, spiky red flowers, a bit of cedar, earth. Strawberry and red currant fruit on the palate with a lick of sauvage, beef blood, and craggy rock. Nicely acidic with firm tannin. Longer finish of wild red fruit, stone, and iron. Young but very enjoyable.
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@home with PK, LT, MB, KF. London bottle. Cork intact, 2-3mm soaked through. Phenomenal out of the bottle. Aroma needs time to wake up, but on the palate it’s silky and alive, with all the classic Musar hallmarks: floral and spiced Brett, integrated with savory blackberry tamari, a core of dried and liquered cassis, date skin oxidation, and a prickly of strawberry balsamic.
Medium plus body, medium plus acid, medium tannins - melted and satiny, medium alcohol.
Consistent with my past impressions of the ‘04, this is quite awake and vibrant - the core of blackberry tamari is intense and seamless with the rest of the wine. It’s not really that tertiary out of the bottle, but we’ll see in a couple hours.
A few hours later it was delightful and aromatic, with a core of cassis and blackberry tamari. Not fully tertiary but mid-inflection.
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Tasted alongside the 1995 and 1999. It has the brett marker that I found in the 1999 (but was missing in the 1995, FYI) but it was just a touch of it. Juicy, the acidity is pretty intense here, with the fruit leaning to back cherry, strawberry and licorice.
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Blake Brown in the OC - Version 2.0 (The Winery, Newport Beach, CA): Of the 95, 99, and 04 this was definitely showing as the youngest. There was the sweet red fruit and strong cherry flavors but had some shoulders supporting the structure., a little edge or angular. Very nice and I wrote "delicious". That would describe it.
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Shared with the boys of W.O.R.K. @ FGK. Greenwich CT. Bing cherry on the nose. Decanting this wine always allows it to open up to reveal its secrets. The leathery spice flavor was there but was masked by it being compared to a 99 version of the same wine. It was difficult to compare the two side by side in order to determine which had more flavor, but the age on the 99 should have revealed itself. Still, a great wine value. EG #ArchitecturalArtistry #WineArchitect
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Pnp from the cellar. Allowed to breath in the glass. The nose yields sweet red currants with cedar and tobacco, but yet a slight leathery scent similar to an old Rioja. The Bordeaux-like blend mixes well to produce a slightly horsey, acidic flavor, but the sweet currant core pulls past it on the palate and allows the flavors to shine. As the wine came to room temperature, the horsey nose blew off, so decanting this thirteen year old wine would benefit the enjoyment, yet there is still some aging potential left in this wine. EG #ArchitecturalArtistry #WineArchitect
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In a beautiful place. First glass pop'n'pour at 14 deegres celcius, rest went in the decanter. For me this wine came charging out of the gates, even without decant. Beautiful nose with leathery finish, colour starting to go brick red. Well integrated fruits with hints of cherry and spice, a little acidity at the finish. Yum!
Well I have wanted to taste this wine and finally had a chance at Arroz in DC for dinner. This wine DID NOT disappoint. It definitely is an attempt to Bordeaux but with its own nuances. Paired well with the Mediterranean menu. The wine seemed balanced, well integrated tannins and acidity with fruit not overpowering the wine. Not certain I could say it was terroir driven having never had wines from the Bekka valley so I didn't know what to expect. Sorry I don't have more notes but at dinner so we weren't really analyzing the wine. I can tell you this that the wine didn't show any negative points that caused me to take notice and it blended well with the food. The downside is that it didn't reflect the distinctiveness of the region in my opinion since it didn't make me stand up and take notice of the nuances of the region like comparing Bordeaux to Rioja to Burgundy. Hope that makes sense.
An excellent bottle on the verge of leaving its childhood. Similar profile to the younger Vino Nobile beside it but this had a bit better mouthfeel, more complexity but less fruit.
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Initially quite dark, smoky and meaty on the nose. Funky notes blew off over time and this was all silky black cherry. Great bottle of wine. I would imagine this will drink well for a very long time to come.
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Initially a bit harsh and disjoint upon pop and pour, didn’t change much over the first evening. It was not until day 3 that it really shined, when it became smooth and elements truly integrated. Given that, the next bottle in 5 years or so wouldn’t be a bad idea.
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Decanted for an hour. Tasting note number 2000, needed a special wine for that, and this is it! My favourite producer, and this is really racy right now. Beautiful red cherries on the nose initially, slight hint of VA, with licorice and rosemary coming through as well. No dirtiness, just pure and clean and beautiful. The palate follows with racy red fruit, cherries, good tannins, good acidity, still feeling young. Not big, everything in place, but youthful. This will be even greater down the road, give it ten more years!
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Half bottle. Decanted for 3 hours. Light red colour. It had strong aroma of cherry and violet, hints of cigar, mints, asian herbs and meaty. On the palate, it had raspberry sour and cherry sweet. Medium body, acidity and tannins. Long sweet finishing. After 4 hours, it got higher tannins and coffee nose. Good value of wine.
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The wine was decanted although the sediment was slight. The wine had a garnet color, relatively light and show no sign of age. In the glass, the wine emitted a very large bouquet of wonderful cedar, briar, tobacco and dried flower. The wine seemed more mature and evolved than a typical Musar of less than 14 years. Not the most extracted Musar but the most early evolved I know. This wine will age more but it is drinking beautifully now. The profile of this wine is more or less that of a Bordeaux with perhaps a touch of a mature Rhône. It is really lovely. I paid $52. Not cheap but very likable.
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Drank fairly quickly with friends, so not enough time to watch it possibly evolve. Nose: tobacco, stewed fruit, wood, dried fruits, cinnamon and some olive brine. Palate: very well balanced, well integrated fine tannins. med+ tannins, med+ acidity.
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Nicoletta's 40th Birthday weekend!; 1/18/2018-1/21/2018 (Megeve, France): Opened and served. A great value for money wine as always and of very good quality. Very much Bordeaux in style, soft dark fruits, light pepper, floral in a way. Firm on the palate but very round and is now drinking very nicely. Will not dissapoint. 91 and drink from now
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Un grand favori de la soirée. Merveilleuses notes d'épices et de petits fruits rouges au nez. Très belle structure...début de sa fenêtre...belle chaleur...velouté...finale moyenne. Délicieux !
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Ruby with orange rim. Short after decantation this seemed light in its aromatic profil, especially after the Pegau 2000. But it reveals more power with time and more on the palate than on the nose. On the nose morello, red currants, hints of honey and rosehips. The palate shows a grippy structure with ripe tannin and high acidity more akin to a pinot noir and great lenght. In fact the acidity carries the fruit over a long period after swallowing. The wine is perfectly poised, highly elegant and civilized for a Musar. Of course this will age effortlessly for 2 decades in a cool cellar.
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Aubergine Chermoula with bulgar as the starter, a rib of beef with a middle eastern gravy (with cinnamon, allspice, garlic, onion, nutmeg, parsley), then English cheeses and rose pannacota for dessert. A Gardet 120 with canapés to start. 2003 - 91. So clearly the lightest and most translucent but still punching strong for its age and opened up after a couple of hours. Drink now. Soft tannins and good fruit. 2004 - 90. Better nose. More assertive with sharper taste. This was the star of the evening last time. This time, it was the one with a vegetal whiff. Light tawny. Still has that cherry on the palate. 2005 - 92. Distinctly darker next to the last 2. Punchy and heavier. Notes of almost fortified wine. High acidity. Probably peaking next year. 2006 - 91. Still tannic. A few years to go yet. Some pepper, tar and herbs (but still sweet). Musar held back the 2006 before release 2007 - 92. The favourite for a couple of us. Coffee beans and ripe fruits. A hot year. 2008 - 91. Dark purple. Dark fruits and a hint of cloves. The food makes a huge difference. We used a quarter of the chilli powder the recipe called for, half the yoghurt. We also tried and discounted pork with the Musar.
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A fairly significant amount of VA was the first thing I noticed upon opening this wine, but it was within my tolerance range. Beyond that, and some reductive elements that blew off soon enough, the wine showed red fruit, leather and herbal elements on the nose and palate, and reminded me variously of a traditional aged Rioja or a Barbaresco. A good match for a mushroom risotto with a liberal sprinkling of parmesan; without food the interest was more intellectual than hedonic.
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Opened along with a the Muga Prado Enea and Lascombes of the same vintage. This was a step below the two for me, but an nice and interesting wine nonetheless. It was quite elegant but this time the sweet fruit and meatiness didn't combine as seamlessly.
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Brick red. Gamey aromas of pine, leather, liquorice, forest floor and some acetone. Not unlike a developed nebbiolo wine. Meaty, with sweet dried fruits in the mouth. The high acidity gives the wine a lift, brings in elegance and balance and makes it more vivid. I prefer this to the more concentrated but rather clumsy 2003.
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From a Coravin'd bottle. A classic (if there is such a thing) Musar nose - sweaty horses, sweaty saddles, fresh leather, hints of orangey VA, a touch of garrigue, and some plummy, pruney black fruits struggling past the Musariness. Lovely sweetish, yet savoury black fruit on the palate. Indeed, the immediate impression is that the palate is almost the antithesis of the nose: clean, precise fruit. Good sturdy texture. With time, lots of leathery depth emerge. There's a touch of alcoholic heat evident, but it isn't distracting. Lots of firm structure, but you only notice the tannins on the finish, when they pluck at the front of the cheeks. As a youthful Musar, this bottle at least is in a very good place right now. Lovely stuff. Classic Musar.
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Somewhat disjoint on the first day, though I liked the flavours of red cherries, smoke and spices. On day 2, it melted down and was nice and elegant. I especially liked the subtle meatiness along with a hint of black tea. The wine wasn't super concentrated nor profound but was quite elegant and lovely and somehow made be think of a cross between Burgundy and Bordeaux. I think I'll be seeking out more especially other vintages.
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Sweaty saddle, new leather, sloeberries, some garrigue. Good tannic structure. But also something sweet (&sour?) and alcoholic that feels less interesting. Ok for now, hopefully more integrated in ten years. I believe it has more upside.
Edit: We opened it a good 3 hours before and decanted. By the time we were drinking it, most of the horse and leather was gone or at least pleasantly playing a minor chord, which I normally look forward to when drinking Musar. This time though I felt that the sweet&sour was a bit too much and felt it would do better waiting in the cellar. If I had tried this blind, I would have thought it was five years younger at least. I have so far preferred the 1988, the 2005, the 1995 and the 2009 (although the 2009 also needs a lot of time). But best not to make any too serious bets with this wine, I have learnt. There's a good texture and fine tannins so that bodes well for the future.
Ps my mom protested against this verdict and gave this two thumbs up! I am upping the score one point on sheer motherly authority.
Coravin tasting. Porty and jammy on the nose. Balsamic vinegar too. Makes the Figeac tasted alongside it seem more Bordeaux like, richer and almost modern. Some nice notes of fig on the palate. Very figgy, spicy, this is nice but as always with Musar I'm reminded of Christmas spices! A touch meaty and gamey but not really getting Brett, more balsamic maturity. This is a great wine for learning. It has hints of Burgundy and yet is clearly from a far warmer climate. Nice juxtaposition form the warm climate norm, where clean and fruity. Touch of acetic flavours, some paint thinner on the nose but not problematic.
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Carafé 2h avant de verser un seul verre. Nez puissant et envoûtant sur le bois de sental, l'encens, les cerises, épices du moyen orient et une touche florale qui viens en fin de nez. Bouche magnifique et aérienne, aucune lourdeur ou chaleur contrairement à ce que j'imagine d'un vin de pays chaud mais plutôt de la finesse qui me rappelle le pinot ou les nebbiollo. Cerise, épices et, bois de sental sont dominant. Le tout est superbement équilibré et jouie d'une finale épicér de bonne longueur J'adore musar, franchement ma découverte de l'année!
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Encore une fois, le vin a été laissé debout 2 jours avant son ouverture comme le 1999 bu en même temps. Un must pour ce vin pour lui mettre toutes les chances de son côté pour minimiser les odeurs possibles de ferme. Passage en carafe pour décanter le dépot, et remis en bouteille laissée ouverte pendant 8 heures avant le service. Il y avait des odeurs d`écurie à l`ouverure mais quand on a versé dans les verre, c`était disparu, comme mentionné pour mes autres Musar! Super nez sur les fruits rouge, la terre et un peu de cuir et de tabac. En bouche, souple et assez fruité, les cerises reviennent avc un peu de cèdre et de menthol, tannins fins et finale une peu juste. Quelques coches sous le 1999 nous avons trouvé mais bien tout de même!
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Chateau Musar Tasting: Subtle aroma of quince. High toned cherry and raspberry fruit, with a succulent acid finish. Tight and focused. Significantly lighter and "cleaner" than the wines that were to come.
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Le 1999 était à mon avis très évolué et tertiaire, sans oxydation toutefois. Une robe claire, des notes de pruneaux et de fleurs séchées avec du cuir, un nez légèrement fermier et une finale chaude.
Le 2004 a été le préféré de tous. On a aimé son équilibre, avec plus de fruits et d'épices que le 1999 mais plus ouvert que le 2009. Les tannins sont présents mais agréables. Celui qui soutenait le mieux le repas également.
Le 2009 démontre une robe plus foncée et légèrement turbide. Il s'ouvre légèrement en cours de dégustation mais demeure malgré tout secret. Ça nécessite sans aucun doute quelques années en cave.
Les vins ont été ouverts une heure à l'avance, puis décantés et remis en bouteille tout-de-suite, puis servis immédiatement.
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Pop and drink car finalement le 2001 était bien bouchonné. Cassis , confituré ,une bonne acidité et moins complexe que les autres ( manquer un peu d'air ). Il se dégêne tranquillement mais mettons que ce n'est pas le pogo le plus dégelé de la boite . 16.5/20 + ?
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Really really good! Has just started developing. More mellow, powerfull and integrate itself. Dark berrys. Ripe red berrys, balanced oak. Light brown lip to it. Beautifull alcohol. Long and good aftertaste.
Really good for its price!
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Deuxième fois que je bois cette bouteille, c'est encore une fois très impressionnant. Le vin a des tannins soyeux et une acidité présente. On a un nez magnifique et une bouche bien goûteuse; des herbes de Provence, des épices, tabac, bois et de la cerises confites. La longueur est extraordinaire, considérant le prix. Ce vin est dèjà à son peak et mérite d'être acheté sans hésiter. Idéal pour des dégustation à l'aveugle !
4,5/5
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This was better than I remembered it. Volatile acidity at opening. Ripe strawberries and sour cherry along with dried autumn leafs, hay, barnyard and hints of truffle - Typical Musar. Full of power and concentration. Balanced and complex. Flavours of dried fruit. liquorice and saw dust in the finish.
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Two hour decant, this leads with a very big, hot, decadent nose of dark raspberry. The palate is toasty, with an extracted feel to it. Pepper notes, crisp acidity and velvety tannins hold up the raspberry flavors. Full bodied with a reasonable finish, this has room for to age a few more years. Give it air, it needs to gulp it down to get the best out of it.
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10 vintages of Chateau Musar (@Private location): *** Please see the general tasting story notes for more details *** Glass: Riedel BDX Sommelier Popped and poured. Clear, deep, purple color. Clean, medium intense, youthful nose. Some lactic notes, spices, lots of fruit. Dry, medium acidity, medium tannin. Medium body, medium intense, complex flavors of spices, red fruit, orange zests and tobacco. Lots of tension, elegance, juicy, cool and youthful. Give it at least 5+ years to reach its peak, but it is already tempting to drink!
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Lovely lightly medicinal fragrance, very clean on the nose. Pretty evolved on the palate but in a nice place with good balance, on the soft side but in a good way. With more air this shows more fruit but seems almost perfectly mature to me.
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Purchased off the wine list at Mamnoon. Garnet hue. Healthy nose of cassis, plum, blackberry, stone, and cedar. Lively, sinewy red currant and mulberry fruit with briar and hints of char on the palate. Freshening acidity and firm but smoothed tannin. Longer finish of red and black plum fruit with craggy stone elements and satisfying grip. Very nice showing, my first experience with Chateau Musar.
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Acastanhado translúcido. Aromas de evolução, como tabaco, couro e um toque iodado. Em boca, ainda vivo com ganimos suaves e acidez presente. Ainda muito vivo. Final longo. Excelente.
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Cherry, spice and a touch of herbs in the nose. Also some barnyard/animal smells that add welcome complexity to the nose. A tiny bit hollow in the mid palate, but then the fruit really kicks in for the finish, which ends just a touch too candied for my tastes. But overall a fairly layered and reasonably complex wine.
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Magnum Fest (Weygandt Wines - Washington, D.C.): Smells tart and earthy with notes of cider, anise, cumin and tomato bush, along with some tart strawberries and cherries. Dusty but tightly wound on the palate, fresh acidity. Tart plums and cherries play off of anise, pot smoke, roasted figs, rose petals, scorched earth. Complexities really start coming out with time. Finished tangy and herbal. Interesting to taste young but I'd like to taste this again in four or five years.
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Young. Really took a while to come together. Seemed simple at first but picked up intensity and complexity and weight after being open a couple hours. Great pairing with cumin lamb at Grand Sichuan. 90++
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Another vertical tasting, this time with hot beef over mustard greens as a starter, lebanese lamb, then a cheese course. All wines opened 4 hours before the meal. A 2004 Verve Cliquot vs a 2008 Nyetimber to start. 2001 - 92. amazing fruit for a 15 year old wine 2003 - 91. both the 2003 and 2004 were musty on the nose at the beginning but this quickly dissipated. The 2003 was so smooth. A bit of wood (given that they use concrete vats) 2004 - 92 one of the definite stars of the evening. Think cherry sweetness 2005 - 91 still very good and some of our guests remembered this as their favourite. Probably maturing quicker than the other vintages 2007 - 92 we thought this was a '94 in the making. Both the '97 and '98 needed a bit longer 2008 - 92 really need to give this a few more years before we can judge. Lots of promise There was no 2006 vintage and we gave the 2002 a miss given the 'spritz' we had from previous tastings Oh, such a lovely time
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Pop and pour, so not giving this bottle its chance to be at its best, but it was still excellent and paired well with our Persian stews and Chicken Barg. Always interesting with a nice funky farmyard earthiness and lightly sweet (in a good way). Approachable now but complex enough to keep the wine geek in me happily engaged.
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Not very deep, medium garnet. Smokey, a bit of earth, roast meat, some barnyard, and leather. Sweet ripe cherry, dried herb, soft tannins. Medium-bodied. Young for Musar but really attractive and forward at this point. Excellent.
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à la Paulée d'été, par M. Dunberry Nez marqué par la volatile, fruit rouge. La bouche montre un bel équilibre, style un peu sauvage, minéral. Encore bien jeune, il me semble. Pas spectaculaire mais intriguant. Il n'a pas encore la complexité des meilleurs. Il m'aurait fallu quelques verres pour mieux évaluer.
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- Garnet color and aromas of strawberry, cherry and black currant. It's balanced and has flavours of strawberry with a medium body. Satin-Like texture with a medium finish - Now really fine to drink at 12 years of age. Clearly needs time in cellar before opening. Be patient.
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The nose leaps out of the glass and is constantly evolving, always showing something new and different. Still, it is classic Musar. Lots of spice, leather, loads of cherry, raspberry, plum, strawberry jam, sweat...and to play off of an earlier taster's note...some not so subtle hints of a civil war triage unit with fresh amputees. Gravelly minerality, and loamy earth jumping out of the glass too. Somehow this all manages to be warm and inviting, and very much invokes the feeling of late summer, bordering on autumn.
All of this is mirrored on the palate, but add burnt citrus, sweet tobacco, leather, cranberry, incense. Bloody and meaty, yet perfumed, polite and demure. Medium+ bodied with crunchy, bright acidity, and substantial minerality.
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Almost black cherry color with slightly maroon rim and only a little translucency. Ripe and sunny yet a bit understated nose with a bit sweet aromas of crushed ripe forest berries, some succulent plummy fruit and a hint of volatility. Moderately full-bodied and velvety palate with medium acidity. Rich, opulent flavors of sweet dark cherries, dark-skinned berries, some kirsch and a hint of acetic volatility. Moderately tannic, but still showing suave smoothness without any coarse character. Long and a bit grippy finish with flavors of peppery spice, ripe dark cherry, some tart lingonberry and a hint of earthiness.
A smooth and classy Musar with hints of sweetness and less emphasis on the tannic structure. Shows hints of volatility, but is far from the funkiest end of Musars. Not as open and expressive as many vintages before and after this, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing; also, the wine seems to have resolved from the phase it was earlier this year. Drinking nicely now, will keep easily for many years. Not the most typical Musar, but still very beautiful. Recommended.
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Musar Industry Tasting at Wingtip with Marc Hochar (Wingtip): Rich dark blackberry on a savory tamari backdrop. Still tight and needs air. In the mouth, powerful with bright acidity. My impression with Tim a few weeks ago was better - the bottle opened up over a few hours.
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Cradle of Wine Civilization (SF Wine School): Hefty. Very dark-fruited with almost slight raisination. Superripe blackberry. Oak and Brett are both more prominent than in the 07 (but very much in balance). Muscular on the palate as well, with medium plus body, elevated alcohol, elevated acid and tannins. Apparently it was a cold year with a heat wave at the end - I wonder if some raisination did occur?
In any case, this bottle had just been opened. I bet with some time it would morph into the fantastic experience of the last one. That said, this particular taste seemed a bit heavy and overripe.
No score - this was just opened and hadn’t breathed yet.
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Bavette and Musar with Tim and Babs (Tim's, SF): 2004 Musar Brilliant right out of the bottle. Distinctive Musar nose of savory dark fruit, tamari, no overt brett but a definite savoriness. Pretty awesome on the palate. Structured. Medium plus body, moderate alcohol, medium plus tannins, medium plus acid. Slight brett showing on the palate, and a tiny bit thin and bitter. If this is anything like other Musars it should integrate as it airs out. Savory, integrated with black raspberry fruit - a savory set of shades of dark fruit.
After a few hours of Audouzing (cork back in):
This explodes with savory anise tones, dark fruit, a hint of savory toast from new oak (still in the process of integrating. Mid-palate this reminds me of the Paolo Bea Pagliaro - Muscular and integrated. But it tastes somehow more desert-like, less earthy/mushroomy and more sunlight and fruit.
Medium bodied, moderate alcohol (13.5%), moderate acid (slightly elevated, but not sticking out), medium plus tannins. Persistent finish, with concentrated and shifting flavors. Rich and dark-fruited. Iridescent. Cab-dominated at this stage - not much florals or orange peel.
In the context of Musar, this seems like a "bold" style. You might call this a more integrated 1999. In a great place right now - precocious - but think of what it will become!
Modestly translucent, developed figgy red color with a maroon-to-bricking orange hue. Slightly reticent nose with sweet sunny fruit aromas and moderate car paint VA character. Aromas of sweet red forest fruits, succulent cherries, some ripe plum and a hint of créme de cassis. Rather full-bodied palate with surprisingly robust character due to surprisingly prominent, grippy and slightly coarse tannins. Ripe and quite intense flavors of plummy fruits, sweet figs, dark-skinned berries, some juicy red forest berries and hints of almost cloyingly sweet, acetic VA character. Despite all its intensity, the midpalate seems a bit restrained. Rather modest, soft acidity. Rather long, but also a bit weak and thin finish with complex, spicy nuances of pepper, allspice, turmeric, some dusty earth and quite pronounced, bitter sour cherry character.
A bit mixed feelings with this one - the wine seems to be a bit all over the place. First of all, it seems a bit restrained and reticent, but still showing the typical Musar complexity. The fruit is ripe and sweet, yet the wine comes across quite dry and even slightly coarse. At times, the wine seems really fruit-forward, the next moment surprisingly volatile. I guess the wine is now in an awkward phase and will show better with some more bottle age. Enjoyable wine, but not a great vintage of red Musar.
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Mature color and nose. Spice box and dusty red fruit. More of the same on the palate. Drinking well despite its relative youth. A bit drying on the finish. Great wine.
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Um vinho formidável. De estilo único, com uma personalidade marcante, um verdadeiro ícone! Tive a honra de conhecer esse grande vinho em 2001, o ano em que me tornei enófilo. Morro de saudades dos inesquecíveis 91, 93 e 95... Dos recentes, gostei demais do 2003, e tb do 2005, porém, esse 2004, já bebido antes, achei um pouco abaixo da média. É um vinho mais leve, com menos acidez, corpo e taninos que o habitual. Menos longevo! Já no ponto para liquidar! Uma safra mais modesta! Mas ainda, um ótimo vinho!
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I hear so many in the trade deride this wine, yet they probably haven't actually tasted Musar since 1991 and jump on the band wagon of "VA this" and "VA that" Well, they should try this wine, its full of complexity and gives a lot of pleasure at a very reasonable price. Sure there is "brett" but this only manifests itself here a a slight whiff of farmyard. In all it contributes to a very elegant Musar, with pure expresion of fruit, an approachable structure and one that is very drinkable with a lovely juicy texture. Strawberries, black cherry, red currant, Farmyard, leather, spice. Lovely stuff.
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Possibly faulty, except all 3 halves were very similar, with confected fruit and a suggestion of mustiness on the palate, which was not replicated on the nose. A glass left open overnight had a better aroma, so if we had any left I'd be burying them and then try an extended aeration.
A real shame as we're committed Musar fans.
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Found this in a wine shop in Hawaii and being 11 years old thought I might try a bottle to see how this vintage is travelling. Medium garnet in colour, this has the usual old world aromas upon opening, wet earth and leather. The palate was light-medium weight, more medium bodied than light. Soft, smooth sweet black fruit dominate the palate with spice and raisin playing a supporting role. Quite complex in design there is enough going on here to suggest it has a few more years to show its best. Although it is drinking well currently. Good acidity with a medium finish of soft, fine grained tannins. A good but not great Musar.
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First time with having Musar. This bottle was opened in the AM, served late in the evening, FWIW. Aromatics of what I jotted down as wet clay. Never called a wine that before but this was what came to mind. Also sensed some sweet floral and some herb. Juicy cherry palate with riper styled fruit and high acid.
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Reticent nose, surprisingly ripe for how light it is, but that lightness is deceptive, as is the reticence. Of course, deceptiveness is sort of a classic Musar hallmark. Gains great complexity on the nose with air, of warm berries and blood orange on top of the usual brett and wet wood. On the palate, sweetly ripe fruit, generous, with a very long finish. A sweet vintage of Musar (in the best sense) even though the growing season was not necessarily warmer than others. I think this shows great promise.
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This is now all the things that all great wines want to be, minus the lack of tannic backbone...
Superbly exotic aromas ranging from red fruits to sweaty saddles, a whiff of Brett and wound maintenance.
Medium bodied with only small tannins, M++ acids and extra intensity on the palate. Long, lingering, restrained, perfectly integrated... Now having left adolescence behind.
We only have one btl to go of this vintage and are aiming for 2020, give or take a few years.
Wife: 95p (also tired of supple fruit and watery things.)
Early days for this wine but it was on a restaurant list (always a good sign) and we thought we'd try it. Youthful colour. Superb Musar nose full of fruit and spice. Palate full of fruit (mainly sweet red and black cherry) becoming more like maraschino cherry in the glass. Typical Musar spice and complexity. Half a bottle re-corked for dinner tomorrow and it will be interesting to see how it is opening. Personally, I wouldn't normally touch a 'noughties' vintage of Musar for at least a few more years but it is interesting to sample it young. Next day, soft and quite easy but fewer Musar characteristics. Every vintage has its own personality but I wonder if this vintage is for the shorter term?
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Initially very precise and minerally but gives way to more depth and a bit of brett. Crisp acidity but silky smooth at the same time. Almost refreshing. Reminded me (and convinced me) I need to buy the '07.
The 2004 is entering the drinking window in my opinion. A well-made classic Musar. Good with food after a 60 min decant, or on its own after an extra 30-40 min of breathing. 90-91
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great acidity, mid body but acidity carried the finish to medium+, very graceful. Fruit not as dominant as 2002. Nose was kinda weird as I suspect my glass was contaminated by detergent leftover....overall an enjoyable wine capable of aging
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Another vertical tasting, this time 15 months from the last one. Some subtle changes over the years, yet interestingly, most of the characters of each vintage stayed the same. 1999 – Amazing. Still going strong for a 16year old wine. Smoothest of the lot. ‘Clean-on’ colour – clear and not thickened. Some wood and very well integrated tannins. Softer now. Suggest drink up if you have any left in stock. Score 92 2000 – Clean fruity rich nose. Slightly lighter but still good acidity on the palate. Score 91 2001 – So much fruit still for a 14yo wine. Score 92 2002 – Still that phenolic spritz – you could tell from just the cork. It’s the one that really stood out. It has finally mellowed though and now drinkable. Still needs more time. Score 88, yet has potential to get much better 2003 – Snappier than the 04. Plenty of blackcurrant. Just a hint of fizz. Will last a while yet. Score 91 2004 – This one is the smooth operator – silky smooth and softly sweet. Score 92 2005 – Still some tannin but good structure and fruit. A favourite. Score 92 2007 – Surprisingly ‘ready’ for a young Musar. This is the year you will find in most retailers. Score 91
We started with shredded duck, then a reduced Consomme (beware the Heston way with ice – takes days to melt in the fridge), individual parcels of Beef Wellington, a Cheese (Livarot, Ossau Iraty and Fourme d’Ambert) course, then a Vanilla Pannacotta with Poached Rhubarb. The older wines went better with the earlier courses, and the younger sweeter ones more suited the cheeses and dessert.
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From a half bottle - sadly not decanted, as there was a fair amount of sediment. Early days yet for Musar of course but in this format beginning to drink well, with plenty of life left in it.
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Beguiling but challenging. Like a blend of delicious, young, high-acidity nebbiolo with sherry. Very satisfying mouth-feel and structure but the rustic, nail-polish nose and weird oxidised, feral flavours take some getting used to. Still love it though and look forward to tasting it for many years to come when I expect it will harmonise and settle down nicely.
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Tasted side by side with '01 musar. It was my first time tasting this maker. It is a very unique wine..the closest thing it resembled was an old rioja. Both vintages have high acidity, which make these wines lovely when they are old. The nose was very plummy and secondary with noticeable oak. The palate had red berries, cherry licore and plums. 2001 showed more finesss while 2004 had more strengths. Without tasting old Muscar, it is hard for me to tell if this will turn into something amazing. All I can say is that it is an interesting wine at present stage, but people usually either love it or hate it. I personally incline slightly to the love side. But both wine did not have the depth and power for me to give a higher rating.
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19 Vintages of Musar Rouge; 1/25/2015-1/26/2015 (Clark Point House in Southwest Harbor, Maine): Color: Vibrant ruby core with a clear meniscus. Smell: Cement, roses, tart red fruits, clove, and earth. Taste: Light and bright red fruits, mushrooms, blueberries, and clove. Overall: Given the youth of this wine, it's showing like a "typical Musar" on the nose and palate showcasing both elegance and structure with what appears to be a promise for a long future. light body, high acidity, med+ tannin with vibrant fruit. Easily enjoyable now, but those that wait will be rewarded. In honor of Bart Broadbent who made tasting the '84 Rouge possible I'll use the five * system. (***/*)
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Light in color. This wine has intense raspberry fruit with a nice sappy quality and minerality underneath. I have had this wine 4 times in the past year and it just keeps getting better. Better than the 2003 I had last Friday. Long finish. Should improve further from here.
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Very nice Musar. In between young and mature, which was pleasant, but I think I prefer one or the other. Mint and leather. (Medeski's first Musar - in Minneapolis).
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Medium-light ruby color. Light and simple nose of raspberries. The palate is also very light-bodied, tasting more like Merlot (not in a good way) than Cabernet Sauvignon. Though I recall a prior bottle of this vintage being on the lighter side, this was altogether lacking in the type of nuance and complexity I've come to expect from Musar. A disappointment, after having had a lovely bottle of 2002 recently.
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Relatively young compared to other Musars I've had, but still a real pleasure. No contemporaneous notes, but it was well-structured, earthy and complex. Consistenty one of my favorite wines, and a decent value too.
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Drinking great right now. There's plenty of time ahead of this, but I have a few and am very glad I opened one. Classic Musar, and this is still looking like an excellent vintage, as it has all along. After this showing, I now think it's right up there with the '95.
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Decanted for about 45 mins. Mmmm, beautiful perfumey red cherries, lavender, bit of sun-baked garrigue, very delicious bouquet. Palate follows, sweet red fruits, bit of dried fig, good tannins, super delicious, yum, yum, yum. Excellent now and will last for a long time in the cellar still.
Monthly tasting club "The Tasting Club" 2014-03; Lebanon. (@ RG): If this bottle is exemplary for the vintage, 2004 is not one of the greatest vintages for Musar. The bouquet is beautiful with pleasant barnyard, smoky oak and salty licorice, but on the palate there are some glue and oxidized impressions. Dark fruits, chocolate and mild tannin. Good concentration, but overall a bit disappointing.
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I simply love Musar. This one as with other vintages shows cooked raspberry, truffle and dark chocolate on the nose. Aromas transferred to the palate along with sweetness, soft tannins and nice acidity.
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Pale red with a hint of orange at the rim, tending to medium red at the core - musty nose with red fruits. Medium to light bodied, very slight sweetness (probably more apparent than real), quite aromatic with a balancing acidity - idiosyncratic.
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Na entrada de uma boa janela.. Seu nariz é distinto e já revela razoável evolução e boa complexidade, tendo notas que evocam a cerejas, cravos, outras boas especiarias, um toque mineral, de ervas finas e ligeiro traço oxidativo característico. Na boca é encorpado, mas bem elegante, com um suave sabor agridoce, tendo acidez bem adequada, mas que não chega a ser digna de nota como em outras safras que tive, como a 2003 (em 09/2012), sendo esse 2004 um pouco mais tímido no geral. Aparentemente fruto de safra mais discreta, ainda assim, é longevo e creio que só tenha a melhorar daqui 2+ anos.
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We found this strange, perhaps a bit madeirized, corked it up and put it aside. I came back to it a week or so later, used some of it for cooking and drank the rest. What a change! This is how it is supposed to taste: light bodied but with plenty of depth, gentle strawberry fruit, a touch of tobacco underneath. If I find another, I will buy it and give it many hours of air before evaluating.
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Notes after getting the slow-o for two days, though I had to drink it out of a rocks glass since that's all I have available in my hotel room so take the review with a grain of salt. Enjoyable aromas of red fruit, earth and spice with a palate that matches; a bit of olive towards the finish. Moderate tannins/acid. Young, will likely get better over the next 5 years though I'm not sure it will last past its 20th birthday & I might drink these earlier than the vintages surrounding it.
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As I suspected, the 2004 should be relatively accessible now (9 years old but only a year and half after release). Good now but should keep 7-8 more years. I'd drink this before the 2003s and 2005s. It was sampled over 3 hours. Approachable from the start. Spicy, earthy, fig, plum not too tannic. Good expression of both the Carignan and Cinsault (more prominent than the Cabernet). Reminiscent of some Carignan-based Priorats. Allowed to breath 90 minutes before dinner. Works well with a vegetarian Mediterranean meal or on its own (we normally have the more robust examples of Musar with beef/lamb). Good value for money as usual. 89-90
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Popped and poured; consumed over two days. The robe was a cloudy garnet...but I find that fairly normal for Musar and, for me, doesn't detract from the experience. Initially, the nose was full of olives with some of the "Musar funk" but the former dissipated precipitously, eventually evolving into a pleasant bouquet of sous bois and ripe, dark red fruit. Good acid for food. Tannins seem well integrated. Soft mouth-feel. Early on, I was picking up an interesting cocoa component in the flavor profile...somewhat reminiscent of stone-ground Mexican table chocolate (seems weird, I know...but if you've ever had it...you would likely get where I'm coming from as it's very distinctive). Eventually, this was replaced by a more classic cocoa component to accompany the brambles and earth. A thoroughly enjoyable Musar. I've got a bottle of this in the cellar that I plan to hold. While this is drinking very nicely right now (much better than the 2005 right now IMO) and well over two days, I think it's got plenty of life in it. Get it.
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Tart black cherry and blackberry, with earthy minerals. Some forest floor and roasted herb notes, but not really any Brett. Medium bodied with fine tannins and nice acidity. Structurally, I can see the comparisons to Burgundy, but I was reminded more of Chinon. Approachable now, but could use 5-7 years.
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Savory and complex, lots of red fruits and soil, clean, though, and while I would call it favorably high-toned it definitely has less VA than I'm used to with these. Not one of the bigger Musars, but the incredibly long finish doesn't have me worrying about keeping these in the cellar.
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Lighter in color and body than prior vintages, this has a translucent carmine color. The nose is a mix of cigar box and stone, and starts to take on more of a rich cherry fruit favor after an hour of aeration. The palate is somewhat austere, with tart plum flavors. The tannins have integrated somewhat but this is still far from maturity. In aggregate, the lightness and elegant structure of this are reminiscent of Burgundy, whereas other vintages have seemed to more closely echo Bordeaux. Would be worth revisiting this after another five years at a minimum.
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After about an hour in the decanter, this is a very young, relatively clean, fresh example of Musar. Bright red fruits combine with a lot of dried herbs and pencil shaving, as well as some classic exotic spice notes. There is just a hint of the "Musar funk", but it is definitely there. Some of the savory notes I typically get are whispers here, probably waiting to reveal themselves with time. Overall, it's a very good, but not great, Musar at this point. I see a lot of upside, but don't think it will ever reach the potential of great vintages such as '95. I haven't followed any single vintage for enough years to know exactly how these evolve, though. I will definitely be putting some away for myself, because this is still an outstanding wine, and I'm interested to see where it goes. Whatever the case, I'd say it could use a few years to broaden out a bid.
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Cor granada de média concentração. Nariz que indica que o vinho ainda vem abrindo, mas já bem agradável e complexo, com notas de ameixas secas, calda de cerejas, ótimas notas especiadas de cravo e canela e um sutil toque oxidativo (normalmente característico). Na boca, muito saboroso e complexo, a exemplo do nariz, mas seu corpo, estrutura tânica e acidez se mostraram um pouco mais contidos que o habitual nesta safra 2004. Um Musar de perfil mais leve, mas como sempre, com todos os elementos em perfeito equilíbrio. Provavelmente atingirá seu auge dentro da segunda metade dessa década.
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Decanted one hour. The nose is of very ripe strawberries, dark plums, morello cherries, coffee beens, cedar and spice. Same fruits in the mouth with a sour/morello cherry finish. Silky textured with a medium body, medium/high acidity, soft low tannins. Very enjoyable...
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The wine offered dried red and dark fruit, dried cherry, blackberry, strawberry, dark chocolate, and a chlorine/swimming pool component on the nose. On the palate the wine showed dried fruits, strawberry, blackberry, chocolate, exotic spice, and hints of tobacco and tea, with good acidity, fine, medium-level tannin and very good length. Medium-bodied, balanced and elegant, and apparently showing a slightly oxidized style of Musar. Reminded me a little of Port (not in terms of viscosity or body, but in taste). Anyways, this young Musar drank very well already. 89+ for now.
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Beautiful as usual. Just a bit young, but nevertheless very enjoyable. Mid body, flowery, red berries, deep nose, uplifting after taste. I haven't, so far, tasted any mediocre vintage from Musar. around 22pounds at Waitrose in UK. BTW, just a few weeks ago, a '99 was a stunner, and at peak~
After tasting the 2000 vintage you'll recognise this thisdistinctive Lebanese right away. Unbelievable the taste of strawberry and light red fruits combined with old oaky (french) style woods. A bit of orange combined with a light soury (..). After the 2000 vintage this surely will deem away after a bit more patience. It has a deluxe good balance combined with a good length which results in a light jammy, easy to drink velvet wine. Trust me, tasted lots of grand cru's between '80's - 2000's and this is absolutely a great contender and above all, a very smooth and nice wine to enjoy, buy it.
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Interesting to have this a couple of days after a Lafarge Chênes 98 which showed so much in common - porty, a hint of oxidation, very plush, dried cherry fruit.
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as the others say raisiny porty and acidic on opening, not loads of tannin. lets see how it develops in the glass but lacks the funky complexity of other Musar. a sensuous mouthful but a little one dimensional. next day- a little funkier- sage?
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Much better than the half bottle tried yesterday. The sniff includes tones of spice and cedar but dominating is the porty tones of raisin. The taste is also dominated by dark fruit and raisins. I miss the complexity and balance I have experienced in Ch Musar before. Maybe this will improve after a few more years in the cellar.
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The wine smelled porty. The taste was sour and porty. Not good at all. Off balance. I poured it out. There was mould on the cork but I have seen this many times before and it was only on the outside. Tasted bottle was a half bottle.
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For me, this needs time, or air, lots of air. Dark red. Much less of the typical Musar "stink". At first tough, tannic, acidic. Air brings out some aromatics and we start to get some more typicity of Musar. I think with time, lots of time, this will be a rather refined drink. It seemed to have grace and femininity behind the whack of tannin and acid. Think along the lines of a fine 1990s-decade vintage of Mas de Daumas Gassac for style.
It seems we drinkers of this wine are in very sharp disagreement about the wine's development status and potential! Are the bottles realy this variable? Based on my experience with this bottle, the rest could go away until approaching 2020.
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The first bottle had a very dry cork that broke and to this I attributed its lackluster contents. Bottle two had been better stored and there were some dark fruits on the nose and port notes on the palate. 14% alcohol. Not tannic at all so I do not know what all this talk is about the supposed robustness. Not a classic Musar. Drink up now.
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First bottle, early tasting, no formal notes. Characteristic combination of Bordeaux like (CS) and Rhone like (Syrah) aroma's. Already soft immediately after decanting. More ready to drink than 2002, 2003. Next day similar, not much more evolved. Seems ready and possible to keep. Next bottle in 2 years?
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This one drank very well tonight - rounded, plump but with excellent finesse - cherries, chocolate powder and soil. This one can sit in the cellar for years, but actually giving great pleasure right now.
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Vertical tasting – 7 years of Musar from 1999 to 2005
2005 – most tannic one. Noticeably younger. Very good year, smooth, but needs longer in bottle. Scores range 85-91 2004 – still has a little bite on the tip of the tongue. Tastes younger than its age. Fruit is nice and clean. Mustier. Nose is dull. Hot year. Punchy. Scores range 87-90 2003 – lovely and smooth from the word go. Silky but more lightweight compared to the others. Scores range 82-92 2002 – there was a sharp spritz on the bottle, still there hours after opening. Roughest of the lot and not nearly as good as my previous experience of this year. Maybe just a rogue bottle. 2001 – if tasted blind, you could be forgiven for thinking this was a grand vin claret. The Cabernet dominates this year. Another hot year. Almost sherry like. Not full or punchy though. A few more years to go. Well liked. Scores range 90-92 2000 – bubblegum sweet yet earthy. Distinct from the others. Nice, clear, young and fruity for a 12year old wine. The 2000 grew on us as the night went on. This has reached the point when it can be enjoyed. Scores range 90-92 1999 – this is at its peak now and showing its aristocracy. Drink up. Scores range 90-93
We tried the 2003, 2004 and 2005 with the starter (shredded duck) and then added the 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 for the main (Roman lamb). All bottles opened 6 hours prior to tasting. The cork for the 2000 was coloured all the way up but the wines were all at the same level in the necks.
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Another hit for me but also another variation on previous vintages. It doesn't have the power or structure of the 2003 but it certainly has the fruit. Probably the most Bordeaux like Musar I've tried.
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Tannic monster of a wine at the moment, and lacking fruit in nose or mouth as well. Really dont know whether this will get better or a dubious bottle, but will stay with the 1999 for now.
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Musarathon (Strictly Rhythm, London): Has Musar gone modernist? This wine continues the trend I saw from '99 to '01, offering yet more candied red fruit and yet less counterbalancing acidity. My palate was tiring at this point so I'm not going to score this, but the consensus view at the table was that this was closer to a less distinctive international style than any of its predecessors.
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Musar Vertical Tasting in Paris with Marc Hochar - INSEAD Alumni Wine Club Appearance: Medium red, slightly brick on the rim, muddy Nose: dominated by sweet fruits - black cherries, figs, toast too Palette: Medium bodied, fruits dominate, tannins well integrated Finish: Medium Nice wine but yet to develop truly interesting secondary flavours
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Non-blind. Had immediately. Light red, small nose with touch of brett. Elegant, balanced, complex, medium-bodied wine with (M-) tannins and small notes of sweaty horse and emerging maturity. A true gem. The 2003 was Bordeaux in style. This one seems much more like an elegant Châteaunef du Pape... Am curious as to what some years in the cellar will do to it. Ahh! Anticipation :-)
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This is quite a strong Musar - much richer and plumper than some recent vintages. Very typical aromas of cherries, farmyard and .... well...those hard to describe Musar aromas. However, it felt less fine than Musars of old - felt a little more rounder and woolly on the palate. Needs time - quite a long time I would imagine to lose some of the puppy fat.
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ChTR kokous 25.01.2012 (SKO-toimisto): Decanted for an hour. This was quite a pale red with distinct purple edges. The nose is full throttle, with typical Musar VA, tons of red fruits, earth, lots of dried figs and dates. The palate is very sweet and very fruity with lots of tannins and great acidity. This is my first taste of the 2004 vintage, it's way too young to drink now. I will open the next bottle in 4-5 years. This does seem to have the stuffing to last for a long time. Excellent!
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Tasting at Majestic, Farnham. Light in colour still youthfull brick red. Black fruits, roasted nuts, chocolate. Dark chocolate, tar, toast, figs, leather. Very approachable now, must try to resist the temptation as it will improve to an outstanding wine
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An excellent Musar. Deeper, fresher and fuller than the more forward 03. Seems pretty clean at this stage of its evolution, but there is not doubt that this is classic Musar from the nose through to finish. Really excellent.
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Garnet hue, red rim. Young, with excellent fruit , mulberry and plum. Smokey. Quite light. Lingers well. Intriguing hints of leather and tobacco leaf. Could become very subtle.
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Tight Nose was strongly perfumed – floral perfume. Medium bodied; a bit prickly; good acidity; drying (but not harsh) tannins; red fruits; a bit rough on the palate. This is the current Musar Rouge release, and its youthfulness is readily apparent, especially in this lineup. Wouldn't be surprised to see my score improve with time. Hold.
B: 50, 5, 10, 14, 7 = 86
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Dark garnet with a polished leather VA heavy nose. Concentrated and ripe with spicy plummy fruit, raisin and cedar. Held together with dry grippy tannins. Lovely sweet red fruit and more cedar in the finish.
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3/15/2024 - jepstein4031 wrote: 93 Points
Just a beautiful, balanced wine drinking so well right now. Benefited from a short decant. As soon as I opened the bottle, the aromas wafted out. Leather, violets, spice notes, settled tannins. Wish I had more.
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2/29/2024 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Small dinner with large pours (Ariana II): Cloudy, garnet colour. Lovely nose, spice cupboard on a warm day. Nice structure - more acidity than I usually experience with Musar. Definite VA on the nose and palate but definitely within the civilised band for this house.
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2/28/2024 - Vinumming & Ahhing Likes this wine:
BWC Pot Pourri at Ariana II (Ariana 2, Kilburn, London): Double decanted 4 hours before broaching. Lovely clean nose with bright red fruits, some Moroccan bazaar spice and some hints of pickled chestnut. Palate rich and long with more of the same and a little grated chocolate.
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2/21/2024 - Keith Cooper Likes this wine: 96 Points
The Wine Society, UK, tasting of Chateau Musar. Wines introduced by owners Gaston and Mark Hochar. Venue: London.
Medium plum, slightly cloudy at the edges.
Lovely aroma of mature plum fruit and earthiness, I could just inhale for hours!
This is sumptuous! The palate is fully mature, but will surely be good for another 20 years. Dry, but with a hint of sweetness which lingers beautifully in the mouth. Vanilla, licquorice. Excellent!
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1/28/2024 - thewinelake Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is showing surprisingly well. A very "sensible" bottle of Musar, this, showing very little of the caricature aspects (VA/Brett, etc). Started off quite Grenache-like (yes, I know there's none in there!) before drifting off in a more sensuous, Cinsault direction on day 2. Super!
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11/20/2023 - GEL Wines wrote: 89 Points
Double decanted one hour before. Strong earthy/herbal, quasi musty bouquet, which I found a bit off-putting although I don't think was due to a wine fault. Medium to light mouthfeel. Dark crimson with limited bricking. Complex interplay of leather, fruit, flowers, but overall balance was a bit off. Interesting wine that was easily identified by several around the table. My first Musar---I was not overly impressed, but remain intrigued to drink better vintages.
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11/8/2023 - benjamin96 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Super beau Musar, cerises rouge, terreux, signature musar, sans aucune brett. Le vin integre superbement sa legere sucrosite, pour finir sur une belle finale sans accroc
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11/5/2023 - apward Likes this wine: 89 Points
Leathery, earthen, feral and spiced. Structurally sound and gracefully aged. Just sings with food. Notes of dried cherries, spice box and tobacco leaf. Could have done with more time to open up despite the double decant. I gave this wine as a gift to my Dad and it was a joy to drink it with him at nearly 20 years old.
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9/27/2023 - ekorn wrote:
Brought this bottle to a Musar dinner which included the '95, '97 - '05, and '16 rouge.
This bottle was double decanted for sediment around an hour and a half before it was served. This was drinking quite well. Much more primary than most of the other bottles of rouge, primarily cherry and dried red fruit with tannins still playing a prominent role on the palate and a slightly lifted characteristic (perhaps a small dose of VA).
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8/25/2023 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 95 Points
Prism II w/ Sashi (Prism, Berlin): @prism. Decanted 8 hrs in advance. Intensely perfumed. Tamari blackberry. This is just singing. Deep dark fruit notes. Plenty of savory underneath, with hints of brett. This is so powerful. Over time the nose changed dramatically minute to minute. Wild flourishes of blackberry syrup, dried raspberries and candied orange, raspberry liqueur, dried oranges…it’s very fruit-driven on the nose, but tertiary fruit.
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8/23/2023 - RBD3 Likes this wine: 93 Points
It's a great experience to slowly enjoy an aged Musar. Complex, sanguine, distinctive Lebanese terroir, fruit still strong with tannins integrated, aspects of this wine are unexpected in the very best way possible. Contemplative. Share with someone who will appreciate it.
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7/21/2023 - johnrm Likes this wine: 92 Points
8 years on from our last bottle. Very good as soon as opened. No VA. Good colour - deeper than expected. Good nose but it was slow to open. Very attractive softness on the palate with rich, sweet cherry fruit, soft integrated tannins, and subtle spice. Maraschino cherries on the long, fruit-filled palate. After almost two decades it still tastes young and supple.
We drank most of it over an afternoon and evening but a portion was good next day and was an ideal accompaniment to slow-cooked pork shoulder in a sweet, spicy date sauce
There seems to be some variation in the bottles described by earlier reviewers but this is superb. Ready now but with a future. We couldn’t ask for more. 92+
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5/19/2023 - Rupert wrote: flawed
Corked *and* oxidised.
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4/1/2023 - forceberry wrote: 90 Points
2004 was a very cool vintage: snow didn't melt until March, spring lasted until June and the ripening period was slowed down by constant cooler breezes. The grapes never developed much acidity and the first grapes arriving to the winery were rather low in sugar as well. However, a two-week heat wave that arrived during the harvest boosted the sugar levels in the remaining grapes. The wine was made in the traditional method of Musar: 9 months of aging in cement vats, 1 year in oak barrels, blending and maturation for 9 months in cement vats, finished with bottling and extended bottle aging before release. 14% alcohol. Decanted for four hours before tasting the wine.
Quite dark and somewhat translucent cherry-red color with a moderately evolved maroon hue. The nose feels savory, evolved and slightly oxidative with aromas of wizened red plums, some meaty tones, a little bit of smoky speck character, light strawberry tones, a hint of earth, a volatile touch of medicinal ether and a whiff of soy sauce. The wine feels evolved, open-knit and slightly oxidative on the palate with a medium body and moderately tertiary flavors of prunes and dark raisiny tones, some savory notes of meaty umami, a little bit of strawberry, light earthy notes, a hint of balsamic VA and a touch of smoke-cured meat. The ripe medium tannins feel somewhat grippy and the acidity comes across as medium-to-moderately high, maybe a bit soft. The finish is rich, silky and gently grippy with a rather long, sweet-toned and somewhat tertiary aftertaste of strawberries and raisins, some salty notes of prosciutto, a little bit of balsamic VA, light gravelly mineral tones, a hint of blood and a touch of dried figs.
A nice, evolved and moderately tertiary vintage of Musar that is either at its peak or very near it - based on the slightly oxidative overtones, I wouldn't age this vintage extensively. As a whole, this feels like a middling vintage of Musar, not really packing the structure, intensity and aging potential that the surrounding vintages do. All in all, this is an enjoyable and lovely Musar in its own right, but remains a bit underwhelming in light of the better vintages. I think I've had a bit more impressive bottles of this vintage in the past - or they've been drunk at a better phase - but my views on this vintage have always been consistent: 2004 does not count among the great vintages of Musar. Priced somewhat according to its quality at 43,89€.
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3/16/2023 - Zweder wrote: 92 Points
Quite transparent. In the bouquet not so very expressive, but there are sweet spices like cinnamon and some oak. On the palate the same sweet spices, mild acidity and melted/nicely integrated tannin. Beautifully balanced wine.
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3/13/2023 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 86 Points
Drank on NGDB tour in hotel lobby in Rockford, IL. Not my fave bottle. Seemed a little rough but still nice. Herbs (lilac?) and basement and dried cranberry.
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11/19/2022 - NiklasW Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour. Delicious sweet red fruit, bit of VA, leather, hint of barnyard. Resolved tannins, excellent fruit on the palate. In a great spot now, but can take more years in the cellar!
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10/25/2022 - StainedGlass Likes this wine: 92 Points
This is in a good place. Better than the 2000 tried side by side, which is still good but getting a little tired Prior TN applies:
“This vintage is not surprisingly improving with age but has good years ahead of it. Well balanced, rich, complex, earthy, leather, black tea, with that unmistakable Musar funk.”
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8/28/2022 - winemaker wrote: 92 Points
Good, but the mid palate seemed a tad thin. I was hoping for more
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8/8/2022 - ozyloy wrote: 92 Points
Clear medium ruby
Blackcurrant, strawberry, cured meat, woody earth, hints of grass and VA (lesser than I expected, but apparent nonetheless).
Medium+ acidity, medium+ body. Medium intensity of dark fruits, strawberry, raspberry, cured meat, earth, touch of florals and stems. Medium+ firm tannins.
Fully open for business. Less flavour intensity on the palate than other Musar I've had. Wouldn't keep this for much longer, save where storage has been impeccable.
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8/1/2022 - Paul852 Likes this wine: 88 Points
Briefly, 2.5 years on from my previous note, I still find this not ready. Gave this an 8 hour decant; on first opening quite strong acidity; this moderated a bit 8 hours later, but whilst there are nice classic Musar notes on the palate, it's still thin, weak and acidic compared to, say, the 1999. Rather lacking in depth and complexity.
This is my last bottle. Maybe I'll try to find one or two more in a few years to see how it's going.
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1/23/2022 - Mali wrote: 91 Points
Erstaunlich wie der Wein sich über drei Tage hält, obwohl er nach dem Öffnen durchaus ausgeprägte oxidative Aromen erkennen lässt. Diese verschwinden aber fast ganz. Dann entwickelt er sich im Duft zu einem echten Charakter. Hitzig und balsamisch nach eingekochten Pflaumen, Süßen Kirschen, Eukalyptus, Leder, Tabak, Zimt, Curry, manchmal auch Eisenspäne. Changiert anfänglich stark, findet an der Luft immer mehr zu sich. Im Geschmack erstaunlich frisch. Die markante Säure kontrastiert spannungsvoll mit dem süßen, würzigen Kern dieses eigenwilligen südlichen Roten, der sicher noch weiter in der Flasche reifen kann und wahrscheinlich auch sollte, um noch etwas runder zu werden. Bleibt lang mit markanter Würze. Beim Zustand der Korken dieses Weines ist mit großen Flaschenvarianzen zu rechnen. jetzt bis 2035.
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1/19/2022 - Alykhan V Likes this wine: 91 Points
Still too young
Give it at least 30 minutes, though preferably a few hours, in the decanter
Red currants, pronounced minerality, some medicinal notes
Medium+ grainy tannins
Best to age this another 5 years at least
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12/24/2021 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 93 Points
No decant. Initially thin with balsamic notes. Woke up quickly into a core of cassis and notable homemade maraschino cherry. Plenty of tertiary aromas and perfumed VA as well. Lovely mid-inflection. Feels like it should be in a sleeper phase but it’s really awake and bold and delicious.
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10/9/2021 - Miccog Likes this wine: 91 Points
A rather robust vintage with prominent notes of both plum and raspberry in front of juicy dark cherries, tart red currants, and ripe blackberries. There is also some wet wooden decking and a dew-sprinkled herb garden. Smooth tannins, lovely acidity, and a long, slightly spicy finish.
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10/4/2021 - RajivAyyangar wrote:
Friend accidentally opened it, no decant. Closed, but had some bing cherry with tamari character. Felt silken, satiny on the finish. Not as aromatic or deep as I know it can be. The next day, it was a bit more aromatic, with very little 4-EP / dog fur, and more spice, perfumed cherry, slight tamari, and silken texture. Long. Young. Feels bold in style / still mid-inflection.
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10/4/2021 - beatles wrote: 92 Points
Good sense of maturity. Smoky, manly, vertical, pronounced acidity, sound fruit. Drinking a point, will live on.
#podcast
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9/30/2021 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 92 Points
Small birthday dinner.
Out of bottle: medium ruby with garnet at rim. Heady nose. Perfumed VA slight Brett brown fig oxidation and blackberry jam. So unbelievably good. Rich and ripe tamari. So good I just put a cork back in and put it back in the refrigerator.
Aromatic and assertive at dinner. Definitely a bolder style. More fruit than earth - for Musar, a cleaner style. So enjoyable and just singing.
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9/16/2021 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 92 Points
From memory. Not sure of date on this at all. I do remember that it was fantastic. With Murphie, Chuck and Michelle. Had with Loubieh
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8/20/2021 - kingkanu wrote:
Medium body, just starting to fade at the edge. Fairly strong legs. High toned, slightly volatile, but attractively so, cherry, soft leather, a little floral and persian spices, nice weight in the mouth and a good line of acidity med+ finish. Early maturity with many years ahead
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7/23/2021 - BuckeyeBenS Likes this wine: 92 Points
What a beauty. It's time to drink the 2004, I don't think more cellar time will make it any better. Excellent nose more elegant than rustic, but still with those desired mineral-like qualities we Musar enthusiasts love. Color is beginning to fade from bright red to brickish-copper. We decanted for about an hour and then couldn't help but sip as it breathed throughout the evening. We had alongside a 2011 Musar to mark the differences (and let's be honest, it was an excuse to have two Musar's instead of one). I'll comment on the 2011 in the appropriate space, but boy was it fun to do. Tasted lots of bright red fruits, and everything on the nose crossed right over into the palate. This is really fun drinking. Open one of these when you have a long evening in front of you and enjoy the evolution as it breathes.
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6/22/2021 - phil the agony wrote: 92 Points
Aucune note prise
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4/30/2021 - jondrinkswine Likes this wine: 96 Points
First time trying this vintage and I couldn’t be happier with it. Bottle was impeccable and the wine tasted like classic Musar. Intoxicating floral, herbal, spicy nose with prominent dark purple flowers. Absolutely delicious palette with a nice combination of red and dark fruits, licorice, spice, herbs, earth and a hint of animal funk.
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4/25/2021 - sharonandroland Likes this wine: 92 Points
A mild expression of Musar. Starting to drink well.
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4/24/2021 - winot Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium ruby with orangey tendencies. Red currant and tea on the nose. Palate is quite intense, red fruits, still some gentle grip (PNP). Great length. Just decanted now, should open up. It did. Reminded me a lot of a nicely aged Barolo.
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4/9/2021 - stayhappy21 wrote: 88 Points
Drank this at Tunglok Xihe, Orchard Central, with a group of newly-found wine mates for the Chateau Musar vertical dinner.
2nd wine of the 1st flight. Dark brownish-purple in colour. Wine is at an advanced and ready stage.
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1/10/2021 - maxima wrote: flawed
Bouchonnée!
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12/8/2020 - Madera16 Likes this wine:
Medium brick red, some rim variation. It really does need a few days to open up and mellow out. Too much volatile acidity on day one. It was elegant, like a mix between Burgundy and Bordeaux. Very nice structure with long and fine tannin. Red fruits, plum, Burgundy SCFA, earth. Good with range of foods. Overall really good but I’m not convinced it lives up to the hype and value, at least with this bottle.
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10/24/2020 - Lemberger Likes this wine: 92 Points
Needed a good 75 minutes to start showing, but then it went crazy. Cherry, blackberry, some spices. Nicely soft but present tannins, the finish long, the depth on the palate fantastic and way beyond what I can describe. So maybe let‘s just say: we really enjoyed this!
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10/18/2020 - mpdonnel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Needed about 30-45 min for the funk to blow off, and then was left with a lovely wine. In a great place. Red fruits, spice, ash and some oak on the nose. Palate is surprisingly bright red fruits for the age, still with a good tannic structure. When these are on there’s not much better value.
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10/7/2020 - MalcolmV Likes this wine:
Chateau Musar Tasting with Jane Sowter and the Dulwich Wine Society: For many in the group it was the wine of the night.
Extremely concentrated. Flavour turned up to 11. Sweet figs, orange peel, olives, balsamic and chocolate. Intense, luscious, voluptuous.
Q: 4/4
P: 2/3
X: 3/3
Total 9/10
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10/3/2020 - BuckeyeBenS Likes this wine: 90 Points
Drinking very nicely now after about a 75 minute decant. More elegant than other Musar vintages, but still with the mineral undertones you expect. Enjoyed with Prime NY Strips.
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7/27/2020 - dsamuel Likes this wine: 94 Points
No formal notes taken. This wine was brilliant tonight! Seamless fruit and herbaceous/cedar aromas and beautifully well integrated on the palate. One of the most beautiful and least peculiar Musars I have had. Highly recommended!
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7/26/2020 - BuckeyeBenS Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really nice Musar. Was drinking very nicely after about 90 minutes of decanting. Paired with Wagyu beef. 2004 is more elegant than some other vintages, with a more prominent display of floral and red berries. The minerals and essence of concrete were there, but more muted. Very well balanced and at the front end of it's drinking window. Very little cork penetration. Plenty of time to leave it in the cellar, but no reason to wait if you are itching for it.
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7/13/2020 - ChateauDutremble Likes this wine: 95 Points
Mon dernier 2004...triste.
Complex nose of vegetal and floral notes, homemade ketchup spices and molasses... The wine is smooth and unctuous with a beautiful warmth and fresh acidity. Ripe fruit intertwined with butterscotch flavours. Round and rich, and very long finish. Simply perfect!
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7/1/2020 - Collector1855 wrote: 94 Points
Tasted a few Musar side by side against some Pauillacs. We loved the Musars for their aromatic complexity, many of them did not have too much funk (aka Brett) as I observed in bottles before but a nice nose of musk, underbrush, sweet spices and more red than dark berries. There is a good portion of Carrignan and Cinsault next to CabSav in these wines. This makes the wine a bit lighter than a Bordeaux and also higher pitched in the aromatics. So after having tasted the 1989 (93, the lightest of all of them), 1999/2004 (94, aromatic, good mid mouth presence), 2001 (NR, light cork) we concluded that these wines are better to be compared against a South of France Blend than a Bordeaux blend.
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6/27/2020 - Loathesome Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is everything Chateau Musar should be. Good concentration. That very rustic mature Bordeaux/Rhone style with good acidity knitting it all together. Mid weight but great length. So reassuring to see them confidentally still making this old style wine in a period of global style boredom amongst too many producers worldwide.
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6/26/2020 - Orange Tsian wrote: 91 Points
醒酒器醒了一个小时，中式香料，克制的飘散氤氲，轻微的油感，具有个性的气味，酸笋的微臭，行进细微且克制。随后扩展为微妙的黑果，带有细粉质感。入口中等偏轻，干净，单宁较弱，细幼且分布均匀，山楂，红果，构成了干净清秀的果味，内敛的甜味从头到尾线性穿行，如同小溪一般，前段较紧，中后段比较集中，有甘草，西梅，薄荷干碎，余韵长，很雅致。 两小时后，不悦的味道消失，干净起来，出现带有油感的烘烤芝麻香气。入口变得更加顺畅，如同浮动的绸缎一般均匀地释放着果味，后段娇嫩的花瓣很棒。91/100
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6/3/2020 - StainedGlass wrote: 92 Points
This vintage is not surprisingly improving with age but has good years ahead of it. Well balanced, rich, complex, earthy, leather, black tea, with that unmistakable Musar funk.
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5/28/2020 - vingrisen wrote: flawed
Flawed.
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5/28/2020 - bags wrote:
As others have said. Remarkably smooth and clean. A pop 'n pour pleasure.
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5/12/2020 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Love it. Moved up two notches from last time. I really don’t know where else you get such wonderful richness, balance and complexity for this price.
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4/12/2020 - Crumbled cork wrote: 95 Points
Beautifully crafted wine. Well done.
White chocolate, apricots, cigars, wild duck, creamy and smooth.
11 more to go. No hurry to drink.
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3/2/2020 - William.alexander wrote:
Musar tasting flight at Rouge
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2/22/2020 - ChateauDutremble Likes this wine: 94 Points
Always delicious!
Arômes de fraises, d'épices...sel de céleri, notes florales...parfumé...bonbon ! Un vin harmonieux aux tannins soyeux. Souple et fondu. Saveurs de fraises confits...avec une jolie pointe d'anis ! Superbe persistance aromatique intense. Magnifique ! 94+
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2/21/2020 - jepstein4031 wrote:
Really drinking very well. Bordeaux style with hint of spice that I equate with a Mediterranean wine. Still great acid. Decanted and drank an hour later. Lovely
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1/11/2020 - Mimesis Likes this wine: 91 Points
Chateau Musar 1999-2004 vertical blind tasting: The most “modern” tasting of the 1999-2004 vintages in the flight, this is the closest that Chateau Musar ever comes to a “pop and pour” wine. Only about an hour after opening, the 2004 becomes fragrant, with cedar and cinnamon on the nose. It also delivers a steady soft, black currant fruit flavor. It’s much less volatile than the others, except perhaps the 2001. It’s also more open and accessible, and a little less interesting, but still quite fine. Tasters rated it 3rd out of the six vintages. The 2004 is just entering its drinking window, so while there’s no need to wait, there’s no need to hurry, either.
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12/5/2019 - Paul852 Likes this wine: 87 Points
I know this wasn't a great idea, but I decanted and started to drink only 30 minutes later. No funk, lots of acid, little fruit, just all wrong for a Musar. A couple of hours later it had sorted itself out a bit, but still not great.
This really needs years more in the bottle or MANY hours of decant.
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11/21/2019 - rossi.wine wrote: 94 Points
Tasted after the 2000 and 2003. From magnum. Quite dark in colour, hardly any sign of evolution. Lots of depth, dark fruit, spices, cedar, earth. Excellent balance on the palate, more structured than either 2000 and 2003, quite firm and grippy, wonderful fruit, well integrated acidity. Lively, vibrant finish, very long. With the 1983 my WOTN. Drink/keep. 93-95
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11/3/2019 - dagmf Likes this wine: 91 Points
Flott, primær frukt igjen enda som tilsier at også denne klarer seg i kjelleren i mange år enda.
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10/25/2019 - forceberry wrote: 89 Points
A very cool vintage: snow didn't melt until March, spring lasted until June and the ripening period was slowed down by constant cooler breezes. The grapes never developed much acidity and the first grapes arriving to the winery were rather low in sugar as well. However, a two-week heat wave that arrived during the harvest boosted the sugar levels in the remaining grapes. The wine was made in the traditional method of Musar: 9 months of aging in cement vats, 1 year in oak barrels, blending and maturation for 9 months in cement vats, finished with bottling and extended bottle aging before release. 14% alcohol. Decanted for a few hours before tasting the wine.
Pale, translucent reddish-orange color with a wide, orange-yellow rim. The nose feels dry, light and rather restrained with understated aromas of licorice, some wood bark, a little bit of dried cranberries, light peppery spice, a hint of brambly raspberry and a lifted touch of nail polish. With some air the nose slowly opens up a little, revealing sweeter nuances of prunes and raisin. The wine is ripe, sweet-toned and quite mellow on the palate with juicy, soft flavors of raisin, some dried figs, a little bit of meaty umami, light jammy notes of strawberries, bretty notes of barnyard funk and leather and a touch of ripe grapey fruit. The structure is quite gentle here with medium acidity and quite round, ripe tannins. The finish is soft and medium-long with flavors of ripe strawberries, some dried figs, a little bit of earthy spice, light raspberry marmalade notes, a hint of sunny dark fruit and a subtly acetic touch of balsamic VA.
A rather soft, mellow and underwhelming vintage of Musar. The wine is definitely a recognizable example of the house style, but the modest acidity and soft, textural tannins really don't do justice to the wine and tasting this side-by-side with remarkable vintages 2005 and 2003 makes the wine come across as rather an underperformer. All in all, this is a rather awkward vintage that might come together a bit better in the future, but most likely will never reach the heights of the best vintages. Priced according to its quality at 35,95€.
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10/18/2019 - chbeaumont wrote: flawed
Brick red; reeks of VA, unsettled; fresher, cleaner palate yet piquant. Plummy fruit lurks but ultimately this is a long way from pristine.
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9/29/2019 - Nels+ Likes this wine: 91 Points
Aromatic and straight. Not that much bret- and barnyard-aromatic as expected. Ripe black fruits, sourcherry, tabacco. Good accidity, well balanced. Great effort!
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9/15/2019 - tobymccathie Likes this wine:
On opening a typical Musar nose but lacking the funk you expect. This was a much softer wine than last time. Typical Musar palate; cherries, strawberries a bit of spice. Some tasted blind and plumped for a left bank Bordeaux.
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8/24/2019 - macaujames Likes this wine: 92 Points
Half bottle. 92/93. A fresher Musar. Has fantastic aromas of earth, baking spices, terracotta, cherries, raspberries and lingonberries Its medium to full bodied sculpted and shapely earthy red and blue fruits palate has superb depth and layers , decent but a bit volatile acidity. Ends long, fresh and flowing. 14%. Needs laying down 5 years+. Needs 5-6 hrs aeration.
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8/23/2019 - ZMAng wrote: 88 Points
Half bottle. Medium ruby. Just opened - smoky meat, iron, dark fruit on nose. Rich and rather smooth. Sweet dark fruit on palate. Still rather direct/simple/primary and pruney, especially when compared to slightly older vintages such as the 2001. Medium to long, spicy finish. 87-89.
Not much evolution over the couple of hours that this was consumed.
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8/3/2019 - forceberry wrote: 92 Points
Somewhat translucent and ever-so-slightly hazy cherry red color with a developed maroon hue. Rich, somewhat developed and rather sweet-toned nose with sunny aromas of pruney dark fruit, wizened strawberries, some raisiny tones, a light sweet-toned note of VA, a hint of leather and a touch of raspberry jam. There's a subtly acetic streak in the background that lends a slightly Rodenbach-y character to the nose. The wine is medium-to-moderately full-bodied, ripe and sunny on the palate with dry, complex flavors of leather, wizened dark fruits, some funky barnyard notes, a little bit of sweet raspberry, light acetic notes of balsamico and a hint of dried and slightly jammy black cherries. The wine is medium-to-moderately high in acidity with firm, somewhat grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is somewhat grippy, quite lengthy and wonderfully rich with complex, layered flavors of sweet, raisiny fruit and pruney character, some savory earthy character, a little bit of bitterness, light black cherry notes and a balsamic hint of VA.
A rich, nuanced and layered Musar that is starting to show some lovely developed complexity at the age of 15 years. Doesn't show as much bretty funk as some vintages, but feels slightly more volatile with quite rich, acetic balsamico character that manages to suit the taste surprisingly well. Compared to the previous times I've tasted this particular vintage, this didn't feel as noticeably volatile as some bottles and at the same time the wine was more open and expressive than some bottles have been. All in all, perhaps the best 2004 Musar I've had to date. Lovely stuff, priced according to its quality at 43,89€.
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6/25/2019 - macaujames Likes this wine: 93 Points
Half bottle. Has full aromas of baked raspberries, strawberries, fig, leather, chalk and orange peel hints. Its medium to full bodied structured yet silky a bit animally freshly fruited black and red fruits palate has a little volatile acidity. Ends longish, fresh and impressive. 14%. Can be laid down 10 years+. Needs 4-5 hours aeration.
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6/10/2019 - Thefatbastard wrote:
Bu en vertical, clairement il faut les attendre les Musar... le 2004 et 2006 encore trop jeune à mon goût!
1999: à point, de la fraise, soyeux, long et complexe. Sublime.
2001: un peu plus animal, cuir, avec du fruit. Très bien.
Le 2004 et 2006. Encore sur le fruit primaire. Tannins encore presents. Plus costaud.
Une belle vertical pour évaluer l’incroyable longévité des Musar et déterminer celui à notre goût.
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5/18/2019 - jepstein4031 wrote: 93 Points
Just a beautiful wine. Incredibly fragrant nose of dried dark fruit and sweet spice. On the palate, almost starts with an oxidized note that quickly changes to something much more complex with great acid, which indicates to me there is still some interesting integration to come. Enjoyed with lamb chops.
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5/5/2019 - shallIshantI Likes this wine: 92 Points
2001 – 92. A real testament to the winemaker’s skill. See previous verticals. It’s now 18 years old and you can still taste that distinct fresh fruit on the palate. Just starting to get a little lighter now.
2002 – 90. That sharp spritz that we previously got on the front of the tongue has now finally gone.
2003 – 89. Odd one out of the evening. More ‘meaty’ and savoury. Went fine with food. We had previously found the 2003 to be much smoother.
2004 – 92. Yes, back to that medicinal cherry lozenges punch
2005 – 93. Drinking very well now. Hint of spiciness.
2007 – 92. A deeper, heavier year. You can still find some 2007’s at the larger retailers and it’s ready. Had the strongest bouquet of the lot
2007 Magnum – 93. We had fun here, putting a magnum and a standard bottle of the same year up against each other. Was there a difference? Yes. Would you know if you did not have them side by side? Unlikely. This was the star of the night. Ripe fruit. Think warm sunshine.
2008 – 91. Youngest one here and it shows immediately just looking at the rims comparing it with the others. It was the ‘reliable friend’ – easy drinking, plenty of fruit (evokes Christmas sweet spices) and went well with the cheese course
A Billecart Salmon 1999 to start. All reds out of the Eurocave the night before, opened in the morning. Smoked duck with asparagus and a walnut dressing to start, beef filet with a shallot and port sauce, potatoes cooked with garlic and thyme, cheeses, rose possett with rhubarb.
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5/3/2019 - MNig Likes this wine: 92 Points
As if taking a short stroll around a Maroccan spice bazaar.
Enjoying this nightcap, which showed expressive and layered on the nose. An enticing kaleidoscope of aromas - oriental spice, leather, tobacco, dried dark fruit and aniseed - brought me instantly to a spice bazaar near you. On the palate smooth and well structured with medium body, fresh acidity and dark fruit. Spicy lingering finish. Really lovely. Always an elegant and unagitatedly beautiful wine, if given enough time in the bottle.
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4/29/2019 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
Tasted next to the 2011. Expressive and layered on the nose - spices, leather, tobacco, soft dark fruit. On the palate smooth and open, well integrated acidity, lovely fruit. Spicy finish with very good length. 91-93
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4/27/2019 - Laurentcg Likes this wine: 91 Points
Couleur brique translucide
Nez typiquement Musar (fruits rouge, menthol, élevage, cuir)
En bouche, c'est effectivement Musar, mais plus fin, voir dilué à l'ouverture de la bouteille. Juste l'épauler durant 3-4h lui a fait un grand bien.
Moins bon que le 2006 à mes yeux, qui avait beaucoup plus de matière (de loin).
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3/29/2019 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had it open for 8 hrs before pouring. Menthol and highish acidity, but in a good way. Tannins almost fully resolved and the wine is coming together. Very light on its feet. Really lovely. Probably 93 in 3-4 years.
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3/23/2019 - mysterycooper Likes this wine:
Memory:
I just remember it was soft, a bit leathery, and finished with lovely focused red & black berries.
Probably go around 90/91
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3/23/2019 - Rob-Rah Likes this wine: 88 Points
A bit boring. Elegant style. Where’s the excitement?
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3/22/2019 - Lindlb Likes this wine: 91 Points
Blind verkostet. gereifte Bordeaux Nase, würzig, Hagebutte, Frucht sehr ausgeprägt. Durchschnittliche Länge. Potential
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3/22/2019 - mattym19 Likes this wine: 93 Points
By the bottle at Noreetuh in NYC. Nose is a really intriguing balance between black fruit and forest floor in the fall with a bit of baking spice and a hint of fresh pine. Palate is also a really compelling mix between primary and secondary flavors. Bright raspberry, strawberry, ripe cherry with pencil shavings, grape leaves and a hint of fresh leather. Super delicious on its own, also great with steak and fried rice and 5-spice glazed pork chop.
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3/4/2019 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 91 Points
Min, Ha: From .375 L.
Has some of the vibrant dark fruit, but more developed. Figs, dates, and other hints of oxidation made this seem prematurely aged with the rewards of tertiary development (I’m starting to question the value of .375’s given I’ve tasted the ‘04 recently, in-decanted, and it was amazing and much more vibrantly fruited.).
Still, it was delightful, with characteristic blackberry compote, tamari, oxidation, and almost no overt Brett signature. Structurally it seemed softer than the last ‘04 I had.
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3/2/2019 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 92 Points
W/Ben, MWB, AK
No decant [hey - sometimes you just want Musar with good friends]
Deep dark and red fruit - slightly roasted. Hint of strawberry jam. Rocks and moss. Tamari blackberry. Caramelized roasted blackberry. Heavy satin feel to the midpalate. Delightful and rich.
Medium plus body, medium plus acid, medium tannins (melted and silky). Long finish. Paired well with Robin, Janelle Monae, Pink, and Bach BWV 131 (suspensions!!!).
Much lower impression of oxidation and brett than most Musars. This is still primary and it is glorious.
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2/20/2019 - Gooddummy Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pleasant surprise. Graphite and pepper with stone fruits opening up after 45-60 minutes. Just fruit and spicy, no alcohol after bite.
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1/28/2019 - PSPatrick wrote: 90 Points
"A taste of Libanon"-Tasting, Flight 4, Wine 3 (non-blind): Medium ruby colour. Lots of volatile acidity on the nose. Nice, fresh red and some dark fruit flavours, with good acidity, fine, ripe tannin and very good length. Too much VA for some. Outshone by the 2011 and the 2002 today.
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1/11/2019 - asheio wrote: 89 Points
Light red. Bullion, tea. Dried red fruit. Based in this bottle - drink now!
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12/31/2018 - OneForTheStairs Likes this wine:
Very good and still going strong, no sign of a tertiary stage yet.
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12/25/2018 - OneForTheStairs Likes this wine:
Deliciious. Not in the least bit tertiary. Should go for a long while yet.
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12/21/2018 - Winedog1 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Potentially the most similar wine to the 1975 Mouton Rothschild ever tasted. Drinking in its prime. Lots of Bordeaux qualities like earth, mushroom, aging, coloring, etc. Pleasantly surprised with this new found treasure and now tracking down other vintages. My wife loved this. A new family favorite.
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11/26/2018 - sharonandroland Likes this wine: 93 Points
Reached drinking window. Good example of wilder style of Musar - rather spicy and lots of VA. stil extremely harmonious, tannins well resolved and chiseled. Long complex finish. Lots of potential for the future.
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10/31/2018 - Trydebull Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lite extra kraftfull. Doftar körsbär, mörka rosor och lite svart plastsäck.
Ger en körsbärssmak med kraft. Lätt kryddig och rundas av något med mörklila plommon - men utan sötma.
Gott. 90 poäng.
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10/20/2018 - macaujames Likes this wine: 93 Points
One glass. As always this wine defies the odds. it is made at altitude and in 2004 there was cooler windier weather and then a sudden heatwave. Despite these climatic issues it is a star. It has fragrant aromas of baked earthy, irony, leathery and lightly cedary loganberries, strawberries, raspberries and orange peel. Its medium to full bodied opulent extremely dense yet wonderfully silky red fruits palate has got nice earthy touches and nice acidity. Ends longish and aromatic. 14%. Superb. Opened 6hrs before. Lacks the 2003's extreme length and depth.
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10/14/2018 - kingkanu wrote: 90 Points
- Fast forming legs - This still tastes relatively young and vibrant, some early development is mixing with the fruit, theres some fine tannins giving some texture, not a particularly exciting vintage of Musar, but plenty to enjoy here and for plenty of time ahead
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10/9/2018 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 93 Points
In a very nice spot. Maturing, with just a little bit of funk, but still has some primary berry fruit in the mix, along with the twist of orange peel that was also manifest in the 1999 a few weeks ago. I'm not sure if this vintage has the X factor to equal the 1999, but flavor-wise it seems very similar at the moment, other than being a few years behind. It still shows some tannin which gives the surface veneer a more matte and slightly drying feel, but it fleshes out and sweetens up with air.
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10/3/2018 - rwthomps7 wrote:
3
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10/2/2018 - pren wrote: 92 Points
Great. Gentle, elegant.
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8/26/2018 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drinking well. Ready to go. Will hold for years. Red fruits, in harmony.
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8/24/2018 - smphelps wrote: 93 Points
This was great. Smooth, nutty, showing some raisin notes with the age, and loads of herb characteristics. No reason to hold longer.
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8/5/2018 - Etienne U3R Likes this wine:
Avec la couleur il est facile de dire qu’il a un certain âge. Au nez on du bois fumé au début et un peu de petits fruits subtiles vers la fin. En bouche on pourrait se ceoire à Bordeaux c’est vraiment bon et surtout pour le prix. J’ai préféré légèrement plus jeune pour avoir bu un 2009 il n’y a pas très longtemps, mais c’est tout de même très bon.
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7/1/2018 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured to accompany flank steak. Nose of cassis, plum, spiky red flowers, a bit of cedar, earth. Strawberry and red currant fruit on the palate with a lick of sauvage, beef blood, and craggy rock. Nicely acidic with firm tannin. Longer finish of wild red fruit, stone, and iron. Young but very enjoyable.
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6/29/2018 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 92 Points
@home with PK, LT, MB, KF.
London bottle. Cork intact, 2-3mm soaked through.
Phenomenal out of the bottle. Aroma needs time to wake up, but on the palate it’s silky and alive, with all the classic Musar hallmarks: floral and spiced Brett, integrated with savory blackberry tamari, a core of dried and liquered cassis, date skin oxidation, and a prickly of strawberry balsamic.
Medium plus body, medium plus acid, medium tannins - melted and satiny, medium alcohol.
Consistent with my past impressions of the ‘04, this is quite awake and vibrant - the core of blackberry tamari is intense and seamless with the rest of the wine. It’s not really that tertiary out of the bottle, but we’ll see in a couple hours.
A few hours later it was delightful and aromatic, with a core of cassis and blackberry tamari. Not fully tertiary but mid-inflection.
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5/31/2018 - Frank Murray III wrote:
Tasted alongside the 1995 and 1999. It has the brett marker that I found in the 1999 (but was missing in the 1995, FYI) but it was just a touch of it. Juicy, the acidity is pretty intense here, with the fruit leaning to back cherry, strawberry and licorice.
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5/31/2018 - brigcampbell wrote:
Blake Brown in the OC - Version 2.0 (The Winery, Newport Beach, CA): Of the 95, 99, and 04 this was definitely showing as the youngest. There was the sweet red fruit and strong cherry flavors but had some shoulders supporting the structure., a little edge or angular. Very nice and I wrote "delicious". That would describe it.
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5/23/2018 - WineArchitect Likes this wine: 91 Points
Shared with the boys of W.O.R.K. @ FGK. Greenwich CT. Bing cherry on the nose. Decanting this wine always allows it to open up to reveal its secrets. The leathery spice flavor was there but was masked by it being compared to a 99 version of the same wine. It was difficult to compare the two side by side in order to determine which had more flavor, but the age on the 99 should have revealed itself. Still, a great wine value. EG #ArchitecturalArtistry #WineArchitect
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5/18/2018 - WineArchitect Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pnp from the cellar. Allowed to breath in the glass. The nose yields sweet red currants with cedar and tobacco, but yet a slight leathery scent similar to an old Rioja. The Bordeaux-like blend mixes well to produce a slightly horsey, acidic flavor, but the sweet currant core pulls past it on the palate and allows the flavors to shine. As the wine came to room temperature, the horsey nose blew off, so decanting this thirteen year old wine would benefit the enjoyment, yet there is still some aging potential left in this wine. EG #ArchitecturalArtistry #WineArchitect
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5/12/2018 - TrondVV Likes this wine: 93 Points
In a beautiful place. First glass pop'n'pour at 14 deegres celcius, rest went in the decanter. For me this wine came charging out of the gates, even without decant. Beautiful nose with leathery finish, colour starting to go brick red. Well integrated fruits with hints of cherry and spice, a little acidity at the finish. Yum!
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5/12/2018 - BillyT wrote: 91 Points
Well I have wanted to taste this wine and finally had a chance at Arroz in DC for dinner. This wine DID NOT disappoint. It definitely is an attempt to Bordeaux but with its own nuances. Paired well with the Mediterranean menu. The wine seemed balanced, well integrated tannins and acidity with fruit not overpowering the wine. Not certain I could say it was terroir driven having never had wines from the Bekka valley so I didn't know what to expect. Sorry I don't have more notes but at dinner so we weren't really analyzing the wine. I can tell you this that the wine didn't show any negative points that caused me to take notice and it blended well with the food. The downside is that it didn't reflect the distinctiveness of the region in my opinion since it didn't make me stand up and take notice of the nuances of the region like comparing Bordeaux to Rioja to Burgundy. Hope that makes sense.
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4/27/2018 - VDLT Wine Likes this wine:
An excellent bottle on the verge of leaving its childhood. Similar profile to the younger Vino Nobile beside it but this had a bit better mouthfeel, more complexity but less fruit.
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4/22/2018 - pren wrote: 92 Points
LD. 比09light。更放松。
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4/16/2018 - tychill wrote: 92 Points
Initially quite dark, smoky and meaty on the nose. Funky notes blew off over time and this was all silky black cherry. Great bottle of wine. I would imagine this will drink well for a very long time to come.
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4/11/2018 - Hazeo wrote: 91 Points
Initially a bit harsh and disjoint upon pop and pour, didn’t change much over the first evening. It was not until day 3 that it really shined, when it became smooth and elements truly integrated. Given that, the next bottle in 5 years or so wouldn’t be a bad idea.
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3/11/2018 - AdvancedWino Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted. Needed about an hour for the VA to blow off and come together, and then it was beautiful with notes of cherry and cedar.
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3/8/2018 - Myownscale wrote: 90 Points
Nose:
petrol, smokey, reminds Dawn B. of tire fires in Morocco
Palate:
tannic, big wine, nice fruit, chocolate, cherry, mint
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2/24/2018 - NiklasW Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for an hour. Tasting note number 2000, needed a special wine for that, and this is it! My favourite producer, and this is really racy right now. Beautiful red cherries on the nose initially, slight hint of VA, with licorice and rosemary coming through as well. No dirtiness, just pure and clean and beautiful. The palate follows with racy red fruit, cherries, good tannins, good acidity, still feeling young. Not big, everything in place, but youthful. This will be even greater down the road, give it ten more years!
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2/14/2018 - Ray852 wrote: 89 Points
Half bottle. Decanted for 3 hours. Light red colour. It had strong aroma of cherry and violet, hints of cigar, mints, asian herbs and meaty. On the palate, it had raspberry sour and cherry sweet. Medium body, acidity and tannins. Long sweet finishing. After 4 hours, it got higher tannins and coffee nose. Good value of wine.
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2/3/2018 - Wineteacher Likes this wine: 94 Points
The wine was decanted although the sediment was slight. The wine had a garnet color, relatively light and show no sign of age. In the glass, the wine emitted a very large bouquet of wonderful cedar, briar, tobacco and dried flower. The wine seemed more mature and evolved than a typical Musar of less than 14 years. Not the most extracted Musar but the most early evolved I know. This wine will age more but it is drinking beautifully now. The profile of this wine is more or less that of a Bordeaux with perhaps a touch of a mature Rhône. It is really lovely. I paid $52. Not cheap but very likable.
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1/21/2018 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
Nicoletta's 40th Birthday weekend!; 1/18/2018-1/21/2018 (Megeve, France): Second bottle in 2 days again decanted and served.
Very consistent to our earlier TN and very much great value for money. 91
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1/19/2018 - flatlandfarmer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Drank fairly quickly with friends, so not enough time to watch it possibly evolve. Nose: tobacco, stewed fruit, wood, dried fruits, cinnamon and some olive brine. Palate: very well balanced, well integrated fine tannins. med+ tannins, med+ acidity.
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1/18/2018 - Papies wrote: 91 Points
Nicoletta's 40th Birthday weekend!; 1/18/2018-1/21/2018 (Megeve, France): Opened and served. A great value for money wine as always and of very good quality. Very much Bordeaux in style, soft dark fruits, light pepper, floral in a way. Firm on the palate but very round and is now drinking very nicely. Will not dissapoint. 91 and drink from now
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1/13/2018 - ChateauDutremble Likes this wine: 94 Points
Un grand favori de la soirée. Merveilleuses notes d'épices et de petits fruits rouges au nez. Très belle structure...début de sa fenêtre...belle chaleur...velouté...finale moyenne. Délicieux !
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12/3/2017 - Caruso Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ruby with orange rim. Short after decantation this seemed light in its aromatic profil, especially after the Pegau 2000. But it reveals more power with time and more on the palate than on the nose. On the nose morello, red currants, hints of honey and rosehips. The palate shows a grippy structure with ripe tannin and high acidity more akin to a pinot noir and great lenght. In fact the acidity carries the fruit over a long period after swallowing. The wine is perfectly poised, highly elegant and civilized for a Musar. Of course this will age effortlessly for 2 decades in a cool cellar.
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11/27/2017 - shallIshantI Likes this wine: 90 Points
Aubergine Chermoula with bulgar as the starter, a rib of beef with a middle eastern gravy (with cinnamon, allspice, garlic, onion, nutmeg, parsley), then English cheeses and rose pannacota for dessert.
A Gardet 120 with canapés to start.
2003 - 91. So clearly the lightest and most translucent but still punching strong for its age and opened up after a couple of hours. Drink now. Soft tannins and good fruit.
2004 - 90. Better nose. More assertive with sharper taste. This was the star of the evening last time. This time, it was the one with a vegetal whiff. Light tawny. Still has that cherry on the palate.
2005 - 92. Distinctly darker next to the last 2. Punchy and heavier. Notes of almost fortified wine. High acidity. Probably peaking next year.
2006 - 91. Still tannic. A few years to go yet. Some pepper, tar and herbs (but still sweet). Musar held back the 2006 before release
2007 - 92. The favourite for a couple of us. Coffee beans and ripe fruits. A hot year.
2008 - 91. Dark purple. Dark fruits and a hint of cloves.
The food makes a huge difference. We used a quarter of the chilli powder the recipe called for, half the yoghurt. We also tried and discounted pork with the Musar.
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11/25/2017 - Zorg wrote: 89 Points
Good and typically musarish but a little hollow and thinn when it comes to the fruit.
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11/19/2017 - AudunG wrote: 91 Points
Aromas of dried red fruits, leather and some liquorice. Elegant on the palate, with good concentration and a dry finish.
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11/18/2017 - OneForTheStairs Likes this wine:
Very good. A point.
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11/12/2017 - ParisWino Likes this wine: 90 Points
A fairly significant amount of VA was the first thing I noticed upon opening this wine, but it was within my tolerance range. Beyond that, and some reductive elements that blew off soon enough, the wine showed red fruit, leather and herbal elements on the nose and palate, and reminded me variously of a traditional aged Rioja or a Barbaresco. A good match for a mushroom risotto with a liberal sprinkling of parmesan; without food the interest was more intellectual than hedonic.
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10/24/2017 - asheio wrote: 90 Points
From 0.375 bottle. Nicely developed, smooth and seamless. With the normal volatile acidity.
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10/18/2017 - Hazeo wrote: 90 Points
Opened along with a the Muga Prado Enea and Lascombes of the same vintage. This was a step below the two for me, but an nice and interesting wine nonetheless. It was quite elegant but this time the sweet fruit and meatiness didn't combine as seamlessly.
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10/6/2017 - AudunG wrote: 91 Points
Brick red. Gamey aromas of pine, leather, liquorice, forest floor and some acetone. Not unlike a developed nebbiolo wine. Meaty, with sweet dried fruits in the mouth. The high acidity gives the wine a lift, brings in elegance and balance and makes it more vivid. I prefer this to the more concentrated but rather clumsy 2003.
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8/31/2017 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 94 Points
From a Coravin'd bottle.
A classic (if there is such a thing) Musar nose - sweaty horses, sweaty saddles, fresh leather, hints of orangey VA, a touch of garrigue, and some plummy, pruney black fruits struggling past the Musariness.
Lovely sweetish, yet savoury black fruit on the palate. Indeed, the immediate impression is that the palate is almost the antithesis of the nose: clean, precise fruit. Good sturdy texture. With time, lots of leathery depth emerge.
There's a touch of alcoholic heat evident, but it isn't distracting. Lots of firm structure, but you only notice the tannins on the finish, when they pluck at the front of the cheeks.
As a youthful Musar, this bottle at least is in a very good place right now.
Lovely stuff. Classic Musar.
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7/27/2017 - Hazeo wrote: 90 Points
Somewhat disjoint on the first day, though I liked the flavours of red cherries, smoke and spices. On day 2, it melted down and was nice and elegant. I especially liked the subtle meatiness along with a hint of black tea. The wine wasn't super concentrated nor profound but was quite elegant and lovely and somehow made be think of a cross between Burgundy and Bordeaux. I think I'll be seeking out more especially other vintages.
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7/25/2017 - Omar Khayyam wrote: 85 Points
Sweaty saddle, new leather, sloeberries, some garrigue. Good tannic structure. But also something sweet (&sour?) and alcoholic that feels less interesting. Ok for now, hopefully more integrated in ten years. I believe it has more upside.
Edit: We opened it a good 3 hours before and decanted. By the time we were drinking it, most of the horse and leather was gone or at least pleasantly playing a minor chord, which I normally look forward to when drinking Musar. This time though I felt that the sweet&sour was a bit too much and felt it would do better waiting in the cellar. If I had tried this blind, I would have thought it was five years younger at least. I have so far preferred the 1988, the 2005, the 1995 and the 2009 (although the 2009 also needs a lot of time). But best not to make any too serious bets with this wine, I have learnt. There's a good texture and fine tannins so that bodes well for the future.
Ps my mom protested against this verdict and gave this two thumbs up! I am upping the score one point on sheer motherly authority.
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7/7/2017 - alanh13 wrote:
Coravin tasting. Porty and jammy on the nose. Balsamic vinegar too. Makes the Figeac tasted alongside it seem more Bordeaux like, richer and almost modern.
Some nice notes of fig on the palate. Very figgy, spicy, this is nice but as always with Musar I'm reminded of Christmas spices! A touch meaty and gamey but not really getting Brett, more balsamic maturity. This is a great wine for learning. It has hints of Burgundy and yet is clearly from a far warmer climate. Nice juxtaposition form the warm climate norm, where clean and fruity.
Touch of acetic flavours, some paint thinner on the nose but not problematic.
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6/3/2017 - drdave_56 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A really nice Musar vintage, complex but beautifully balanced. I decanted it 2 hours before drinking, it developed well.
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5/21/2017 - ludwigbpm wrote: 92 Points
Très belle bouteille, sans arômes trop prononcés d'écurie. Grande finesse, des airs bordelais mais avec une touche de tendreté rappelant le Languedoc.
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5/20/2017 - Jonathanmustang Likes this wine: 93 Points
Carafé 2h avant de verser un seul verre.
Nez puissant et envoûtant sur le bois de sental, l'encens, les cerises, épices du moyen orient et une touche florale qui viens en fin de nez.
Bouche magnifique et aérienne, aucune lourdeur ou chaleur contrairement à ce que j'imagine d'un vin de pays chaud mais plutôt de la finesse qui me rappelle le pinot ou les nebbiollo. Cerise, épices et, bois de sental sont dominant.
Le tout est superbement équilibré et jouie d'une finale épicér de bonne longueur
J'adore musar, franchement ma découverte de l'année!
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5/14/2017 - maxima wrote: 90 Points
Encore une fois, le vin a été laissé debout 2 jours avant son ouverture comme le 1999 bu en même temps.
Un must pour ce vin pour lui mettre toutes les chances de son côté pour minimiser les odeurs possibles de ferme.
Passage en carafe pour décanter le dépot, et remis en bouteille laissée ouverte pendant 8 heures avant le service.
Il y avait des odeurs d`écurie à l`ouverure mais quand on a versé dans les verre, c`était disparu, comme mentionné pour mes autres Musar!
Super nez sur les fruits rouge, la terre et un peu de cuir et de tabac.
En bouche, souple et assez fruité, les cerises reviennent avc un peu de cèdre et de menthol, tannins fins et finale une peu juste.
Quelques coches sous le 1999 nous avons trouvé mais bien tout de même!
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5/12/2017 - CondorKhan wrote: 92 Points
Chateau Musar Tasting: Subtle aroma of quince. High toned cherry and raspberry fruit, with a succulent acid finish. Tight and focused. Significantly lighter and "cleaner" than the wines that were to come.
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4/20/2017 - Mazy Likes this wine: 88 Points
Le 1999 était à mon avis très évolué et tertiaire, sans oxydation toutefois. Une robe claire, des notes de pruneaux et de fleurs séchées avec du cuir, un nez légèrement fermier et une finale chaude.
Le 2004 a été le préféré de tous. On a aimé son équilibre, avec plus de fruits et d'épices que le 1999 mais plus ouvert que le 2009. Les tannins sont présents mais agréables. Celui qui soutenait le mieux le repas également.
Le 2009 démontre une robe plus foncée et légèrement turbide. Il s'ouvre légèrement en cours de dégustation mais demeure malgré tout secret. Ça nécessite sans aucun doute quelques années en cave.
Les vins ont été ouverts une heure à l'avance, puis décantés et remis en bouteille tout-de-suite, puis servis immédiatement.
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4/10/2017 - phil the agony wrote: 90 Points
Pop and drink car finalement le 2001 était bien bouchonné.
Cassis , confituré ,une bonne acidité et moins complexe que les autres ( manquer un peu d'air ).
Il se dégêne tranquillement mais mettons que ce n'est pas le pogo le plus dégelé de la boite .
16.5/20 + ?
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4/4/2017 - Crownguard wrote: 92 Points
Typical perfect musar! Beautifull intigrated and mellow yet stil very fresh and lively! Drink now as an very good red!
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4/3/2017 - Crownguard Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really really good! Has just started developing. More mellow, powerfull and integrate itself. Dark berrys. Ripe red berrys, balanced oak. Light brown lip to it. Beautifull alcohol. Long and good aftertaste.
Really good for its price!
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3/31/2017 - Fantasio Likes this wine: 94 Points
Magnifique! Prunes, pruneaux, tabac comme un porto mais sans le sucre. No brainer! Longueure et amplitude. Grand vin.
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3/31/2017 - Jean-Philippe M Likes this wine:
Deuxième fois que je bois cette bouteille, c'est encore une fois très impressionnant. Le vin a des tannins soyeux et une acidité présente. On a un nez magnifique et une bouche bien goûteuse; des herbes de Provence, des épices, tabac, bois et de la cerises confites. La longueur est extraordinaire, considérant le prix. Ce vin est dèjà à son peak et mérite d'être acheté sans hésiter. Idéal pour des dégustation à l'aveugle !
4,5/5
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3/21/2017 - charbel Likes this wine: 91 Points
After 2 years will try the next bottle
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3/8/2017 - Bobhelge wrote: 92 Points
This was better than I remembered it. Volatile acidity at opening. Ripe strawberries and sour cherry along with dried autumn leafs, hay, barnyard and hints of truffle - Typical Musar. Full of power and concentration. Balanced and complex. Flavours of dried fruit. liquorice and saw dust in the finish.
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3/3/2017 - quaffnov Likes this wine: 90 Points
Two hour decant, this leads with a very big, hot, decadent nose of dark raspberry. The palate is toasty, with an extracted feel to it. Pepper notes, crisp acidity and velvety tannins hold up the raspberry flavors. Full bodied with a reasonable finish, this has room for to age a few more years. Give it air, it needs to gulp it down to get the best out of it.
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2/24/2017 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 92 Points
10 vintages of Chateau Musar (@Private location): *** Please see the general tasting story notes for more details ***
Glass: Riedel BDX Sommelier
Popped and poured.
Clear, deep, purple color. Clean, medium intense, youthful nose. Some lactic notes, spices, lots of fruit.
Dry, medium acidity, medium tannin. Medium body, medium intense, complex flavors of spices, red fruit, orange zests and tobacco. Lots of tension, elegance, juicy, cool and youthful. Give it at least 5+ years to reach its peak, but it is already tempting to drink!
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2/23/2017 - MattGeneve wrote: 91 Points
Lovely lightly medicinal fragrance, very clean on the nose. Pretty evolved on the palate but in a nice place with good balance, on the soft side but in a good way. With more air this shows more fruit but seems almost perfectly mature to me.
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2/18/2017 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Purchased off the wine list at Mamnoon. Garnet hue. Healthy nose of cassis, plum, blackberry, stone, and cedar. Lively, sinewy red currant and mulberry fruit with briar and hints of char on the palate. Freshening acidity and firm but smoothed tannin. Longer finish of red and black plum fruit with craggy stone elements and satisfying grip. Very nice showing, my first experience with Chateau Musar.
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12/25/2016 - OneForTheStairs wrote:
Yes, well, very nice indeed at first, but just too funky when warm with lots of air.
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12/23/2016 - Chavesjr Likes this wine: 90 Points
Acastanhado translúcido. Aromas de evolução, como tabaco, couro e um toque iodado. Em boca, ainda vivo com ganimos suaves e acidez presente. Ainda muito vivo. Final longo. Excelente.
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12/7/2016 - juffer Likes this wine: 91 Points
Cherry, spice and a touch of herbs in the nose. Also some barnyard/animal smells that add welcome complexity to the nose. A tiny bit hollow in the mid palate, but then the fruit really kicks in for the finish, which ends just a touch too candied for my tastes. But overall a fairly layered and reasonably complex wine.
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10/2/2016 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 92 Points
Magnum Fest (Weygandt Wines - Washington, D.C.): Smells tart and earthy with notes of cider, anise, cumin and tomato bush, along with some tart strawberries and cherries. Dusty but tightly wound on the palate, fresh acidity. Tart plums and cherries play off of anise, pot smoke, roasted figs, rose petals, scorched earth. Complexities really start coming out with time. Finished tangy and herbal. Interesting to taste young but I'd like to taste this again in four or five years.
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9/23/2016 - mdvino63 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Young. Really took a while to come together. Seemed simple at first but picked up intensity and complexity and weight after being open a couple hours. Great pairing with cumin lamb at Grand Sichuan. 90++
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9/17/2016 - shallIshantI Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another vertical tasting, this time with hot beef over mustard greens as a starter, lebanese lamb, then a cheese course. All wines opened 4 hours before the meal. A 2004 Verve Cliquot vs a 2008 Nyetimber to start.
2001 - 92. amazing fruit for a 15 year old wine
2003 - 91. both the 2003 and 2004 were musty on the nose at the beginning but this quickly dissipated. The 2003 was so smooth. A bit of wood (given that they use concrete vats)
2004 - 92 one of the definite stars of the evening. Think cherry sweetness
2005 - 91 still very good and some of our guests remembered this as their favourite. Probably maturing quicker than the other vintages
2007 - 92 we thought this was a '94 in the making. Both the '97 and '98 needed a bit longer
2008 - 92 really need to give this a few more years before we can judge. Lots of promise
There was no 2006 vintage and we gave the 2002 a miss given the 'spritz' we had from previous tastings
Oh, such a lovely time
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8/20/2016 - StainedGlass wrote: 92 Points
Pop and pour, so not giving this bottle its chance to be at its best, but it was still excellent and paired well with our Persian stews and Chicken Barg. Always interesting with a nice funky farmyard earthiness and lightly sweet (in a good way). Approachable now but complex enough to keep the wine geek in me happily engaged.
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8/17/2016 - winesteward Likes this wine: 91 Points
Not very deep, medium garnet. Smokey, a bit of earth, roast meat, some barnyard, and leather. Sweet ripe cherry, dried herb, soft tannins. Medium-bodied. Young for Musar but really attractive and forward at this point. Excellent.
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7/20/2016 - Rob-Rah wrote: 87 Points
Still light feminine. Very un Musar. Elegant. Forgettable. Completely dead on day two after being recorked. Not recommend.
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7/7/2016 - d'Artagnan wrote:
à la Paulée d'été, par M. Dunberry
Nez marqué par la volatile, fruit rouge. La bouche montre un bel équilibre, style un peu sauvage, minéral. Encore bien jeune, il me semble. Pas spectaculaire mais intriguant. Il n'a pas encore la complexité des meilleurs. Il m'aurait fallu quelques verres pour mieux évaluer.
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6/25/2016 - SvenWine wrote: 92 Points
- Garnet color and aromas of strawberry, cherry and black currant. It's balanced and has flavours of strawberry with a medium body. Satin-Like texture with a medium finish - Now really fine to drink at 12 years of age. Clearly needs time in cellar before opening. Be patient.
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6/5/2016 - sillofshade wrote: 94 Points
The nose leaps out of the glass and is constantly evolving, always showing something new and different. Still, it is classic Musar. Lots of spice, leather, loads of cherry, raspberry, plum, strawberry jam, sweat...and to play off of an earlier taster's note...some not so subtle hints of a civil war triage unit with fresh amputees. Gravelly minerality, and loamy earth jumping out of the glass too. Somehow this all manages to be warm and inviting, and very much invokes the feeling of late summer, bordering on autumn.
All of this is mirrored on the palate, but add burnt citrus, sweet tobacco, leather, cranberry, incense. Bloody and meaty, yet perfumed, polite and demure. Medium+ bodied with crunchy, bright acidity, and substantial minerality.
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5/28/2016 - forceberry wrote: 91 Points
Almost black cherry color with slightly maroon rim and only a little translucency. Ripe and sunny yet a bit understated nose with a bit sweet aromas of crushed ripe forest berries, some succulent plummy fruit and a hint of volatility. Moderately full-bodied and velvety palate with medium acidity. Rich, opulent flavors of sweet dark cherries, dark-skinned berries, some kirsch and a hint of acetic volatility. Moderately tannic, but still showing suave smoothness without any coarse character. Long and a bit grippy finish with flavors of peppery spice, ripe dark cherry, some tart lingonberry and a hint of earthiness.
A smooth and classy Musar with hints of sweetness and less emphasis on the tannic structure. Shows hints of volatility, but is far from the funkiest end of Musars. Not as open and expressive as many vintages before and after this, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing; also, the wine seems to have resolved from the phase it was earlier this year. Drinking nicely now, will keep easily for many years. Not the most typical Musar, but still very beautiful. Recommended.
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4/4/2016 - RajivAyyangar wrote:
Musar Industry Tasting at Wingtip with Marc Hochar (Wingtip): Rich dark blackberry on a savory tamari backdrop. Still tight and needs air. In the mouth, powerful with bright acidity. My impression with Tim a few weeks ago was better - the bottle opened up over a few hours.
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3/13/2016 - RajivAyyangar wrote:
Cradle of Wine Civilization (SF Wine School): Hefty. Very dark-fruited with almost slight raisination. Superripe blackberry. Oak and Brett are both more prominent than in the 07 (but very much in balance). Muscular on the palate as well, with medium plus body, elevated alcohol, elevated acid and tannins. Apparently it was a cold year with a heat wave at the end - I wonder if some raisination did occur?
In any case, this bottle had just been opened. I bet with some time it would morph into the fantastic experience of the last one. That said, this particular taste seemed a bit heavy and overripe.
No score - this was just opened and hadn’t breathed yet.
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3/11/2016 - Mrp2008 wrote: 89 Points
Clay, red fruit, some complexity and acidity. A bit flat and lacking structure. Drink now and over the next several years.
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2/27/2016 - PeterMole wrote:
This is really great. Easy drinking, enough complexity.
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2/20/2016 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 95 Points
Bavette and Musar with Tim and Babs (Tim's, SF): 2004 Musar
Brilliant right out of the bottle. Distinctive Musar nose of savory dark fruit, tamari, no overt brett but a definite savoriness. Pretty awesome on the palate. Structured. Medium plus body, moderate alcohol, medium plus tannins, medium plus acid. Slight brett showing on the palate, and a tiny bit thin and bitter. If this is anything like other Musars it should integrate as it airs out. Savory, integrated with black raspberry fruit - a savory set of shades of dark fruit.
After a few hours of Audouzing (cork back in):
This explodes with savory anise tones, dark fruit, a hint of savory toast from new oak (still in the process of integrating. Mid-palate this reminds me of the Paolo Bea Pagliaro - Muscular and integrated. But it tastes somehow more desert-like, less earthy/mushroomy and more sunlight and fruit.
Medium bodied, moderate alcohol (13.5%), moderate acid (slightly elevated, but not sticking out), medium plus tannins. Persistent finish, with concentrated and shifting flavors. Rich and dark-fruited. Iridescent. Cab-dominated at this stage - not much florals or orange peel.
In the context of Musar, this seems like a "bold" style. You might call this a more integrated 1999. In a great place right now - precocious - but think of what it will become!
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1/28/2016 - forceberry wrote: 89 Points
Modestly translucent, developed figgy red color with a maroon-to-bricking orange hue. Slightly reticent nose with sweet sunny fruit aromas and moderate car paint VA character. Aromas of sweet red forest fruits, succulent cherries, some ripe plum and a hint of créme de cassis. Rather full-bodied palate with surprisingly robust character due to surprisingly prominent, grippy and slightly coarse tannins. Ripe and quite intense flavors of plummy fruits, sweet figs, dark-skinned berries, some juicy red forest berries and hints of almost cloyingly sweet, acetic VA character. Despite all its intensity, the midpalate seems a bit restrained. Rather modest, soft acidity. Rather long, but also a bit weak and thin finish with complex, spicy nuances of pepper, allspice, turmeric, some dusty earth and quite pronounced, bitter sour cherry character.
A bit mixed feelings with this one - the wine seems to be a bit all over the place. First of all, it seems a bit restrained and reticent, but still showing the typical Musar complexity. The fruit is ripe and sweet, yet the wine comes across quite dry and even slightly coarse. At times, the wine seems really fruit-forward, the next moment surprisingly volatile. I guess the wine is now in an awkward phase and will show better with some more bottle age. Enjoyable wine, but not a great vintage of red Musar.
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1/28/2016 - bags wrote:
lovely and pure, but andouzed for 2 hrs and probably should have decanted instead.
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1/27/2016 - christyler Likes this wine: 93 Points
Mature color and nose. Spice box and dusty red fruit. More of the same on the palate. Drinking well despite its relative youth. A bit drying on the finish. Great wine.
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1/6/2016 - mschede Likes this wine: 91 Points
Um vinho formidável. De estilo único, com uma personalidade marcante, um verdadeiro ícone! Tive a honra de conhecer esse grande vinho em 2001, o ano em que me tornei enófilo. Morro de saudades dos inesquecíveis 91, 93 e 95... Dos recentes, gostei demais do 2003, e tb do 2005, porém, esse 2004, já bebido antes, achei um pouco abaixo da média. É um vinho mais leve, com menos acidez, corpo e taninos que o habitual. Menos longevo! Já no ponto para liquidar! Uma safra mais modesta! Mas ainda, um ótimo vinho!
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10/27/2015 - Ben85 Likes this wine:
I hear so many in the trade deride this wine, yet they probably haven't actually tasted Musar since 1991 and jump on the band wagon of "VA this" and "VA that" Well, they should try this wine, its full of complexity and gives a lot of pleasure at a very reasonable price. Sure there is "brett" but this only manifests itself here a a slight whiff of farmyard. In all it contributes to a very elegant Musar, with pure expresion of fruit, an approachable structure and one that is very drinkable with a lovely juicy texture. Strawberries, black cherry, red currant, Farmyard, leather, spice. Lovely stuff.
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10/24/2015 - Ian S wrote:
Possibly faulty, except all 3 halves were very similar, with confected fruit and a suggestion of mustiness on the palate, which was not replicated on the nose. A glass left open overnight had a better aroma, so if we had any left I'd be burying them and then try an extended aeration.
A real shame as we're committed Musar fans.
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10/16/2015 - MedocMad wrote:
Given to Ryan at work
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7/30/2015 - lavalava Likes this wine: 93 Points
완젼 조았음 ㅋ
베리 시나몬
풍부한 과실향
보이면 또 사고 싶음
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7/24/2015 - sthugo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Found this in a wine shop in Hawaii and being 11 years old thought I might try a bottle to see how this vintage is travelling. Medium garnet in colour, this has the usual old world aromas upon opening, wet earth and leather. The palate was light-medium weight, more medium bodied than light. Soft, smooth sweet black fruit dominate the palate with spice and raisin playing a supporting role. Quite complex in design there is enough going on here to suggest it has a few more years to show its best. Although it is drinking well currently. Good acidity with a medium finish of soft, fine grained tannins. A good but not great Musar.
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7/1/2015 - andtheodor wrote: 90 Points
Cherry, old furniture, some requisite Brett & VA, very sweetly fruited. A very good Musar.
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6/22/2015 - Frank Murray III wrote:
First time with having Musar. This bottle was opened in the AM, served late in the evening, FWIW. Aromatics of what I jotted down as wet clay. Never called a wine that before but this was what came to mind. Also sensed some sweet floral and some herb. Juicy cherry palate with riper styled fruit and high acid.
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4/26/2015 - yofog wrote:
Reticent nose, surprisingly ripe for how light it is, but that lightness is deceptive, as is the reticence. Of course, deceptiveness is sort of a classic Musar hallmark. Gains great complexity on the nose with air, of warm berries and blood orange on top of the usual brett and wet wood. On the palate, sweetly ripe fruit, generous, with a very long finish. A sweet vintage of Musar (in the best sense) even though the growing season was not necessarily warmer than others. I think this shows great promise.
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4/26/2015 - StefanAkiko Likes this wine: 95 Points
This is now all the things that all great wines want to be, minus the lack of tannic backbone...
Superbly exotic aromas ranging from red fruits to sweaty saddles, a whiff of Brett and wound maintenance.
Medium bodied with only small tannins, M++ acids and extra intensity on the palate. Long, lingering, restrained, perfectly integrated... Now having left adolescence behind.
We only have one btl to go of this vintage and are aiming for 2020, give or take a few years.
Wife: 95p (also tired of supple fruit and watery things.)
At over-performing Bisi-Basi in Yokohama.
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4/21/2015 - johnrm Likes this wine: 89 Points
Early days for this wine but it was on a restaurant list (always a good sign) and we thought we'd try it.
Youthful colour. Superb Musar nose full of fruit and spice. Palate full of fruit (mainly sweet red and black cherry) becoming more like maraschino cherry in the glass. Typical Musar spice and complexity. Half a bottle re-corked for dinner tomorrow and it will be interesting to see how it is opening.
Personally, I wouldn't normally touch a 'noughties' vintage of Musar for at least a few more years but it is interesting to sample it young.
Next day, soft and quite easy but fewer Musar characteristics. Every vintage has its own personality but I wonder if this vintage is for the shorter term?
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4/20/2015 - GraemeBell wrote: 91 Points
Initially very precise and minerally but gives way to more depth and a bit of brett. Crisp acidity but silky smooth at the same time. Almost refreshing. Reminded me (and convinced me) I need to buy the '07.
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3/31/2015 - Herschel Krustofski Likes this wine: 90 Points
The 2004 is entering the drinking window in my opinion. A well-made classic Musar. Good with food after a 60 min decant, or on its own after an extra 30-40 min of breathing.
90-91
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3/20/2015 - bacchuszuo Likes this wine: 91 Points
great acidity, mid body but acidity carried the finish to medium+, very graceful. Fruit not as dominant as 2002. Nose was kinda weird as I suspect my glass was contaminated by detergent leftover....overall an enjoyable wine capable of aging
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3/1/2015 - shallIshantI Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another vertical tasting, this time 15 months from the last one. Some subtle changes over the years, yet interestingly, most of the characters of each vintage stayed the same.
1999 – Amazing. Still going strong for a 16year old wine. Smoothest of the lot. ‘Clean-on’ colour – clear and not thickened. Some wood and very well integrated tannins. Softer now. Suggest drink up if you have any left in stock. Score 92
2000 – Clean fruity rich nose. Slightly lighter but still good acidity on the palate. Score 91
2001 – So much fruit still for a 14yo wine. Score 92
2002 – Still that phenolic spritz – you could tell from just the cork. It’s the one that really stood out. It has finally mellowed though and now drinkable. Still needs more time. Score 88, yet has potential to get much better
2003 – Snappier than the 04. Plenty of blackcurrant. Just a hint of fizz. Will last a while yet. Score 91
2004 – This one is the smooth operator – silky smooth and softly sweet. Score 92
2005 – Still some tannin but good structure and fruit. A favourite. Score 92
2007 – Surprisingly ‘ready’ for a young Musar. This is the year you will find in most retailers. Score 91
We started with shredded duck, then a reduced Consomme (beware the Heston way with ice – takes days to melt in the fridge), individual parcels of Beef Wellington, a Cheese (Livarot, Ossau Iraty and Fourme d’Ambert) course, then a Vanilla Pannacotta with Poached Rhubarb. The older wines went better with the earlier courses, and the younger sweeter ones more suited the cheeses and dessert.
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2/15/2015 - finewinebuff57 wrote: 89 Points
From a half bottle - sadly not decanted, as there was a fair amount of sediment. Early days yet for Musar of course but in this format beginning to drink well, with plenty of life left in it.
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2/6/2015 - Paul Dove Likes this wine: 89 Points
Beguiling but challenging. Like a blend of delicious, young, high-acidity nebbiolo with sherry. Very satisfying mouth-feel and structure but the rustic, nail-polish nose and weird oxidised, feral flavours take some getting used to. Still love it though and look forward to tasting it for many years to come when I expect it will harmonise and settle down nicely.
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2/6/2015 - ekenneth wrote: 93 Points
Here's to Serge!
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1/27/2015 - Burgnick wrote: 87 Points
Tasted side by side with '01 musar. It was my first time tasting this maker. It is a very unique wine..the closest thing it resembled was an old rioja. Both vintages have high acidity, which make these wines lovely when they are old. The nose was very plummy and secondary with noticeable oak. The palate had red berries, cherry licore and plums. 2001 showed more finesss while 2004 had more strengths. Without tasting old Muscar, it is hard for me to tell if this will turn into something amazing. All I can say is that it is an interesting wine at present stage, but people usually either love it or hate it. I personally incline slightly to the love side. But both wine did not have the depth and power for me to give a higher rating.
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1/25/2015 - Kirk Grant wrote:
19 Vintages of Musar Rouge; 1/25/2015-1/26/2015 (Clark Point House in Southwest Harbor, Maine): Color: Vibrant ruby core with a clear meniscus.
Smell: Cement, roses, tart red fruits, clove, and earth.
Taste: Light and bright red fruits, mushrooms, blueberries, and clove.
Overall: Given the youth of this wine, it's showing like a "typical Musar" on the nose and palate showcasing both elegance and structure with what appears to be a promise for a long future. light body, high acidity, med+ tannin with vibrant fruit. Easily enjoyable now, but those that wait will be rewarded. In honor of Bart Broadbent who made tasting the '84 Rouge possible I'll use the five * system. (***/*)
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1/21/2015 - winemaker Likes this wine: 92 Points
Light in color. This wine has intense raspberry fruit with a nice sappy quality and minerality underneath. I have had this wine 4 times in the past year and it just keeps getting better. Better than the 2003 I had last Friday. Long finish. Should improve further from here.
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12/14/2014 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 89 Points
Very nice Musar. In between young and mature, which was pleasant, but I think I prefer one or the other. Mint and leather. (Medeski's first Musar - in Minneapolis).
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11/17/2014 - NineteenEightyTwo wrote: 86 Points
Medium-light ruby color. Light and simple nose of raspberries. The palate is also very light-bodied, tasting more like Merlot (not in a good way) than Cabernet Sauvignon. Though I recall a prior bottle of this vintage being on the lighter side, this was altogether lacking in the type of nuance and complexity I've come to expect from Musar. A disappointment, after having had a lovely bottle of 2002 recently.
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11/7/2014 - StainedGlass wrote: 92 Points
Relatively young compared to other Musars I've had, but still a real pleasure. No contemporaneous notes, but it was well-structured, earthy and complex. Consistenty one of my favorite wines, and a decent value too.
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11/6/2014 - Rob-Rah wrote: 88 Points
Bright colour. Cherry, steawberry and a waft of marker pens. Light style. A bit characterless. Not very Musar.
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9/27/2014 - missatiejacket Likes this wine:
Drinking great right now. There's plenty of time ahead of this, but I have a few and am very glad I opened one. Classic Musar, and this is still looking like an excellent vintage, as it has all along. After this showing, I now think it's right up there with the '95.
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8/4/2014 - NiklasW wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for about 45 mins. Mmmm, beautiful perfumey red cherries, lavender, bit of sun-baked garrigue, very delicious bouquet. Palate follows, sweet red fruits, bit of dried fig, good tannins, super delicious, yum, yum, yum. Excellent now and will last for a long time in the cellar still.
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6/23/2014 - Ian S wrote: flawed
not showing well, with hints of oxidation. May have caught this bottle in time.
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6/7/2014 - ekenneth wrote: 93 Points
This is on the young side and will only get better. Just a hint of the typical Musar funk/ brett.
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4/26/2014 - Hubertius Likes this wine: 88 Points
Great fun as always (well, usually). A very nice Musar. Strongly recommend. Should last a few years too.
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3/23/2014 - PeterMole wrote:
fantastisch, volledig op dronk
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3/20/2014 - Zweder wrote: 88 Points
Monthly tasting club "The Tasting Club" 2014-03; Lebanon. (@ RG): If this bottle is exemplary for the vintage, 2004 is not one of the greatest vintages for Musar. The bouquet is beautiful with pleasant barnyard, smoky oak and salty licorice, but on the palate there are some glue and oxidized impressions. Dark fruits, chocolate and mild tannin. Good concentration, but overall a bit disappointing.
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3/15/2014 - Bobhelge Likes this wine: 90 Points
I simply love Musar. This one as with other vintages shows cooked raspberry, truffle and dark chocolate on the nose. Aromas transferred to the palate along with sweetness, soft tannins and nice acidity.
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3/13/2014 - Rupert wrote: 87 Points
This too was sweet, sickly and too spirity. Usually shows better than this.
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3/8/2014 - PeterMole wrote:
Sweet, harmony, medium to light body, fully mature. Love it.
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1/25/2014 - Jasper May wrote: 88 Points
Pale red with a hint of orange at the rim, tending to medium red at the core - musty nose with red fruits. Medium to light bodied, very slight sweetness (probably more apparent than real), quite aromatic with a balancing acidity - idiosyncratic.
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1/10/2014 - mschede Likes this wine: 92 Points
Na entrada de uma boa janela.. Seu nariz é distinto e já revela razoável evolução e boa complexidade, tendo notas que evocam a cerejas, cravos, outras boas especiarias, um toque mineral, de ervas finas e ligeiro traço oxidativo característico. Na boca é encorpado, mas bem elegante, com um suave sabor agridoce, tendo acidez bem adequada, mas que não chega a ser digna de nota como em outras safras que tive, como a 2003 (em 09/2012), sendo esse 2004 um pouco mais tímido no geral. Aparentemente fruto de safra mais discreta, ainda assim, é longevo e creio que só tenha a melhorar daqui 2+ anos.
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12/11/2013 - ktrh Likes this wine: 83 Points
[from 375]
Not as good as 2005, more raisin on the nose.
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11/6/2013 - BailliSacks Likes this wine:
We found this strange, perhaps a bit madeirized, corked it up and put it aside. I came back to it a week or so later, used some of it for cooking and drank the rest. What a change! This is how it is supposed to taste: light bodied but with plenty of depth, gentle strawberry fruit, a touch of tobacco underneath. If I find another, I will buy it and give it many hours of air before evaluating.
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10/30/2013 - David_T wrote: 89 Points
Notes after getting the slow-o for two days, though I had to drink it out of a rocks glass since that's all I have available in my hotel room so take the review with a grain of salt.
Enjoyable aromas of red fruit, earth and spice with a palate that matches; a bit of olive towards the finish. Moderate tannins/acid. Young, will likely get better over the next 5 years though I'm not sure it will last past its 20th birthday & I might drink these earlier than the vintages surrounding it.
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10/27/2013 - Mhol wrote: 92 Points
Fabulous wine. Jammy nose, medium body. Nice hint of tannins in the throat. Holds up well to pork or brisket.
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10/20/2013 - Herschel Krustofski Likes this wine: 89 Points
As I suspected, the 2004 should be relatively accessible now (9 years old but only a year and half after release). Good now but should keep 7-8 more years. I'd drink this before the 2003s and 2005s.
It was sampled over 3 hours. Approachable from the start. Spicy, earthy, fig, plum not too tannic. Good expression of both the Carignan and Cinsault (more prominent than the Cabernet). Reminiscent of some Carignan-based Priorats.
Allowed to breath 90 minutes before dinner. Works well with a vegetarian Mediterranean meal or on its own (we normally have the more robust examples of Musar with beef/lamb). Good value for money as usual. 89-90
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10/4/2013 - thesternowl Likes this wine: 89 Points
Popped and poured; consumed over two days. The robe was a cloudy garnet...but I find that fairly normal for Musar and, for me, doesn't detract from the experience. Initially, the nose was full of olives with some of the "Musar funk" but the former dissipated precipitously, eventually evolving into a pleasant bouquet of sous bois and ripe, dark red fruit. Good acid for food. Tannins seem well integrated. Soft mouth-feel. Early on, I was picking up an interesting cocoa component in the flavor profile...somewhat reminiscent of stone-ground Mexican table chocolate (seems weird, I know...but if you've ever had it...you would likely get where I'm coming from as it's very distinctive). Eventually, this was replaced by a more classic cocoa component to accompany the brambles and earth. A thoroughly enjoyable Musar. I've got a bottle of this in the cellar that I plan to hold. While this is drinking very nicely right now (much better than the 2005 right now IMO) and well over two days, I think it's got plenty of life in it. Get it.
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9/20/2013 - cartime Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tart black cherry and blackberry, with earthy minerals. Some forest floor and roasted herb notes, but not really any Brett. Medium bodied with fine tannins and nice acidity. Structurally, I can see the comparisons to Burgundy, but I was reminded more of Chinon. Approachable now, but could use 5-7 years.
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9/9/2013 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Red fruit and orangey quality, young and delicious.
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9/8/2013 - yofog wrote: 91 Points
Savory and complex, lots of red fruits and soil, clean, though, and while I would call it favorably high-toned it definitely has less VA than I'm used to with these. Not one of the bigger Musars, but the incredibly long finish doesn't have me worrying about keeping these in the cellar.
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7/11/2013 - NineteenEightyTwo Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lighter in color and body than prior vintages, this has a translucent carmine color. The nose is a mix of cigar box and stone, and starts to take on more of a rich cherry fruit favor after an hour of aeration. The palate is somewhat austere, with tart plum flavors. The tannins have integrated somewhat but this is still far from maturity. In aggregate, the lightness and elegant structure of this are reminiscent of Burgundy, whereas other vintages have seemed to more closely echo Bordeaux. Would be worth revisiting this after another five years at a minimum.
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6/12/2013 - missatiejacket Likes this wine:
After about an hour in the decanter, this is a very young, relatively clean, fresh example of Musar. Bright red fruits combine with a lot of dried herbs and pencil shaving, as well as some classic exotic spice notes. There is just a hint of the "Musar funk", but it is definitely there. Some of the savory notes I typically get are whispers here, probably waiting to reveal themselves with time. Overall, it's a very good, but not great, Musar at this point. I see a lot of upside, but don't think it will ever reach the potential of great vintages such as '95. I haven't followed any single vintage for enough years to know exactly how these evolve, though. I will definitely be putting some away for myself, because this is still an outstanding wine, and I'm interested to see where it goes. Whatever the case, I'd say it could use a few years to broaden out a bid.
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4/25/2013 - mschede Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cor granada de média concentração. Nariz que indica que o vinho ainda vem abrindo, mas já bem agradável e complexo, com notas de ameixas secas, calda de cerejas, ótimas notas especiadas de cravo e canela e um sutil toque oxidativo (normalmente característico). Na boca, muito saboroso e complexo, a exemplo do nariz, mas seu corpo, estrutura tânica e acidez se mostraram um pouco mais contidos que o habitual nesta safra 2004. Um Musar de perfil mais leve, mas como sempre, com todos os elementos em perfeito equilíbrio. Provavelmente atingirá seu auge dentro da segunda metade dessa década.
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4/25/2013 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
n - VA, spicy
light-bodied, refreshing, spicy, ripe fruit
refreshing, long
heady
i like it
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4/13/2013 - Rupert wrote: 90 Points
Dried fruits, yes it's all dried fruits, plush, exotic, spicy, hot after the Epeneaux, but nevertheless very enjoyable
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4/13/2013 - G&A wrote: 89 Points
Decanted one hour.
The nose is of very ripe strawberries, dark plums, morello cherries, coffee beens, cedar and spice.
Same fruits in the mouth with a sour/morello cherry finish.
Silky textured with a medium body, medium/high acidity, soft low tannins.
Very enjoyable...
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4/9/2013 - PSPatrick wrote: 89 Points
The wine offered dried red and dark fruit, dried cherry, blackberry, strawberry, dark chocolate, and a chlorine/swimming pool component on the nose. On the palate the wine showed dried fruits, strawberry, blackberry, chocolate, exotic spice, and hints of tobacco and tea, with good acidity, fine, medium-level tannin and very good length. Medium-bodied, balanced and elegant, and apparently showing a slightly oxidized style of Musar. Reminded me a little of Port (not in terms of viscosity or body, but in taste). Anyways, this young Musar drank very well already. 89+ for now.
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3/31/2013 - swyang wrote:
Beautiful as usual. Just a bit young, but nevertheless very enjoyable. Mid body, flowery, red berries, deep nose, uplifting after taste. I haven't, so far, tasted any mediocre vintage from Musar. around 22pounds at Waitrose in UK. BTW, just a few weeks ago, a '99 was a stunner, and at peak~
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2/15/2013 - Rupert wrote: 89 Points
Porty and plush, dried fruits, very nice, but doesn't have the real Musar magic touch
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1/16/2013 - Rupert wrote: 90 Points
Best bottle yet. Plush, exotically spiced, but fresh, fine, silkily textured. Super
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1/12/2013 - GuBe wrote: 89 Points
Rúsínuilmur; eikað, plómu- og kirsuberjabragð. Loftað í góða 2 tíma, batnaði þegar á leið. Dæmigerður Musar eftir 3 tíma+. Langt og mjúkt eftirbragð.
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1/5/2013 - Sjoerdoz wrote: 92 Points
After tasting the 2000 vintage you'll recognise this thisdistinctive Lebanese right away. Unbelievable the taste of strawberry and light red fruits combined with old oaky (french) style woods.
A bit of orange combined with a light soury (..). After the 2000 vintage this surely will deem away after a bit more patience. It has a deluxe good balance combined with a good length which
results in a light jammy, easy to drink velvet wine. Trust me, tasted lots of grand cru's between '80's - 2000's and this is absolutely a great contender and above all, a very smooth and nice wine to enjoy, buy it.
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1/1/2013 - oliverrix Likes this wine: 88 Points
Deep, tar smell, smooth
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12/13/2012 - Rupert wrote: 89 Points
Interesting to have this a couple of days after a Lafarge Chênes 98 which showed so much in common - porty, a hint of oxidation, very plush, dried cherry fruit.
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12/1/2012 - ruth3 Likes this wine: 86 Points
as the others say raisiny porty and acidic on opening, not loads of tannin. lets see how it develops in the glass but lacks the funky complexity of other Musar. a sensuous mouthful but a little one dimensional. next day- a little funkier- sage?
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11/18/2012 - SvenWine wrote:
Much better than the half bottle tried yesterday. The sniff includes tones of spice and cedar but dominating is the porty tones of raisin. The taste is also dominated by dark fruit and raisins. I miss the complexity and balance I have experienced in Ch Musar before. Maybe this will improve after a few more years in the cellar.
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11/17/2012 - SvenWine wrote: flawed
The wine smelled porty. The taste was sour and porty. Not good at all. Off balance. I poured it out. There was mould on the cork but I have seen this many times before and it was only on the outside. Tasted bottle was a half bottle.
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11/12/2012 - Rupert wrote: 88 Points
Porty, but sumptuous rich fruit, just needs to freshen up a bit; let's hope it does
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9/15/2012 - Rob-Rah wrote:
For me, this needs time, or air, lots of air. Dark red. Much less of the typical Musar "stink". At first tough, tannic, acidic. Air brings out some aromatics and we start to get some more typicity of Musar. I think with time, lots of time, this will be a rather refined drink. It seemed to have grace and femininity behind the whack of tannin and acid. Think along the lines of a fine 1990s-decade vintage of Mas de Daumas Gassac for style.
It seems we drinkers of this wine are in very sharp disagreement about the wine's development status and potential! Are the bottles realy this variable? Based on my experience with this bottle, the rest could go away until approaching 2020.
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8/5/2012 - Winestein wrote: 85 Points
The first bottle had a very dry cork that broke and to this I attributed its lackluster contents. Bottle two had been better stored and there were some dark fruits on the nose and port notes on the palate. 14% alcohol. Not tannic at all so I do not know what all this talk is about the supposed robustness. Not a classic Musar. Drink up now.
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8/4/2012 - Sundbyberg wrote: 82 Points
From a small bottle.
Total lack of finesse. Clumpsy, boring and rather thin.
This wine is simply not good.
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7/29/2012 - PeterMole wrote:
First bottle, early tasting, no formal notes. Characteristic combination of Bordeaux like (CS) and Rhone like (Syrah) aroma's. Already soft immediately after decanting. More ready to drink than 2002, 2003. Next day similar, not much more evolved. Seems ready and possible to keep. Next bottle in 2 years?
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7/16/2012 - pjaines wrote:
This one drank very well tonight - rounded, plump but with excellent finesse - cherries, chocolate powder and soil. This one can sit in the cellar for years, but actually giving great pleasure right now.
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6/10/2012 - shallIshantI wrote: 89 Points
Vertical tasting – 7 years of Musar from 1999 to 2005
2005 – most tannic one. Noticeably younger. Very good year, smooth, but needs longer in bottle. Scores range 85-91
2004 – still has a little bite on the tip of the tongue. Tastes younger than its age. Fruit is nice and clean. Mustier. Nose is dull. Hot year. Punchy. Scores range 87-90
2003 – lovely and smooth from the word go. Silky but more lightweight compared to the others. Scores range 82-92
2002 – there was a sharp spritz on the bottle, still there hours after opening. Roughest of the lot and not nearly as good as my previous experience of this year. Maybe just a rogue bottle.
2001 – if tasted blind, you could be forgiven for thinking this was a grand vin claret. The Cabernet dominates this year. Another hot year. Almost sherry like. Not full or punchy though. A few more years to go. Well liked. Scores range 90-92
2000 – bubblegum sweet yet earthy. Distinct from the others. Nice, clear, young and fruity for a 12year old wine. The 2000 grew on us as the night went on. This has reached the point when it can be enjoyed. Scores range 90-92
1999 – this is at its peak now and showing its aristocracy. Drink up. Scores range 90-93
We tried the 2003, 2004 and 2005 with the starter (shredded duck) and then added the 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 for the main (Roman lamb). All bottles opened 6 hours prior to tasting. The cork for the 2000 was coloured all the way up but the wines were all at the same level in the necks.
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5/20/2012 - christhewino Likes this wine: 88 Points
Another hit for me but also another variation on previous vintages. It doesn't have the power or structure of the 2003 but it certainly has the fruit. Probably the most Bordeaux like Musar I've tried.
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5/7/2012 - idc2001 wrote: 84 Points
Tannic monster of a wine at the moment, and lacking fruit in nose or mouth as well. Really dont know whether this will get better or a dubious bottle, but will stay with the 1999 for now.
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4/21/2012 - oliverrix wrote: 88 Points
Deep and quite acidic; room for growth; felt it tasted better the following day
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4/13/2012 - Rupert wrote: 88 Points
Musarathon (Strictly Rhythm, London): Not as syrupy as some bottles I've had recently, but it lacks oomph.
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4/13/2012 - cooberp wrote:
Musarathon (Strictly Rhythm, London): Has Musar gone modernist? This wine continues the trend I saw from '99 to '01, offering yet more candied red fruit and yet less counterbalancing acidity. My palate was tiring at this point so I'm not going to score this, but the consensus view at the table was that this was closer to a less distinctive international style than any of its predecessors.
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4/12/2012 - Andrewbdc wrote: 88 Points
Musar Vertical Tasting in Paris with Marc Hochar - INSEAD Alumni Wine Club
Appearance: Medium red, slightly brick on the rim, muddy
Nose: dominated by sweet fruits - black cherries, figs, toast too
Palette: Medium bodied, fruits dominate, tannins well integrated
Finish: Medium
Nice wine but yet to develop truly interesting secondary flavours
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4/5/2012 - Rupert wrote:
Blowsy and oxidising - the 04 does seem variable
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3/30/2012 - StefanAkiko wrote: 92 Points
Non-blind. Had immediately.
Light red, small nose with touch of brett. Elegant, balanced, complex, medium-bodied wine with (M-) tannins and small notes of sweaty horse and emerging maturity. A true gem.
The 2003 was Bordeaux in style. This one seems much more like an elegant Châteaunef du Pape... Am curious as to what some years in the cellar will do to it. Ahh! Anticipation :-)
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3/17/2012 - Rupert wrote: 89 Points
Much better than previous bottles, really rich and plush, spirity, licquorous, a glamorous lady in a grand trailing gown
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3/4/2012 - pjaines wrote:
This is quite a strong Musar - much richer and plumper than some recent vintages. Very typical aromas of cherries, farmyard and .... well...those hard to describe Musar aromas. However, it felt less fine than Musars of old - felt a little more rounder and woolly on the palate. Needs time - quite a long time I would imagine to lose some of the puppy fat.
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1/25/2012 - NiklasW wrote: 90 Points
ChTR kokous 25.01.2012 (SKO-toimisto): Decanted for an hour. This was quite a pale red with distinct purple edges. The nose is full throttle, with typical Musar VA, tons of red fruits, earth, lots of dried figs and dates. The palate is very sweet and very fruity with lots of tannins and great acidity. This is my first taste of the 2004 vintage, it's way too young to drink now. I will open the next bottle in 4-5 years. This does seem to have the stuffing to last for a long time. Excellent!
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12/7/2011 - Rupert wrote: 87 Points
Plush and rich, but not very expressive, and the fruit is a bit stewy. Lacks the usual Musar magic
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11/22/2011 - tomred wrote: 90 Points
Tasting at Majestic, Farnham. Light in colour still youthfull brick red. Black fruits, roasted nuts, chocolate. Dark chocolate, tar, toast, figs, leather.
Very approachable now, must try to resist the temptation as it will improve to an outstanding wine
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10/29/2011 - D Brown wrote: 94 Points
An excellent Musar. Deeper, fresher and fuller than the more forward 03. Seems pretty clean at this stage of its evolution, but there is not doubt that this is classic Musar from the nose through to finish. Really excellent.
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10/21/2011 - rupertg wrote: 87 Points
Garnet hue, red rim. Young, with excellent fruit , mulberry and plum. Smokey. Quite light. Lingers well. Intriguing hints of leather and tobacco leaf. Could become very subtle.
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10/20/2011 - Rupert wrote: 88 Points
Velvet texture, sweet, fruitcake rich, but lacking the usual sharpness that brings Musar to life
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9/23/2011 - grafstrb wrote: 86 Points
Chateau Musar Tasting (Harrogate Fine Wine Company): -- double decanted approximately 2.5 hours before tasting --
-- tasted a single pour non-blind over approx. 10 minutes --
Tight Nose was strongly perfumed – floral perfume. Medium bodied; a bit prickly; good acidity; drying (but not harsh) tannins; red fruits; a bit rough on the palate. This is the current Musar Rouge release, and its youthfulness is readily apparent, especially in this lineup. Wouldn't be surprised to see my score improve with time. Hold.
B: 50, 5, 10, 14, 7 = 86
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5/18/2011 - Biggsy wrote: 89 Points
Dark garnet with a polished leather VA heavy nose. Concentrated and ripe with spicy plummy fruit, raisin and cedar. Held together with dry grippy tannins. Lovely sweet red fruit and more cedar in the finish.
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2/28/2010 - Pfaivre wrote: 79 Points
Decu par rapport au musar normal. Rien a voir. Acidite dérangeante.
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