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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.8 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 35 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Yassine23 on 2/5/2024: Very reduced, left some of it for the next day, still closed. Insane. (835 views) | | | Tasted by talbot61 on 7/12/2023: This is an intriguing, complex wine, though I am not sure whether I like it. It's hard to get past the initial aromas of gasoline. Fortunately the gasoline doesn't show up among the flavors, which do include walnuts, honey, chicken liver, and olive oil. The wine starts more obviously oxidative, but becomes more acidic with air -- after three hours, there is a strong grapefruit-rind flavor in the aftertaste. Overall, it most closely resembles a white Rhone, but really there may not be anything else quite like it. (1687 views) | | | Tasted by lozatron on 5/19/2023: Friday Night with Salmon, Potatoes and X-Files; 5/19/2023-5/20/2023 (At home in leafy West London): Spiky - a hint of mouldy walnut to it. Imagine it just needs time. (1820 views) | | | Tasted by Skotto on 4/2/2023 & rated 91 points: Oxidative style white with modest nose, a touch of Penicillium with notes of dried stone fruit and a dry, balanced finished. Quite addictive. A dry, less decadent alternative to Sauternes. (1768 views) | | | Tasted by NickBurwood on 4/1/2023 & rated 91 points: Two years from my last note and another impressive showing. Rhônish in style if not varietals, complex herb and spice mix in a white aromatic fruit melange. Hints of oak, somewhat viscous slightly malo feel, nonetheless well balanced by clean minerality and unobtrusive citrusy acidity.
I suspect an evolutionary wine probably good for 20yrs from vintage - but whether further improvement will only be answered by patience/restraint. Good now and till 2032. 91?+ (1706 views) | | | Tasted by Ernestas on 2/10/2023 & rated 91 points: Made from a blend of 60% Obaideh and 40% Merwah which are ancestors of Chardonnay and Semillon grown at altitude of 1200 meters. Aged partly in stainless steel and new FR oak for 9 months and 7 years in bottle. Medium golden colour. Fragrant and rich aroma apples, almonds, peaches, apricots, honey, acacia and lemon peel hints. Palate is fresh and soft with silky and creamy texture, fragrant fruitiness echoes notes of aroma, touch of oak and vanilla with delicate spiciness, well integrated acidity. (1672 views) | | | Tasted by lovanc@outlook.com on 1/8/2023: Love the texture of this wine. Feels both rich and light at the same time. Initially had floral hints that popped in on the mid palate but those disappeared after a few hours. (702 views) | | | Tasted by NoTrollingerPlease on 12/10/2022 & rated 89 points: R. López de Heredia Tasting (Freiheit Vinothek, Ulm, Germany): Glass: Zalto Universal
Tasted blind. Popped and poured. Clear, deep golden color. Nose with some oxidative nose, roasted nuts and acacia. Not as complex as the preceding Gravonia.
On the palate lean, fine, elegant and precise. More oxidative than the preceding Gravonia and lacking its depth, tension and complexity. Medium length. Probably it needs more time? 89-90 (1614 views) | | | Tasted by James Kim on 10/30/2022 & rated 92 points: Brought by Brian. Pop n pour. About 1h after opening. Lovely nose of apples, sea spray, herbs, nuts and pears. Palate with apples, a bit of beeswax, unripe pears, minerals, a bit of walnut skins. Medium body with nice acids. Nice complexity with depth but still seems to be holding something back. I think there is more complexity to come with some further aging. (1204 views) | | | Tasted by Fernando81 on 9/24/2022 & rated 92 points: Top lebanon white blend.
Obaideh (the local variety of Chardonnay) and Merwah.
7 years bottle aging on the domain.
Partly wood aging.
Nutty, exotic, intense, dry, slightly oxidative in the aftertaste. Very special and excellent quality.
I understand the association many have with a ripe white bordeaux or rioja
Delicious! (1507 views) | | | Tasted by forceberry on 9/17/2022 & rated 88 points: Made with Obaideh (60%) and Merwah (40%) grapes sourced from ungrafted, low-yielding vineyards that are 50 to 90 years old, located at the altitude of 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) above sea level. The vintage 2012 in Beqaa began cool and snowy, followed by a rainy April, a promising May and a hot summer, starting with a hot June and a heatwave in July. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 9 months in a combination of new French 225-liter barriques (25%) and stainless steel tanks. 12% alcohol, 2 g/l residual sugar, 3,9 g/l acidity. Tasted in a Musar Blanc 2014-1998 vertical.
Pale, limpid and somewhat neutral lemon-yellow color. The nose feels rather dull and inexpressive for a white Musar with relatively little in the way of fruit - there are aromas of woolly lanolin and some sawdusty notes of untoasted oak, a little bit of fresh red apple, light mineral notes of stone dust, a hint of white peach, a primary touch of candied tutti frutti character and a whiff of leesy creaminess The wine feels somewhat ripe and balanced but also moderately restrained on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and flavors of leesy yeast and saline mineral tones, some dull notes of damp wool, a little bit of fresh red apple, light nuances of ripe citrus fruits, a primary hint of tutti frutti candy and a mineral touch of wet rocks. The medium acidity keeps the wine in balance, but doesn't give much freshness or sense of structure to the wine. The finish is quite long but also a bit dull with flavors of ripe citrus fruits, some juicy red apple, a little bit of stony minerality, light woolly notes of lanolin, a hint of tangy salinity and a touch of untoasted wood.
A decent but ultimately somewhat dull and underwhelming vintage of Musar Blanc. Fortunately this bottle was much better than we had earlier this year that seemed to suffer from lightstrike or something else that made the wine feel slightly stinky. This one was very clean for a white Musar, but also surprisingly low-key as well, lacking quite a bit in the fruit department. Furthermore, the acidity came across as quite modest for the wine as well, resulting in a wine that is sort of recognizable for the label, but lacking all the qualities that normally make it so great. Although this bottle was a lot better than the one we had prior to this, I still haven't gotten a feeling that this would turn into something more remarkable with further age. Until I get to taste an impressive 2012 Musar Blanc, I'm going to call 2012 as a middling vintage for both red and white Musar. At 41,87€, this wine feels a bit expensive for the quality. (1731 views) | | | Tasted by Luke275 on 6/22/2022: Golden hue. Nose of honey, wax and a faint note of peaches. Very rich palate, medium/low acidity with a really strong honey finish. (1450 views) | | | Tasted by forceberry on 2/25/2022 & rated 84 points: Made with Obaideh (60%) and Merwah (40%) grapes sourced from ungrafted, low-yielding vineyards that are 50 to 90 years old, located at the altitude of 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) above sea level. The vintage 2012 in Beqaa began cool and snowy, followed by a rainy April, a promising May and a hot summer, starting with a hot June and a heatwave in July. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 9 months in a combination of new French 225-liter barriques (25%) and stainless steel tanks. 12% alcohol, 2 g/l residual sugar, 3,9 g/l acidity. Tasted in a Musar Blanc 2012-1994 vertical.
Pale lemon-yellow color. Ripe but also rather restrained - at first even completely mute - nose with light aromas of sweet citrus fruits, some creamy tones, a little bit of licorice root or anise and a hint of woody character with a faint stinky nuance in the background, making me wonder if this wine is suffering from a mild case of lightstrike? The wine is ripe, round and surprisingly mellow on the palate with a bit dull and unintegrated flavors of juicy white fruits, some sweeter notes of white gummi bear candies, a little bit of woolly lanolin, light fusel-y notes that remind me of awamori or grappa, a hint of damp old wood and a touch of something vaguely skunky. The wine is only medium in acidity, which makes it feel rather soft and lacking precision. The finish is round, juicy and somewhat sweet-toned with flavors of juicy white fruit, some creamy tones, a little bit of damp wool, light savory notes of woody spice or even sawdust and a hint of something skunky. The fruity notes fade away quite quickly, but the woolly nuances remain on the palate for some time.
A surprisingly soft, mellow and rather dull vintage of Musar Blanc that comes across as surprisingly woolly and understated, lacking quite a bit both in fruit and in acidity. It might be that the wine is only suffering from lightstrike - something that is always a possibility with wines bottled in clear bottles - which might explain the faint skunky tones that distract from pleasure, but I doubt this would be a particularly memorable vintage even without the stinky nuances. I really hope the wine would evolve in a more positive direction with age, and not lose its fruity qualities, becoming even more woolly in the process. Feels somewhat pricey for the quality at 41,87€. (1994 views) | | | Tasted by vinhonotte on 2/18/2022 & rated 90 points: Pale yellow, with bits of sediments. strong funky nose, of hay, barnyard, dried apricot, nutmeg. Seemingly some tannins even, nutty funk, hay, barnyard, candied peach, cloves, nutmeg. Very persistent at the back though (1416 views) | | | Tasted by havarhar on 11/19/2021 & rated 92 points: Lys gul glinsende nesten litt gylden farge.
Kompleks lukt som nesten kommer ut av glasset. Blomster, smør, honning og aprikos.
Smaksrik. Godt med syre. Nesten litt søtlig preg, uten å faktisk være søt. Tydelig eik. Lang, kompleks og meget god.
En av de beste, om ikke den beste, tørre hvitvinen jeg har drukket. (1607 views) | | | Tasted by Khon Kaen on 9/9/2021 & rated 88 points: The wine looks yellow gold colored. It smells like lemon, cloves and grapefruit. It tastes like stoniness, lime, grapefruit and mineral. Medium acidity and light bitterness. (1658 views) | | | Tasted by WineTally on 9/7/2021: Obaideh 60% Merwah 40% (indigenous ancient varietals)
from vineyards on Mount Lebanon slopes at 1,200-1,400 m dating back
to 5,000 BC. on stony, chalky soils (for Obaideh) and calcareous gravels (for Merwah).
Ungrafted, untrained bushvines 50-90 yrs old with low yield of 10-20 hl/ha.
Fermented and aged partly in new French Nevers oak barrels for 9 months
and partly in stainless steel vats at 18-22* C.
Released 7 years after vintage.
12% Abv.
History: Founded by Gaston Hochar in 1930.
Son Serge (1939-2014) took charge as winemaker from 1959.
Contemporary Management: Ronald (second son of Gaston),
Gaston and Marc (sons of Serge), Ralph (son of Ronald)
A(ccuray)=2: Med bright lemon/yellow. Intriguing, aromatic blend.
B(alance)=2: Rich fruit forward with high-tone acidity.
C(omplexity)=2: Citrus, hint of resin and musk.
D(epth)=2: Lifted mouthfeel. Full palate and finish.
Wine Tally Score [2,2,2,2]= 8/10
Has appeal by its uniqueness, even if not by taste.
For story-telling label graphics, see:
[https://www.instagram.com/p/CTt4dRjsXmy/]
[https://www.facebook.com/WineTally/]
For a unique multimedia resource, see
[https://winetally.wixsite.com/vingnette] (1562 views) | | | Tasted by Matata on 8/21/2021 & rated 91 points: Tre, marsipan, honning og tørket(?) fersken. Salt og fyldig med moden frukt munnen. Honning og tretanniner i en lang utgang.
Dag 2: mye av kompleksiteten forsvinner og den volatile syren kommer klarer gjennom. (1497 views) | | | Tasted by GlennO86 on 7/1/2021 & rated 89 points: Smell of Leather, vanilla and cherry. Dry. Modest acidety. Oak, tobacco and citrus on the palate. Medium long exit (1495 views) | | | Tasted by lozatron on 6/30/2021: Volatile, musty - even over three days. Nothing like the 10 had from Magnum last autumn. Not sure if an aggresive bottle or this wine is having a grumpy phase. (1387 views) | | | Tasted by MarshallLi on 3/25/2021 & rated 91 points: Medium gold,medium elderflower,lemon,orange,grass,mint,black/white pepper,dried fruit,wed stones,cloves,orange marmalade,petrol,dry,high acidity,low alcohol,medium(-) body,medium(+) finish,good wine,suitable for bottle ageing. Kinda of green when the serving temperature is high (1556 views) | | | Tasted by Keith Cooper on 3/19/2021 & rated 85 points: Zoom tasting of Musar wines, hosted by Auriol Wine, Hampshire, UK with wines introduced by Elliott O'Mara of Chateau Musar UK. Made from 90 year old vines grown at 1200 metres, Medium gold colour. Perfumed nose, some green apples. The palate is slightly petroly, almost riesling like. It's quite bitter, but with some lemon. It's generally an unusual wine, definitely needs food, but not for me. (1449 views) | | | Tasted by GTFreek on 3/4/2021: Obaideh & Merwah are the grapes. Some of the vines are 140 years old. Old indigenous grapes with a thousand year local history. Harvested later in the season than their red wines. Concrete ferment, 8 months of oak, then 8 years of bottle aging, released after their reds.
Medium plus nose shows fresh earth, yellow flowers, toffee, some malo influence, lemon curd (but no real lees treatment), cedar, herbal tones. Palate shows all kinds of unique flavors, nutty tones, the age is gorgeous, deep citrus, fresh earth notes, curd, all packaged in a very approachable style of medium light alcohol, medium plus acidity. Finish keeps the flavor coming. Great white for red drinkers in the full flavor. Great wine for anyone, honestly. (1439 views) | | | Tasted by ahagen on 2/25/2021 & rated 89 points: 89 p nå, nokså ubalansert, men stor oppside ved lang (10 år +) lagring. (1330 views) | | | Tasted by despore on 1/17/2021 & rated 90 points: Lovely, well made wine, honey, floral notes, a touch of lees, med (+) to full body in the mouth yet only 12% ABV. (1407 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Chateau Musar Producer website
Source: VinConnect (VinConnect.com)
Housed in an 18th century castle in Ghazir, about 25 km north of Beirut, Chateau Musar was founded in 1930 by Gaston Hochar, inspired by Lebanon’s 6,000-year winemaking tradition and his friendship with Ronald Barton of Chateau Leoville-Barton in Saint Julien. The estate’s name in Arabic is ‘M’zar,’ meaning “place of extraordinary beauty/shrine to be visited,” an ideal name for this fascinating estate.
The vines for the estate’s unique wines are located in the famed Bekaa Valley, an area celebrated for its viticulture since Biblical times. At the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, bordered by Syria to the north and east and Israel to the south, Lebanon’s favorable geographical and climatic conditions have always held abundant promise for the cultivation of grapes. The Bekaa Valley is positioned particularly well, nestled between the ‘Lebanon’ and ‘Anti-Lebanon’ mountain ranges at 34° N of the equator.
The vineyards of Musar are planted at altitudes ranging from 1,000 – 1,500 meters (3,280 – 4,921 ft) above sea level. The vines benefit from cool nights and seasonal temperatures (snow in winter and hot summers), resulting in long ripening periods. The vineyard soils are predominantly calcareous/limestone with gravel and stone, resulting in wines of distinctive character and blends of appealing complexity.
The vineyards’ remote location coupled with the Hochar family’s respect for the environment has resulted in ‘organic’ vineyards by default since the 1950s, even long before the term was coined. The estate obtained organic certification for its vineyards in 2005, the first producer in Lebanon to do so. All the grapes are hand-harvested by local Bedouins in the cool of the morning in order to preserve freshness, the harvest usually taking place between August and October.
The Chateau Musar winery is located in Ghazir about two and a half hour’s drive from the Bekaa Valley. The cellars are dug into the mountainside providing perfect condition for long term wine storage. The wines of Chateau Musar are produced with a ‘non-interventionist’ wine making philosophy; fermentation starts naturally with ambient yeasts, the bare minimum of sulfur is used and the Chateau Musar wines are neither fined nor filtered. Individual varieties from different vineyards are kept separately up to two years, and constantly tasted to understand their unique personalities and characteristics. The final blending process is an intrinsic part of the winemaking art at Chateau Musar — winemaking by instinct.
The estate produces three lines: the flagship range includes Chateau Musar Red, Chateau Musar White and Chateau Musar Rosé; Hochar Père et Fils Red – a more accessible red, produced from a single vineyard site in the Bekaa Valley and ready to drink upon release at year five (as opposed to Chateau Musar Red which the family recommends to drink starting from year 15); and Musar Jeune — unoaked vibrant wines intended for immediate drinking. The Chateau Musar Red and White wines undergo lengthy bottle ageing in the estate cellars and are released only after seven years.
Chateau Musar first achieved international recognition during the Bristol Wine Fair in England in 1979, where the wine press and prominent critics including Michael Broadbent declared it “the discovery of the fair”. In 1984, Decanter wine magazine named Serge Hochar their first ever “Man of the Year” for his extraordinary achievements, determination and dedication to producing outstanding wines during the difficult years of the Lebanese civil war.
Today, Chateau Musar wines are known worldwide for their finesse, elegance and extraordinary ability to age, and the estate still offers mesmerizing wines dating back to the 1950’s.
Speaking about the wines of Chateau Musar, Serge Hochar said “the harmony of nature is better than anything we could ever create. I believe it should be a priority to seek to drink what is ‘true’ rather than what is ‘good’ “. When speaking about quality in wine he added “I once produced a wine that was technically perfect but it lacked the charms of imperfection”.
With its captivating history and the incredible passion and dedication of the Hochar family, Chateau Musar has achieved a sort of cult-like status and is one of the most written-about and discussed wines in the world today.White Blend"White blend" means the wine is made from a blend of two or more different white varieties - or in some cases a blend of pink or red varieties that are vinified white, ie. without any skin contact.
A blend of Antao, Arinto, Rouperio. |
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