2010 Chateau Musar

Red Blend

ricard Likes this wine: 95 points

November 25, 2022 - Oh my days what a wine. Sensationally complex - as we all know. Crazy compendium of overripe/fermenting fruit - prunes and plums and figs - and odder things like carob and liquorice. All the spices that you want: cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, star anise, mace, Szechuan pepper, aniseed. And then old leather and pipe tobacco and sizzling bacon fat. Strange dark rooms in abandoned houses, rutting farm animals in the summer sun, wild forest mammals large and small, blood, iron, sweat... All the mysteries. Such a phenomenal wine always.

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JohnTelford commented:

12/2/22, 5:03 AM - How long did you decant?
ricard commented:

12/2/22, 5:07 AM - Hi @JohnTelford - I don't think I decanted it at all... I don't remember decanting it.
Herschel Krustofski commented:

1/2/23, 4:25 PM - Regarding decanting: I would guess it would benefit from about an hour of decanting at this stage and would likely hold/develop for a few hours. However, for disclosure, I have yet to open any of the 2010s. We are still drinking the 2005s (another excellent vintage for Musar).
Hochar recommended drinking his wines after 15 years. I tend to agree based on experience with earlier vintages (definitely for the top vintages). It's possible that 2010 won't reach the peak for another 2-3 years, but after reading this, I think I will try to open one bottle (BTW, warm years like 2003 were better after 10-12, by 15 it lost some depth and just felt overripe). I'd better try the 2010 before speculating more.
ricard commented:

1/3/23, 3:11 AM - Hi Herschel, thank you for your thoughtful remarks. I do think that Musar's eccentricity is its charm. I think 2010 is an exciting vintage, but it is opening up early, so I do think it's wise to open one just in case it's peaking now. Your tastes might not be like mine, though, and there's always the possibility you think it's young. I think 2010 is wonderful and I am ready for another one!