2004 Chateau Musar

Red Blend

Mrp2008 wrote: 89 points

March 11, 2016 - 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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RajivAyyangar commented:

3/24/16, 10:28 AM - Just out of curiosity, how much air did you give the bottle? There is bottle variation with Musar, but in general I've found the young Musars (<15 years) need air to really emerge. For the '95 and '99 I'll often double-decant 8-10 hrs before drinking.
Mrp2008 commented:

5/18/16, 7:39 PM - Rajiv, apologies for missing your note. I had heard great things about Musar and have never seen one in a store. In my state, shipping laws are fairly restrictive, so when I saw this on a restaurant wine list, I knew I had to try it. Unfortunately that meant a pop and pour. Would generally have popped, tasted, and let open up over at least 1-3 hours before consuming. A very unique wine and one I would be more than happy trying again.
RajivAyyangar commented:

5/19/16, 11:59 AM - Cool - it's always intriguing to me what people think of young Musar. Unlike other wines, I don't feel Musar lets on that there's a drastic evolution in its future. I'd recommend trying an older bottle (1998 or older) if you can get your hands on one, to contrast. There's a defined inflection point that varies by vintage (for example, '95 is well into its second phase, '99 is just starting to transform, and 2001, a lighter vintage, is a bit into the transformation, ahead of the '99). The fruit drops out and a different sort of fruit emerges - it can be magical.