April 9, 2023 - From magnum.
Perfectly mature (but precipice in view) with classic earthy, truffly nuances. À point dark hedge fruit and dusky tannins with integrated capsid acidity.
Drink over the next 3 years max (or now if in smaller format).
April 1, 2023 - The vintage 1996 was fairly normal for Chateau Musar with a cool, rainy winter and a mild spring followed by good flowering. The crop was quite large, resulting in fruit lacking a bit in power and concentration, which is why only the best lots were selected for the grand vin in this year, resulting in a noticeably smaller quantity of the wine in this vintage. A slightly higher amount of SO2 was used - during the racking process - as the wine seemed lighter and weaker than normal, making Serge Hochar wonder if the wine was protected well enough against oxygen. The blend is quite typical aka. one third of each Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut. 13% alcohol. Decanted for six hours before tasting the wine.
Aged, old and very translucent appearance with a brown color of burnt sugar. The nose feels pungent with oxidized and Madeirized aromas of peanut butter and nutty rancio, some cooked cream tones, a little bit of soy sauce, light espresso tones, a hint of hoi sin, a Sercial-like touch of chopped walnuts and a faint green whiff of aldehydic sharpness. The wine is old and tired on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and flavors that are between oxidative and oxidized: chopped walnuts, soy sauce, some salty notes of rancio, a little bit of aldehydic salinity, light beef jerky nuances, a hint of espresso and a touch of peanut butter. The wine is high in acidity with rather resolved medium-minus tannins that slowly pile up on the gums. The finish is old, tangy and oxidative with flavors of soy sauce and aldehydic salinity, some nutty notes of rancio, a little bit of beef jerky, a hint of green apple slices and a touch of coffee grounds. The tannins make the wine end on a very slightly grippy note.
Tasting this wine seven years ago, I wrote "...it might be that it is not that far from getting past its peak. Most likely the wine will hold good for many years, but a decade might be pushing it." - and it seems I was right. This is an atypically light vintage of Musar that didn't have enough stuffing to make old bones and it seems now the wine has gone over the hill and is falling apart. I know Musar is one of those wines that need a lot of aeration and can make almost magical rebounds with enough aging, but as this wine seemed to get only more tired and oxidative over the evening, I am pretty sure this wine is now just past its peak. Any remaining bottles should be consumed sooner rather than later.
July 2, 2022 - Fairly tertiary. Smoked meat, hoisin, iodine, cigar box, campfire smoke. With time, orange peel, tangy red berries. Actually pretty nice with some air.
February 5, 2022 - bright ruby on colour, no tannins, nice acidity with some dark berries. Forest floor, leather and tobacco.
January 20, 2022 - Over the top/spoiled. A shame…
January 8, 2022 - From 375ml. 20 minute decant. Very tertiary on the nose and palette, pine needles, cedar. Minimal tart red fruit, although some crystalline sour red cherry showed up on the palette with the second glass. . Nice, but nothing compared to the 1998. Very very light.
May 27, 2021 - Half bottle to accompany excellent zoomer ‘Lebanon wines - a future despite all odds?’ with special guests Elie Maamari (Ksara), Gaston Hochar (Musar), Faouzi Issa (Tourelles) and newbie Diana Salamé (Dom. Wardy).
Tawny almost bricky in colour with initial pronounced acetone and garrigue aroma. Decanted for 45 minutes.
Acetone gave way to wild strawberry, red cherry and after a further 15 minutes, rhubarb. Unique.
Tertiary notes included black pepper, cedar wood, and a medium length herbaceous eucalyptus finish.
Can imagine a full bottle being in a slighter sweeter spot but still enormously enjoyable quaff.
Paired extremely well with M&S Our Best Ever Sausage Roll and a good dollop of Dijon Mustard.
February 6, 2021 - Helt brun i fargen. Lukt av oljet mahogni og bål. MYE smak, mye syre, kirsebær, veldig avslepen, men i overkant syrlig kanskje (er nok helt i slutten av drikkevinduet, mest sannsynlig på overtid). Håper den smaker godt til Kobebiffen!
January 22, 2021 - Lys rødbrun farge. Lukt av kjeller og kirsebær. Smak av lær og relativt søte kirsebær, noe tobakk. Fortsatt fin syre tross alderen. Var 37,5 cl flaske
January 15, 2021 - Still not dead! Sweet, overcoocked strawberries and cherries. Intresting but not more than that