July 19, 2023 - APPEARANCE: Medium garnet colour with brick red elements. Quite fragile cork, broke off (or rather partly dissolved and crumbled). Some dried remains of previous seepage on top of the cork. 14.0% ABV.
NOSE: Wet wood, cherry pits, leather, autumn forest floor, well hung beef. Later sweet medicinal notes of gauze bandage, ointment and camphor. Dried figs. Rich and fragrant. Wonderfully aromatic. (92-93p)
TASTE: The arrival is sweet with ripe and matured fruit. On the mid palate leather, dark plum fruit (Anton Berg’s Plum in Madeira), cellared strawberry jam. Velvety and rich mouthfeel. (91p)
FINISH: Still sweet but now rounding off with some nicely drying but well integrated tannins. A touch of black pepper. Long aftertaste. (90p)
OVERALL: Very mature, sweet, hedonistic. Enjoyed over three hours and did only become better and better. A wonderful, if not great Ch. Musar.
TOTAL SCORE 91 points.
April 25, 2023 - Vinegar
November 6, 2021 - Phenomenal wine. Multi layered and nothing except a bit of the color told that is was 35 years old.
Spices, sweetness and even some fresh acidity.
June 11, 2021 - 35-years celebration. Leather, cigar box and oak on the nose. Dry. Suprisingly fresh fruit. Cherry and oak on the palate. Medium acid. Well integrated tannins. Long exit. A superb Musar.
October 20, 2019 - Gloriously complex, no volatility. Best Musar tasted
May 5, 2017 - One of the more feminine style of Musar.
March 18, 2017 - Drank in Hong Kong
Classic Musar nose but with a lovely light palate. Nice.
July 5, 2016 - From Beirut to Bodø - Chateau Musar tasting (Bodø): Surprised that this one was in good condition as fill level was below the neck. Cork was muggy from capsule to halfway down, but the wine was fine. High intensity and complexity with mushrooms, barnyard, dried fruit, forest floor and dusty closet. I got an old Bordeaux feeling about this one. 1986 was in fact a difficult vintage in Bekaa Valley and that is felt on the palate as it is a bit unbalanced with bitter and harsh tannins.
June 26, 2016 - Drinking perfectly right now, the essence of Musar. Low tannins.
April 14, 2016 - The crowd was stunned. Though fully mature, I found this 30 yr old Musar surprisingly young and spry. Leather, lemon rind, plum. Thank you Mr. Hochar.