w/alexF fur, brown sugar, tamari, dried cranberry and dried red cherry. softer and lighter style. not particularly assertive. Silky finish. Very musar - hello old friend! It's been a minute.
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This is drinking beautifully! Such an elegant, fragrant, floral nose.
We drank this basically as a PnP. Fortunately, the bottle was stored properly and the restaurant didn’t know what they had, we received a great deal on the bottle. Unfortunately, they were not prepared to remove the cork properly with 20+ years of age.
Regardless of the obstacles, this was drinking great. Light bricking at the edge of the wine in the glass but the aromatics just gave and gave. Some tannin is still there but they’re not super grippy, just right to enjoy with a steak or to ponder thoughts while you enjoy a glass.
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What a treat- the color is Toyota Land Cruiser rust , aroma of spice , strawberries , cherries, liquorish. Medium on the tongue , tannins still noticeably present for 23+years.
Advice: 1) Open with Durand corkscrew (or similar) 2) Use a coffee filter when pouring into a decanter 3) 55-65 temp when serving
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Always a pleasure to return to an aged Musar. Made from a blend of CS, Cinsault and Carignan, fermented in cement, aged in oak for 12 months. Seems lighter in colour than 2002 or 2000. Medium+ intensity aroma of prunes, spices, dried cherries, blood, cigar box, leather, hint of tamarind. Medium+ body, rewarding rich spiced cherry and fig flavours, leather and smoky tobacco notes, structure is pleasantly leaner than for instance 2002, medium+ acidity, extra fine tannins.
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Nez discret mais avec de belles notes de tabac, fumée, cuir. En bouche ampleur moyenne, tanins fondus. Tout en rondeur. Finale sur des notes de tabac et de cuir
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Popped and poured. Havent had one of these in a bit. This is very good out of the gate with just a bit of air. Nose of black cherry, flowers. Transparent, medium bodied, black cherry, a little tar, herbs and a little funk. This is interesting and complex.
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Mamnoon: The exact opposite of the 1999. Deep and earthy, bloody, Syrah personality, gaining a pine forest character over time. Deep, almost unyielding, but over time this gains a really poignant balsamic note on the finish, sweet and sour, great acidity.
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Brick red. Savoury aromas of dark berries, prunes, leather and oriental spices. Meaty and full bodied in the mouth. Well developed, but will last. On line with the best Musar's I have tasted from this vintage.
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Double-decanted. Tasted on Christmas Day with a flight of each year from 1998 to 2003. Drinking beautifully from the off. A great nose which took time to develop in the glass, as before (it developed even more impressively after 8 hours). Deceptively pale in colour but full of sweet, soft fruit (difficult to separate the complex, subtle flavours but cherry was prominent). Long, with the complexity unravelling gradually in the glass. Still going strong and very rewarding.
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Deep garnet colour. Pronounced and developing nose with dark plum, fig, prune, leather, tobacco, cedar, cinnamon, thyme, potpourri, forest floor, vanilla and orange peel. Medium (+) taste of dark plum, fig, raisins, leather, tobacco, cedar, cinnamon, potpourri, vanilla, orange peel, chocolate, eucalyptus and licorice. Long and dry finish. Medium acidity. Medium (+) tannins. Medium body. A very good Lebanese Bordeaux blend from a half bottle. Cork bled through. Drink now or over the next couple of years. Goes well with beef or lamb.
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Ouvert 6h avant, avec Musar c’est vraiment important. Après, musar est un véritable magicien! Une déflagration totale sur les épices douces, le bois de santal, les fruits rouge, le cuir, la feuille morte, quelques notes de menthol, des herbes et du sous-bois L’attaque est puissante, super fruitée sur la cerise, les arômes du nez se retrouvent en bouche dans un ensemble suave, fondu. La finale est d’une belle longueur, une explosion de fruit, d’épices et d’arômes tertiaire Un vin magnifique, clairement sur un plateau, mais fort délicieux
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Decanted 30 minutes before service. In the glass, auburn at the rim, shading to a clear medium red at the core. On the nose, raisins and prunes, which concerned me - oxidized bottle? Thankfully not. On the palate, dried currants, strawberries, leather, and secondary notes of tobacco and graphite, with a light, delicate texture. Would be very interesting as a ringer in a blind Pauillac flight. I suspect there is not much more left on this drinking plateau, so if you haven't opened one, now is the time.
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Bought at Gatwick Airport. Brick red. Developed and earthy aromas, and a bit ethereal and oxidized. Soft on the palate, and lacks the power and fruit of a good Musar.
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For a 22 year old wine, it is unbelievable how great this wine was. It kept great nose, flavours and length. Tannins were soft. All on the fruit. A delicious surprise
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Tasted this alongside a 2016. Very similar DNA and style. This particular one had dried fruits, a touch of toffee/caramel, mellow and tannins are fully integrated Complex and elegant, matured nicely.
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Stood up for 2 days. Decanted off sediment for 2.5h. Now 3h after decant. Lovely, seamless aromas of currants, cassis, ripe ripe cherries, game meats, minerals, herbs, leather, mild green tobacco and a bit of VA. Palate w red cherries, some currants, mild tobacco, herbs, roasted game meats, cedar, leather, minerals and a bit of VA. Nice moderately long finish of fruit, tobacco, leather, and just a touch of VA. Lovely elegant, medium body with mild tannins on midpalate. Excellent, juicy acids give the wine a lovely lift. Beautiful. I can imagine that this can gain some more complexity w some more time but I think the wine is pretty close to peak. Went beautifully with dry aged strip steak.
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Fully translucent, yellow-orange - very much at maturity. Toasted vanilla & strawberry jam on the nose - delicate and very expressive. Still full-bodied and very long. My first taste of Musar and a memorable one. Would struggle to tell apart from Bordeaux if tasted blind. Wonderful stuff. Ready now.
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2001 was a very hot and dry vintage in Beqaa: by mid-February the weather turned to much more warmer than usual with almost nonexistent rains. After relatively normal weather during the flowering, the weather turned hotter than average for July and August, resulting in 15% reduction in yield. The harvest was carried ahead of the schedule, starting already on 3rd of September. The Cinsaut suffered from the hot weather, losing some of its color; thus, the percentage of Cinsaut is somewhat lower in this year's blend compared to other vintages. As normal, the wine was fermented and aged in cement vats for 9 months, aged in oak for 12 months, blended together and matured for a further year in cement vats before bottling. 13,5% alcohol. Decanted for four hours before tasting the wine.
Quite dark yet moderately translucent and very evolved dried-blood red color with a tertiary syrupy brown hue. The nose feels quite old and oxidative with somewhat tired aromas of beef jerky, some dried dates, light nutty notes of rancio, a little bit of soy sauce, a hint of smoke-cured meat and a touch of old furniture. The wine feels old, tertiary and moderately tired with a medium body and somewhat oxidative flavors of raisins and dried dates, some balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of beef jerky, light nutty notes of rancio, a hint of soy sauce and a touch of mushroomy funk. The wine feels rather high in acidity with ripe, quite resolved medium tannins. The finish is quite long, slightly more grippy and a bit tired with very tertiary flavors of raisins and dried dates, some soy sauce, light sweet notes of balsamic VA, a little bit of beef jerky, a hint of earthy spices and a touch of smoke.
This has been a rather uneven vintage, some bottles being quite enjoyable and some rather tired or slightly unbalanced. However, this wine is getting so tertiary that it is obviously way past its peak. I wouldn't say the wine is fully oxidized, so I'm not marking it as "flawed/defective", but I'm refraining from scoring the wine. Based on my previous experiences with this vintage, this is not how the wine should be - however, I don't know if this was a poor bottle or if 2001 is now officially past its peak. I need to revisit this vintage in the future to see which is the case.
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Decanted and tasted after 4+ hours. The nose was attractive and very complex and difficult to describe adequately - it developed substantially over 10-15 minutes in the glass. Soft juicy, fresh fruit on the palate belied its (modest) age. Dark, spicy fruit - complex with soft, well-balanced acidity and tannins. Very long and satisfying. As always, the wine benefitted from time to open after de-corking (with a 2-pronged butler’s friend). Elegant, beautifully balanced, and really quite delicate for a Musar but a gorgeous glass, as always. We were reluctant to set the glass aside to serve dinner. It is great now but has years ahead. With, and after, food it retained its fragrance, character and quality.
Yet another great example. The sweet fruit is well supported and well framed. Super balance. Only quibble is that it lacks a bit of oomph on the back end. The finish is long, but back end depth is a little weak. But it's a quibble. Musar is always a pleasure.
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Popped and poured. This is a great Musar if you like the very balanced, transparent version. Cherry, strawberry, herbs, smoke and a little funk. This is elegant, complex but still nicely balanced. Perfectly mature now.
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Plenty of thoughtful reviews already posted. I will only add that this seemed to be in a very nice place right now in its later middle-aged years. Floral nose. Mellow blue fruits. Savory with tertiary notes of tea and herb.
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Lovely elegant and mellow Musar, getting paler in colour, with a classic herbal, slightly medicinal nose showing a hint of lavender. Delicate on the palate, by no means the most complex, but a really enjoyable drink, especially with food (paella for us). Something like a ballerina on the tongue - all the enjoyment is in the poise and balance. Easy. No rush to drink, pretty sure this will age as gracefully as Madame Poole, becoming lighter and more delicate with each passing year...
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Long day of wines: Always tough to guess a Musar but also always fun to see how it develops in the glass. Thought northern Rhone at first with blue, savoury fruit but with time in the glass the tertiary notes of mushroom reminded me of a Bordeaux. Once a clue was given that this was not French or Italian it was obvious that this was a Musar. Quite developed, tea-like tannins were fully resolved so drink up.
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Last of my 2001"s. Very typical Musar - you can see why this is loved by many but others just dont get it. I would drink up if you have any left - maybe over next 6 months
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Quelle élégance ! Rouge rubis clair, Au premier nez ça nous rappel le Cabernet-Sauvignon mais c'est tellement fin, délicat, poussiéreux que c'est très facile de nous amener en Pinot. Le nez ainsi qu'une certaine chaleur nous amène ailleurs que la Bourgogne. Un vin inimitable par son style mais c'est tellement bon, bien fait et savoureux. Adoré ce vin serait peu dire. Bravo !
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Bought from Waitrose 3 years ago for £28 (now retailing at £90 apparently - what's going on?). Been in the cupboard under my stairs since and didn't dare leave it any longer. Superb wine, (i'd have guessed top end Tuscan) sweetish red fruits but I get the bit about paint thinner, in a very good way; elegant and beautifully balanced, medium length.
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Terrible cork condition and pretty matured. No rating because it was so unusually developed but wine was still very much drinkable and a success. Spoke with someone knowing the winery who confirmed that cork problems are common with Chateau Musar.
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At Boston Wine & Poker, Needham, Mass, Sept. 18, tasted blind:
I thought that this was a high-quality Italian. (Wrong!) Very structured, though with very well-integrated oakiness, challenging but very drinkable. Very good.
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Wide rim of a brick brown colour. First nose was red plums; then more floral with blackcurrant and hibiscus. Developing palate with more plum, nectarine skin, raspberries and blueberries. It is still fresh and delicious and could go on for another five years.
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Had to try this again given the last experience a few weeks back. Fantastic again with slightly less fireworks. Cinnamon, forest floor, spice, red and black fruit and a uniqueness that cannot be found elsewhere. Just a great bottle of wine for $70.
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Classic Musar, indeed light paint thinner nose in the beginning as Hannibal notes but then it opens into a long, smooth and silky wine. If you like E Reynaud wines or Trevallon, this is the affordable alternative. Great to drink now, colour still bright red while the 2000 I had 2 weeks ago was very brown, the 2001 is the better vintage.
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Initially closed with a paint thinner smell, decanted for 1 hour and it helped allot. Lots of strawberries and blackberries with herbs and spices … silky smooth tannins, similar profile to a C9P. Not in decline but not sure it will get better
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Excellent and now in its full potential. All the Musar classic elements. Very fresh. Sweet. For me, having been drinking lots of brunellos in the last 12 months, this has some elements of high end brunello. Sweetness, freshness, acidity.
Great wine.
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This was on fire tonight. Gorgeous nose of red candied fruit, some apple peal, cab spice and hints of darker fruits. This was medium color and medium body. Sat next to a glass of red Burg and was virtually the same color and similar weight. On the palate this was weightless yet the flavors were powerful and complex and in perfect harmony and lots of detail. Really great showing.
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Gorgeous wine. Fresh and full of life. Slight touch of dusty road on red fruits (cranberry, dried cherries) and a gentle touch of VA that really makes the wine moreish. Amazing when these bottles are good.
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One hour slow ox. Very rusty ruby color, with healthy rim fade. Raisin, chocolate malt balls (i.e. Whoppers), and mushrooms dipped in molasses on the aged nose. Smooth, dry palate, with good acidity. Firm tannins on the long finish.
This is clearly well made, but far past its peak for my palate. I would have loved to try this 10 years ago.
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Wonderful drinking. Nose of leather, violets, raspberry; also redcurrant. Beautiful mouth feel and long, expressive flavour. Baseline merlot, coffee, plum, vanilla in a creamy, integrated mist of flavour. Blend feels to have minority can sauv with carignan. Just delicious, expanding and delivering the Musar experience brilliantly.
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Musarathon (Ariana II): Perfectly a point. Just enough filthy excitement to make it clear it’s Musar, but very much colours between the lines. If the 98 hadn’t been so special this would have easily been my red of the dinner - lovely stuff.
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Pop and pour. Medium bodied. Nose is like leather, minerals. Mouthfeel is very smooth and soft black fruit, blackberry. Nicely balanced. Aging well and seems like it can still go a few more years before going downhill.
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This wine is currently in its drinking window with a couple years to go. Has a nice nose of rich dark fruit. Wine is well integrated with no hints of fading. I have one more bottle I will hold onto for a couple more years before popping
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Great old wine. A little subdued at first but great flavor, acidity and spice once it opened up. At little sweet at first taste but very balanced overall. Would definitely drink again.
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Another excellent bottle of Musar. To me right up there with the 1999. Nose is fairly subdued (not the slightest hint of brett), some cassis, a hint of graphite. It is on the palate it is all happening. The cassis and graphite from the nose is there. What really stands out is that nothing stands out, i.e. perfect harmony. Fruit, acidity, grip. Compared to other vintages a bit more fruit forward, , manage to merge a nice complexity with an almost youthful feel. Lot to contemplate here, stand out experience.
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Brick red; some VA which blew off after an hour, a beguiling, tending to elegant bouquet; similarly beguiling/enticing palate, rather complex. At peak, but should remain on plateau for a further decade.
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I tasted this on 10/23/2020 and again in March 2022. The bottle drank in 2020 presented quite young and went well with an Ottolenghi lamb dish. It had a massive nose of barnyard, mushrooms and cranberries. High acidity and some good tannins left. This bottle from March 2022 was drunk alongside several other vintages and was the weakest vintage, showing thinner than the others and having a shorter finish.
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And another bottle, I just can't and also don't want to resist. Decanted for about 10 hours. Quite different to the last one, this bottle was ultrafine with almost no brett or volatile acidity. Super clean and smooth with sweet, honeyed red fruits, figs and blood oranges, leather, tobacco, blood and smoke. The palate is pure silk, there are tannins as there should be, but just so ultrafine, perfectly integrated. Such sweet, beautiful, sensual fruit covering the whole palate. Lingering finish, every flavor transparent and in total harmony. Heaven in a bottle, this is - once more - perfect wine for me. 20/20
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on pnp getting exactly what's to love about Musar on the nose: a bit of va, perfectly ripe fruit, some yeasty funk, and deep deliciousness that you could smell all night! so vibrant
palate on pnp=DULL!!! and not just compared to the nose.
we'll see what air reveals.
on day two=wow! the nose retains vivacity and depth, having lost most of the va and yeasty funk. the palate has bloomed and shows intense layers of flavor. soft but plenty taught if we're talking balance.
it's hard to imagine something so rich (and supple and inviting) could be so nimble and full of life. musar. a steal
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better showing than the previous 2 bottles but still a lighter expression of Musar. Light garnet colouring. Cherry, apple and nail polish remover on the palate with moderate to high acidity. It doesnt feel like there's enough depth to warrant long term cellaring but perhaps its snoozing?
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Decanted for about an hour. Dark garnet. Nose of deep soil, currant, plum blossom, cassis. Layers of feral red plum, sauvage, red currant, and earth on the palate. Freshening acidity and firm tannin. Longer finish of red meat, red berry, iodine, and rocky soil. Just the thing with Tuscan steak on New Year's Eve.
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Cork was sturdy and came out in one piece, but was around 1.5cm wetted.
Out of the bottle it tasted promising. Brett, oxidation, slightly singed, wisps of raspberry. Double-decanted a couple hrs before dinner. Let’s see where this goes!
It had some savory musar notes but remained aromatically reticent. Paired wonderfully with stewed lamb but never really sang. Maybe try again in 5yrs? Seems like it’s mid inflection.
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Another lesser bottle of the 2001 vintage. There's been a lot of discussion on bottle variance for this vintage which seems to be the case for this case I've bought. My 2nd from 6 purchased and once again it has Musar character but just lighter and thinner. Worked well with Christmas dinner but its just not up to level of other vintages of Musar
4 hour decant. Still a bit high acid, but starting to settle down. Classic Musar fruit and Brett, a nice rendition, just needs some more time in bottle
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Stood up for seven days. Drank over two. A soft, saturated cork that came out rather too easily. A pale ruby core fading to a pale garnet outer edge. There were signs of volatile acidity upon opening. The fruit profile sits in both the red and black camp with dried red berries and blackcurrents, floral scents of violets and lilacs and, a touch of ground white pepper. A rather dilute palate where the attack quickly fades, the mid palate lacks depth, and all that’s left on the finish are some slightly bitter, roasted herbs. After an hour or so the nose started to blossom; becoming more scented and black fruit-driven and the palate had thankfully fleshed out, gaining weight. The fruit profile was now darker, riper and supported by campfire smoke and damp herbaceous notes. Texturally soft and fully integrated with decent length. I’d strongly advocate exposing this wine to air either by a slow oxidation or a decant for at least an hour before tasting.
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Year in, year out, a wine that delights. This is a typical Musar, with the port and madeira like flavors mixed in with earth and mushrooms, light on the fruit overall though, more on the savory side. Typical and unique.
For more please watch below at YT channel Pandewine
https://youtu.be/ylsQ3AfJvXg
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We finished 3 bottles. 2014 Esprit de Pavie. Decant for 30 minutes. Pencil lead taste, little fruit. Strong tannins, low acidity. Compared to the last time I tasted it, it is growing. Good balance and drinking well now. 90
2015 Château Belle-Vue. Decant in 1 hour. Beautiful classic Bordeaux. Juicy, spicy and fresh. Medium to full body. This wine is the youngest wine tonight, but it has ripe, round fruit and spice flavors. Rich texture. 90
2001 Chateau Musar. Pop and pour. Juicy and fresh. Medium body..... Delicious. 91
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The colour is half way between garnet and mahogany. Lovely nose of dried red fruits, new leather, dried herbs, sour cherry, roasted chestnut and the remnants of some spiced oak. No VA and very little funkiness! Super smooth, with tart dried red fruits, medium plus acid, no tannins and unnoticeable alcohol. Medium bodied with effortless fruit extract and perfectly balanced. Finishes tangy and dry, but not too dry, with lingering sweet and sour cherry flavours. Just delightful! Amazing with black truffles and fresh pasta.
Dinner in Bodega Bay (Terrapin Creek): From a restaurant list, so opened and served. Ruby, some bricking; aromatic, soy and umami/tamari, red cherry; balanced medium body, medium alcohol 13.5%, medium-plus acidity, plenty of tamari complexity, fairly clean for Musar with only a slight whiff of funk which blows off quickly, smooth and integrated medium tannin, great mouthfeel; complex and tertiary, long finish. A lovely wine which would benefit a lot from a decanter and some time. Still, incredible balance with dinner. 93
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Opened partly to see if it’s fading as others have found - for what it’s worth, this was as fresh as a daisy. Cranberry, cherry, fig and rosemary into a long balsamic finish with a touch of smoke. Excellent balance and depth, a typically intriguing mix of flavours.
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10 years ago today I proposed to my now wife, and she said yes. To celebrate we had a bottle of 2001 Musar with dinner. Now 10 happy years later we open the last bottle of 2001 and it is fantastic. Wonderful Musar nose of red cherries, perfume, touch of VA, bit of leather. The palate is sublime, beautiful fruit, resolved tannins, just delicious.
Very pale red with reflections of garnet. An attractive and not particularly wild - by Musar standards - nose offers aromas of dried red cherry, kirsch, clay bricks, grilled rosemary, leather, and spice. Medium bodied on the palate with medium+ acidity, and a medium+ level of fine, resolving tannins. This drinks well now with a short decant.
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From memory. Not sure of date on this at all. I do remember that it was fantastic. With Murphie, Chuck and Michelle. Had with Lebanese apps and Lebanese soup.
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The vintage 2001 is my second experience with Chateau Musar. My first bottles is 1998. Both have the similar characteristics. The body is light and smooth texture. It looks transparent ruby colored and brown on the rim. Big leather, tobacco and smoky nose. The tastes like oak, cherry, figs, cinnamon and sweet plums. The wine has low acidity but very balance. The flavor is very complex, beautiful fruits. What an interesting wine.
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2 bottles in a row have been very poor. Drink Musar? Roll the dice. These 2 bottles were very soupy, dirty and acidic. Such large variation bottle by bottle - some have been great - others just plain suck.
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Musar Vertical: Here we go again with one of my favourite vintages, this shows incredible power on the nose with stunning intensity, this has meaty, powerful red berries, juicy cherries, blood and some medicinal / funky notes, also some black pepper and dried fruits like figs. The palate is in total harmony here, it’s definitely much more powerful and meatier than the sweet "godess" 1999, but shows the same impeccable balance and may have even more potential for the future. 20/20
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Quite a deep colour; a fine, mature example of this wine, with fragrant, even exotic, fruit, depth and persistence. I don’t see this improving further, so drink up (as we have done: it was our last bottle).
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Terrible cork that totally disintegrated when trying to pull. Medium light ruby red in colour. Very clear and precise looking. Sweet red fruit, meaty / merde-y nose, new leather, lifted, spirited nose that has a touch of VA. Medium bodied, sweet red fruit (fresh and dried), perfect acidity, no tannins left and balanced alcohol. The flavours are again those sweet, fresh and dried red fruits, leather, ferrous, minerals and dried blood. Long sappy finish. Distinctively Musar!
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Medium garnet in colour. Aromas and flavours of dried cherry, figs, fig chutney, prunes, raisins, plum, cedar, tobacco earth and autumn leaves. The tannins were soft and a lovely amount of acidity. Good intensity of flavour and long finish. A fantastic wine. Was drunk with a 91 Musar.
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As Forrest Gump said "Life is like a bottle of Musar Rouge - you never know what you're gonna get". This was a very good (but not great) bottle. Red (sweet) fruit, good acid and decent finish. Tannins were very fine.
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Middle East Wine Zoom Tasting. Drank in Gabriel Standart. How many of these Musar bottles are floating around!? I keep seeing them! Appearance medium intensity, ruby colour going garnet. Some light sediment. Legs. Nose dirty dirty as usual. Medium+ intensity, with aromas of VA nail polish, caramel oxidative, nuttiness, red plums, animal leather meat background (probably brett as usual). Developed. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol 13.5%), grippy high tannins, full body. Medum+ flavour intensity with flavours of honeyed nuttiness, oxidative caramel, animal leather, fine red plums, sweet red cherries, licorice, peppery spices. Long finish. Very good quality. Musar is what it is. Oxidative wine that tastes good. Maybe an acquired taste for most people.
Clear Garnet Medium intensity of ripe red cherries, strawberries, leather, cigar, herb, licorice, mushroom Dry Acid is medium Tannin is medium+ Alcohol is medium Medium body Finish is long. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan
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Wine education and tasting week continues with sister and brother in law visit. They were willing to try something new and different so I opened this 2001 Musar! It was a hit! Still alot of fruit and life left in this bottle. Dried cherry, orange peel, red currants, exotic leather and spices, very smooth and integrated tannins. Lots of layers. Decanted in bottle for 4 hours.
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Nez intense de prunes broyées, d'épices...sel de céleri et d'épices à ketchup maison, de légumes cuits et de caramel brulé. Un vin soyeux, rond et d'umami. Frais aux saveurs de caramel salé. Finale moyenne. Un vin à boire sans nourriture et sans tarder...fin d'apogée.
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7 hrs decant. Left 1/3 of a bottle for the next 48 hrs. Great as usual. Hits all the Registers. Can’t drink this every day, but two bottles a month at least - concentrating on 98 and 99, but now also on 2001, which for me is almost as good now.
After 24 hrs. Not really better. Note to myself: just give this 3-4 years more, while drinking 98-99.
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Wine Night in Charlotte -- Cork Vault Bottle Share Returns! (Charlotte, NC): double decanted 3 hours in advance. Equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, and Cinsault. Fragrant nose of red fruits (somewhat primary) and earthy, smoky aromas. Smooth on the palate, the wine displayed wonderful complexity with rich flavors of black and red currants and notes of dried herbs. Smoke, spice, and everything nice. Excellent structure and fully integrated tannins, this wine was in a fantastic place. Nice long savory finish punctuated this wonderful bottle that paired magnificently with Ethiopian spiced meat served on the evening.
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Le vin chante dès l’ouverture. Rubis moyen briqué. Nez de cerise, de prune, eucalyptus, tabac et feuilles de thé. Bouche épicée avec acidité moyenne, tanins fondus et très longue finale sur les épices. Un musar comme on aime et prêt à boire.
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excellent red, all the complexity of a 20 yr old wine and so rich on the palate, full of flavour. probably could have decanted a bit longer, so look forward to the next bottle!
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We drank this during a blind wine tasting. I was really happy that I finally got to try this, it is impossible to get at our liquor commission. Although this is not my taste palette at all, I can appreciate this wine and am glad I tried it. Definitely a lot of Brett here! Also: olives, red berries, some tobacco and wood. The colour was medium red/brownish. In general, I don't love medium-bodied wines and wines that are predominantly red fruit and this wine is both of those. I do like trying different wines and this wine is definitely different. Would I drink it again, of course. Is it going to be my favorite wine on any given night? No. Also, the fact that my wife hated it and found it vile won't help me drinking it again!
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Decanted for 3 hours, pale garnet colour. A bit closed on the nose, floral with a hint of red berries, flinty. After 24 hours totally opened out, red berry, black cherry, olive, cedar, clove & fresh tobacco. Structured, very intense fruit on the palate, blueberry, raspberry, plum, prune & liquorice. Good backbone to the tannins and plenty of life with a lingering finish.
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Ma dernière bouteille prise en 2017 avait été très décevante (86 pts), j’ouvrais donc celle-ci avec appréhension, espérant retrouver la magie d'antan....Euréka!
Si le nez montre la classique acidité volatile à l’ouverture, avec ces notes d’éther et de vernis à ongle, cet aspect se dissipe à l'aération et fait place à des notes de cerises, de raisins de corinthe, cuir et tabac.
La bouche a un côté acidulé et une palette de saveurs originale, qui ne plairait pas à tous. Je me roule dedans!! La finale est vraiment très longue, très épicée et assez gourmande, avec une ampleur et une complexité aromatique fascinantes, un équilibre qu’on ne soupçonnerait pas à l’ouverture. J'ai l'impression de recroiser un vieil ami et de le retrouver aussi plaisant qu'autrefois. Original et distinctif, plein de personnalité, ....truculent! 92-93 pts
R.I.P. Monsieur Hochar, votre rencontre nous avait tous marqués et des vins comme celui-ci honorent votre mémoire.
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On this occasion, the cork came out intact. The wine has quite a deep colour, mature with a brown tinge. It displays exotic, perfumed fruit and seems fully mature, although it is still lively, complex and long. An excellent, characterful wine which I think should be drunk soon before it declines.
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Another delicious bottle. Decanted for 90 mins and definitely opened up to become very much a Musar. Maybe could have done with a further hour of decanting - not sure as very aware this is a 20 year old wine
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High fill, cork intact. Red fruit, spices, cinnamon, light chocolate, light tobacco, and gamy notes, with good acidity, high quality tannin and very good length. Good, medium body. Some VA. A weird association with premium yogurt (whatever that may be) jumped to my mind.
Not the most complex vintage of Château Musar, but well-structured, smoothly textured and very harmonious. Needs four hours in the decanter. Some upside potential. Drink (after three to four hours of aeration) or hold.
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The cork crumbled to dust when I tried to remove it, but the wine was perfectly preserved; it had a mature, brownish colour, and a very exotic, perfumed palate which was concentrated, elegant and long. A very fine example, for drinking in the near future while it remains lively.
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A balanced and delicious Musar, and better than some previous bottles, which were a bit too volatile. Some prunes and old cellar, which I find in many Musar wines. But also delicious and savoury fruit, with fine tannins.
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A wee bit feral on the first night but most of that blew off after 3-4 hour decant. From then onwards it was glass after glass of lovely gamey fruit and spice. Great acidity and soft tannins. I savoured every sip: a wonderful wine to enjoy slowly over a long Easter 2021 weekend.
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Served with Easter lamb, drunk outside on the terrace with the inlaws. Best bottle of this I’ve drunk - one of the nicest Musars I’ve had in a while. Just a whiff of animale to it, but very balanced, and with more acidity than I usually get from Musar. Really good stuff.
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Cork came out in one piece but was soaked almost to the end. Fell apart a bit at the very end of extraction and it definitely looks like a different material than French corks.
Color was rust with clear rim showing its age. Nose was expressive and palate showed well with dark fruit flavors reminiscent of an amarone. Really enjoyable and it’s amazing how much flavor and fruit is still prominent in this 20 year old wine.
Will buy more musar.
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Our second wine of the 16th virtual wine tasting gave me pause in deciding it's drinking order. I originally wanted to showcase this icon as the finale of our session, but after careful consideration felt it was best to go before the younger, bolder wines- it was a good call.
Chateau Musar at pretty much any age will have an orange tinge, or bricking. It's also usually about 50% opaque. This blend of Carignan, Cinsault and Cabernet Sauvignon never looks brooding in the glass. I asked the group for their comments when we started smelling the wine. "Heaven" was the first I heard- very appropriate. We also noted strawberry, leather, black pepper (?), cured meat, garrigue, black cherry, funk, barnyard, new-purse leather, dirt, smoke and earth. These are awesome descriptors from the group, yet I still feel we have missed out on some more. The nose was amazing.
On the palate this beauty is deceiving- delicate, yet powerful. Flavors of cracked pepper, cherry, leather, spice, raspberry jelly and baked cherry compote. The smoothness of this wine is above reproach. The tannins so well integrated and the gobs of acidity so well disguised. I think the gaminess and dried prune notes were my highlight. I was so happy to have been able to present this tremendous wine to my friends, who for the most part loved it. I awarded a perfect 20 points on the tasting scale. Technically speaking, it gets 95 real points and at $75, five stars. I would imagine this one has a long tasting window but make sure you have a two-pronged wine opener, the corks gave issue to several bottles.
Phenomally aged example of Musar. The nose is cassis and caramel, with summer flowers. On the palette the plum and berries are rich, followed by layers of tobacco, creme de cassis, tar, leather, vanilla. This is a superb wine. Tannins are velvety, the finish is luscious.
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Really funky at first, but this passed with about a 3 hour decant. Cherry, plum, and dried fig fruit with iron, tobacco, dusty sweet tannins, bay leaf, curry, and a meaty/funky finish that also has some spice. Less depth, but brighter than the 2000 Musar. The 2000 Musar reminded me of Mourvedre, but this one reminds of an Italian wine except with a slightly funky finish. I really liked it.
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{Purchased Sept 2020 from a trusted source; perfect fill} Tasted over two days with Coravin in between. Red core with just an hint of russet brown on the rim. Lovely, long nose with Pauillac-like scents, tobacco, red more than black fruits, some white pepper; palate was deep and reflective of the nose, excellent length. Rated it 91-94 at one time or another. A marvel, and marvelous that it is still in the market for a very reasonable price! Tiniest hint of brett and VA in the background added complexity and did not detract. This bottle was in a great drinking window and no signs of needing to be drunk immediately. I will try to find more!
La robe du vin est semi-brouillée, au pourtour tirant sur le orange brulé. Le nez embaume les fruits rouges mi-confits, les épices asiatiques, la menthe poivrée, la garrigue, avec une touche de funk. Envoutant. En bouche, l'attaque est fraiche et soyeuse, au touché de dentelle, dirigé par une acidité racée. C'est fondu et parfaitement à point et détient une vinosité hors du commun. La finale complexe s'étire longuement, ponctuée de notes anisées. Incroyable vin pour 65$ CAD. Coup de coeur.
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As a big a Musar fan it pains me to say this was a bit of a disappointment. Bottle variance is pretty common from what I’ve heard so hoping this is one of those instances. It had most of the expected profiles: a touch of VA, cherry fruit & orange rind but it was all a bit thin and limp. Lacked depth and richness I’d like, it was lighter, maybe a little burg-esque. I double decanter at 8:30am and didn’t visit this until 5pm and sampled over the night, leaving some for the following day. No dramatic signs of improvement over that time. Better experiences had from my 02 & 03 halves.
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Last of a bottle I coravined 2 glasses from previously. Popped cork and slow-ox for 2 hours before drinking. Served alongside Musakhan which paired wonderfully with the wine. The Musar was in exceptional form: dark red cherries on the nose; on the palate smooth, rich smoky notes of mature aged red cherries and plenty of elegant structure with a savory long finish that contrasted seamlessly with the sweeter sumac chicken. A joy of a wine with a deliciously opulent nose and delightful texture throughout each drink. Lots of life in these bottles. 93 - 94 pts.
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Decanted for about 12 hours. Immediately after opening this offered blood oranges, blood, iron, some sour cherries, but the palate was a bit thin. After 12 hours in the decanter this has opened up beautifully and is just marvelous. Again blood oranges, leather, smoke, also some figs offering a beautiful sweetness. The tannins are super crunchy, sweet and of exceptional quality; incredibly aromatic and long. Very polished for Musar. One of the best vintages I've had so far because it combines the quintessential musar aromatics with outstanding polish / finesse. Close to perfection for my palate. 20/20
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This vintage has been my first taste of Musar - and I’m a fan! It has some of the characteristics of a mature barolo - a fruit core of red cherries and dried berries, dusty tannins, then leather and tobacco. It’s more herby than a Barolo and has secondary flavours that only a genuinely fine wine can give - and bags of character. Marked down just a tad by a very slight astringent note on the finish.
Other tasting notes have mentioned some inconsistency between bottles. This is my fourth bottle - so far 3 have been consistent, the other was drinkable but flawed.
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This may be the best bottle of this vintage that I’ve tried, and those of us who love Musar will know how loaded with meaning that is! This bottle has very sweet cherry fruit, none of the greenness of the last I opened in 2019, and that trademark Musar funkiness sitting well off in the background. Fantastic!
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Pale with distinct orange rim. Not much going on to start, maybe a touch of cranberry and a slightly spicy finish. Then decanted as a moderate amount of sediment. After about 2 hours, this was really waking up. Very much in the Rhone mould this reminded me of a lighter style of Chateauneuf. Not the baked earth but lovely red tone with a smidgeon of VA after a while that added rather than detracted. Not especially deep but very decent.
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Au nez, c'est complexe et textbook vieux Musar: notes de menthol, de fines herbes (thym, romarin), de prunes séchées, et un côté animal et sanguin affirmé. En bouche, c'est tout en finesse, le fruit commence à diminuer, les notes tertiaires sont appuyés et la finale et un peu chaude, ce qui fait ressortir le côté sudiste du vin. Vraiment à 20 ans ce Musar est au top de ce qu'il peut offrir. À moins d'aimer les vins très tertiaires, je vois difficilement pourquoi on garderait ce vin encore bien longtemps. 92
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Quite a deep colour, showing maturity; a very fragrant, even exotic wine, elegant, nicely rounded and with a persistent finish. A fine, mature wine, perfect for drinking now. On the strength of this, I have bought 6 more bottles (for the same price as the 2014).
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The wine is slightly hazy, looks Garnet coloured with some bricking at the edge. The legs are long. There is heavy sediment in the bottle.
On the nose: Ripe rich black and red fruit, sweet strawberry, then more savoury with stewed meat black pepper, vanilla (oak) and slight barnyard.
On the palate: sweet fruit - 1st berries then citrus, then back to stewed caramelised berries and vanilla, finishing with tobacco and lead pencil.
The body is medium/full The wine has silky texture. The wine finishes very long. The wine has smooth acidity. The wine mediums, round Tannins.
Wow! Beautiful colour, aged and bricking at the edge. As usual with Musar the wine is big yet has an amazing finesse. Perfect balance between Acidity and Tannin. This wine is very complex and flavourful and as time went on became more fruit forward and was evolving every mouthful. A delight !
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The great Serge Hochar always recommended opening Musar well ahead of time, even the older vintages. So I opened this 3 hours before tasting to accompany lamb tagine. Blackcurrant colour, very complex nose and palate, with good fruit levels, leather, spice, richness, charcoal and good earthiness. I drank the rest of the bottle over the following two evenings and it remained at peak quality throughout.
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Leather, cedar, mint, green pepper, asparagus, on the nose.
Twenty years on, the acid and tannins are harmonious and show finess. This wine is tremendously well made, with a beautiful mouthfeel and structure with a huge bloom on the front end and a lingering finish.
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Nose: cherry, strawberry, roses, balsamic, earth, cinnamon, ash, leaves, hint of leather Taste: medium to full bodied, medium tannins, medium acidity, cherry, dried cranberry, fig, balsamic, earth, baking spices, leather, hint of sweetness, mature, bright, silky, elegant, complex, everything is integrated and in the right place in this beatiful wine
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Every time i drink Musar i think what a remarkable wine it is - and this one drank nearly 20 years after being made was no exception. Cork was 1/2 way up 'damp' but came out OK and no obvious nose/taste of oxidation in the wine. Having said that I am not sure I would want to leave it to drink on a second night as others suggest. IE my bottle was perhaps a little 'fragile' and getting near drink up time.
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A surprisingly star-bright pale garnet. (It turned a more medium, darker garnet the next day).
Medium + intensity flavors of sweet cherries, rhubarb pie, some earth, some savoury, cured meat, dried roses and every so slight leather.
Dry, medium+ acid, medium, resolved, smooth, fine-grained tannins, medium alcohol (13%), medium + body and a long finish.
A very good to outstanding wine. Surprising how elegant it was-- not rustic and not overtly funky, bretty or barnyardy at all (as is Musar's reputation). Had lifted aromatics and a classy profile from maturity, yet still youthful brightness. Bright, lively and energetic yet grounded. Burgundian. Honestly would not think this is a cabernet sauvingon blend (although i don't have too much experience drinking really aged cab sauv.)
A fine accompaniment to our Christmas meal of roasted lamb shoulder and lemon garlic potatoes.
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Ruby colour with some bricking on the edge. Aromas of soured cheery, cranberry, balsam, smoke, cinnamon. More tart berries to taste, the bright acidity eventually gives way to pine, liquorice and creme de framboise. Surprising freshness given the age, the touch of sweetness at the end more apparent on the second day. Drunk over 3 days, enthralling on each.
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Cork very easy to remove and saturated to about a 1/3. Good nose. Lots of fruit, berries, tobacco. Light in colour. Good length with a predominately sour cherry tinge. Quite lot of sediment in the bottle, some of which found its way it one decanter! Very easy to drink on its own but paired up with some blue cheese this evening which paired quite well
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Notes d’évolution au nez avec une trame de tannins fins et d’une complexité remarquable. Belle longueur en bouche soutenue par une acidité encore présente malgré ses 19 ans d’âge.
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Phenomenal wine for the money. Enjoyed at a Mediterranean restaurant after a night of drinking. This stood out for its elegance, depth, and lovely secondary flavors. I consider Musar one of the world's best red wine bangs for the bucks.
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Classic musar here, leather, tobacco, dried fruits, currants, spices. This is a lovely elegant musar at this point. The flavours are all there, but nothing overbearing, all working together beautifully harmoniously. My favourite musar vintage right now.
Lovely Musar nose after an hour’s opening of the bottle. Cinnamon, cassis, spice plus some richness and body. Good balance and a long finish as expected. No VA, as far as I could tell—and that’s sometimes a problem with Musar. After a few hours it actually seemed muddier and a bit harsh on the finish. Sediment perhaps? In any case, this was soulful wine and I loved it.
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I don't normally add a second note but this last bottle tasted was just fantastic and if you wanted to show anyone what Musar was about then this is the one. Full throttle raisny, mature fruit from the off and controlled power and complex concentration throughout. Just glorious.
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Cork blew up on me and I had to decant. Explosive on the nose right out of the gate, and really stayed that way for a good 6-8 hours.
Medium red with a bit of bricking around the edges. No funk at all, just beautiful cherry smell and what I struggle to describe as anything other than 'tar'. Really reminds me of late 90's Vieux Telegraphe.
Tannins were quite restrained on day 1, and had softened by day 2. Nose started to fade then as well. Overall so much more expressive than the 2003 I had a while back. A really fun wine in a really great place right now.
Really elegant red blend from Lebanon that has some of the best qualities of a Rhone/Bordeaux wine. (Cork was a mess, but had no effect on the wine apparently.) Decanted but started drinking right after the decant and it was front and center great at the beginning, only evolving slightly more luscious over then next hour. Red fruit and earthiness on the nose and the palate, with good acidity and a light hint of tannins.
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Difficile de vraiment l apprécier à sa juste valeur apres avoir bu un Tignanello et un Château Margaux. Nez noix, médicaments. En bouche, bel équilibre.
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tldr: cork was very brittle, slipped easily into the bottle when trying to open it; luckily wine seemed fine. wonderful wine, great mix of age and freshness; brightness and lightness of a burgundy with the earthiness and funk of a bordeaux; great on its own and really excels with food - we enjoyed it with ribeye, mushrooms, and brussel sprouts. Color: med ruby with a good amount of bricking around the edges and towards the center. Nose: bright extracted red fruit upon opening, but after a lengthy decant lots of earth and funk, tertiary syrup-ness, raspberry liqueur, faintest alcohol vapors. Body: med/med+; rather light in comparison to the poignant palate. Acid: med+ tantalizing, really lifts the wine through to the finish. Alcohol: guessed 13.3%; actual 13.5% Palate: decently complex and layered, balanced at the same time; fresh tart red fruit on the front, aged fig preserve and damp leaves/bark/earth across the middle, and smooth yet grippy integrated tannins on the finish; lively acidity throughout keeps the wine fresh.
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From 375mL. Ruby-garnet color; medium-plus intensity aromatics with christmas spice, soy, umami, black cherry; palate is medium-plus bodied, excellent acidity throughout, balanced alcohol (13.5%), plenty of soy and umami on the palate, good length and depth through the midpalate; finish is medium-plus length with excellent complexity that carries through the palate. My main issue with halves is that it's harder to follow for 1-2 days as Musar can evolve or change over that time frame. 93
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By the bottle at Noreetuh in NYC, “quarantine style”. Decanted about an hour. Nose is barnyardy and funky with cherries and a tarry, charred leather note. Palate is full of super ripe cherries, plums, licorice, a little volatile acidity and a medium finish with nicely resolved tannins primarily on the cheeks. Lots of sweetness but balanced and dry on the finish. Definitely Musar; love it or hate it. Luckily for me I love it. Perfect with the mochiko fried chicken.
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Beautiful brownish red, not much on the nose, bit of grape must, unique flavour finding hard to describe. Almost nutmeg. Definitely a spicy wine, not fruity. bit of tannin. V. Good.
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Decanted for 4 hours before service, which was about right but could have been longer. Perfect cork. Transparent cherry red and very strong lifted notes of oiled pews in a cathedral. Now is semi-transparent. Nose is earthy, deep dark spices like star anise, liquorice stick, white pepper, lots of other black spices. Quite linear by Musar standards....quite intriguing in a Priorat manner. Palate is immediately gorgeous.... really silkily textured deep rich textured dark red cherry, classic Asian spice market, rich and unctuous like a great Rhône wine.... belly-filling. Super deep and long finish with impressive length and reverberance. Head-filling. Has opened up massively since I first drank it 3 years ago. Ready now but has a decade or two of further development ahead of it. Gorgeous. 92+
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Recently acquired at a very good price in retail no less! Decanted to remove sediment and it smells typically funky/horsey in the decanter. Medium light colour of delicate, faded rosehip jelly fading to strong orange pekoe tea at the rim. The funk has mostly gone, and now the nose is full of spicey, dried red fruits, freshly sawn cedar, leather with a feral, animal undertone. Just a hint of VA and alcoholic heat as well. Over time notes of medjool dates, curry comb and rosehips emerge. Long slow legs that seem to stick to the sides of the glass. Fuller on the palate than it appears from the colour. Initial sweet and sour red berry impressions quickly transition to spiced leather, pointed acidity and tongue squeezing tannins. Some notes of VA, as expected, but not as much as other vintages. Very smooooth. The finish is quite dry with tart red fruit, tingly acidity and tea-like tannins that leave your mouth watering for more. Original, intriguing and delicious! Not as profound as some vintages but enthralling just the same! An intellectual wine.
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Tasted a few Musar side by side against some Pauillacs. WE loved the Musars for their aromatic complexity, many of them did not have too much funk (aka Brett) as I observed in bottles before but a nice nose of musk, underbrush, sweet spices and more red than dark berries. There is a good portion of Carrignan and Cinsault next to CabSav in these wines. This makes the wine a bit lighter than a Bordeaux and also higher pitched in the aromatics. So after having tasted the 1989 (93, the lightest of all of them), 1999/2004 (94, aromatic, good mid mouth presence), 2001 (NR, light cork) we concluded that these wines are better to be compared against a South of France Blend than a Bordeaux blend.
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This is everything Chateau Musar should be. Good concentration. That very rustic mature Bordeaux/Rhone style with good acidity knitting it all together. Mid weight but great length. So reassuring to see them confidentally still making this old style wine in a period of global style boredom amongst too many producers worldwide.
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This was a beautiful musar - maybe the best i've ever had? Closed at the beginning, but after about 45min in a decanter, the aromatics began to unfurl and the wine began to reveal its beauty. Red cherry, dusty tannins, hint of menthol. Loved the perception of sweetness of the fruit - something that comes with reasonably aged cabernet-based wines. This beauty can last for a couple of decades easily, but it is already so wonderful to drink now.
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This really is getting into the prime drinking window. Classic Muser on the nose & palate, just a wonderful and beautiful wine that offers both depth & width along a long finish. Outstanding!!!
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"Gjenglemt" av broderen. Håper den kan matche Brisket med aubergine og pinsefeirng 19 år, forsmak: Moden lett krydderet lukt mot rognebær. Lett sødmefylt smak med rognebær og tørka moreller. Åpner opp etter noen minutter i glasset, jern, krydder. Intens flott og spennende vin, god syre og laaaang ettersmak. Etter noen timer i åpen flaske: jordbær. Elegant og flott opplevelse. Knall syre. 1 dag i flaske: voldsom og elegant på samme tid. Moden tørka frukt, dadler. Og smågodt?
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Well resolved, expressive nose of cherry jam, spices with herbal notes. Really great acidity that cuts through the entire palate. Drinking very well now, could definitely use some air.
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Classic London broil, roasted purple potatoes, artichokes. Delicious, even with chokes! Chicken thighs w black beans, basmati rice and chilis; sautéed escarole. Another good match
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This was not as good as previous bottles I have had of this. A little funk on the nose only partially sorts itself in time. The palate is nicely balanced, fully mature with flavors of black currant, blackberry, herbs, tobacco, tar and spice coming through. The wine is a little rugged around the edges. This wine seemed more rustic and less pure than the last bottle I had of this.
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Great wine, red cherry jam, eucalyptus, cedar, smoke, tabaco, hint of dark chocolate. Medium+ acidity, smooth tannins, surprisingly long finishing. Well balanced, exceeded my expectations.
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This is, as usual, an absolute delight to drink, and is indeed in its own space. Very elegant, beautiful spices and will continue evolving, probably increasing to 94-95. Love it. Slo ox for 7 hrs and then PnP. Tonight with baked aubergine and tahini sauce...
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Nose of cedar and barnyard dominates: classic musar. This bottle was a bit more baryardy than usual, but this mostly blew off in the first 10-15 minutes and was left with lots of dried cherry, currants, cedar, tobacco, and that lovey gaminess that Musar has. Still amazing acidity and fine tannins that provides great grip and length.
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Incredible nose, but very troubled (not clear). Left standing for three hours prior to drinking and decanted. Need to leave the bottle standing for like a week for optimal results (from my experience!).
Yet enjoyable for price.
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Popped, breathed in bottle 60 minutes, consumed over next two hours. This has developed positively, becoming more elegant and revealing more beguiling nuance. Seamless, complex, balanced, with refreshing acidity and a lengthy, succulent, expanding finish.
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Flawed. I could push the cork in with my finger, it slid so easy. It's like the cork was slathered in silicone, Uh-oh. This tasted like lipton ice tea over the first hour. Did improve some but consensus was this was an off bottle.
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Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+ (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Crimson core with pale orange rim, fine sediment; so meaty and savory, leather, sweet rich fruit, exotic, viscous, red apple skin, dried oranges, liquor soaked cherry, so distinctive, youthful tart finish; called '01 Musar
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Perfumed nose Sweet ripe black cherry, barnyard, leather, animal, cigar box, flowers, sweet and sour aromas Long finish, delicious Early in its drinking window. Good for next 5 years at least. Probably best between 2022-2025 If drinking now, decant at least 30 minutes before serving. The wine evolved nicely in the glass Medium body Colour was pale or medium- garnet
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Chateau Musar 1999-2004 vertical blind tasting: Initially darker and a little more closed than the other wines in the flight, the 2001 vintage opens into very fine table wine that’s less immediately identifiable as a Musar than most of the others in the flight. The fruit perfectly balances the tannins, even if the flavor occasionally veers into overripe territory. Fortunately, with the next sip, it steps back from the brink just in time.
Perhaps because it’s a more conventional wine, tasters were better able to keep their bearings with the 2001, and they rewarded it with a 2nd place rating out of the six vintages on offer. If nothing else, this suggests that Musar can be very, very good even when it’s not extraverted. This is also the only wine in the flight that I believe would really benefit from more aging.
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Earthy nose. Slightly singed and Bretty. Brooding dark cherry fruit with a sort of Bretty bitterness. Still this has dried violets and dried blackberry and tamari. Promising. Needs more time and a long decant.
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Suffers when compared to the richer, more layered and flavorful 1999. Great nose that somehow does not deliver... Does it need more age? I had it with rack of lamb but it did not shine. Austere, very old-school. If you liked French wines in general back in the 1980s (ie, austere to the point of being almost acidic) then it might be your thing. Still the nose is something else: think medieval art as opposed to all the baroque stuff we are getting now (think fruit-forward Californian). Really hard to grade this as I am not sure it will stand to gain with age, though if I had more bottle I would surely forget about them for 5+ years...
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2001 was a very hot and dry vintage: by mid-February the weather turned to much more warmer than usual with almost nonexistent rains. After relatively normal weather during the flowering, the weather turned hotter than average for July and August, resulting in 15% reduction in yield. The harvest was carried ahead of the schedule, starting already on 3rd of September. The Cinsaut suffered from the hot weather, losing some of its color; thus, the percentage of Cinsaut is somewhat lower in this year's blend compared to other vintages. As normal, the wine was fermented and aged in cement vats for 9 months, aged in oak for 12 months, blended together and matured for a further year in cement vats before bottling. 13,5% alcohol. Decanted for a few hours before tasting the wine.
Somewhat pale, limpid cranberry red color with developed pomegranate highlights. The nose feels somewhat restrained with slightly sweet-toned aromas of rose hips, some strawberry, a little bit of earthy spice, light licorice tones and a hint of old, dry leather. In contrast to my previous experiences with Musar 2001, this wine lacks the slightly medicinal or gluey volatile notes. The wine is juicy, dense and qutie full-bodied on the palate with rich flavors of wild strawberries, some overripe red plums, a little bit of game, light licorice notes, a little bit of smoke, a hint of blood and a touch of tart lingonberry juice. Despite the obvious ripeness, the wine is high in acidity. The testural tannins feel quite ripe and resolved with less grip than in the past. The finish is ripe, spicy and gently grippy with long, savory flavors of earthy spices, sour cherries, some gamey meat, a little bit of sanguine iron, a developed hint of corned beef and a touch of sweeter dark fruits.
A very harmonious and attractive Musar that seems to have somewhat lighter and more elegant with age, at least if compared to my past experiences when this vintage has felt more brooding and muscular in style. Perhaps this is signaling that the wine is starting to arrive at its plateau of maturity? I don't really know, since the bottle variation with Musar is so prevalent. Nevertheless, this is a very attractive and eminently really drinkable vintage of Musar with a good combination of developed ripe fruit, freshness and sophistication.
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75cl bottle: Medium ruby. Wet barnyard, leather, wood notes on the nose. Sweet dark fruit on the palate, but not cloying like the 2000. Well-balanced, spicy, still primary - prefer the faster effective aging which was apparent in the half-bottle, but still enjoyable. With an hour or two to breathe, some tertiary notes, e.g. mushroom, were evident. 88-90.
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Decantered for an hour. Vanillas, peppers and Floral perfumes. Well balanced. Hints of thai spicy, but smooth and long. Beautiful wine, 4 hrs since opening an improving.
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On opening. Wet cork. Pronounced. Lots of VA. Soy, sour cherry, earth, leather. Palate confirms, plus balanced med+ alcohol. Finish full of sundried tomato, leaf, fresh red meat. Long. Put into a decanter to allow VA to blow off. .
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Coravin from half bottle: Rusty red / tawny. Mushroom and sweet dark fruit on first nosing. Similar notes on the palate. Dense with good acidity, integrated tannins. Medium to long.
Out of the half bottle: Cork had to be pushed in. Expressive nose, similar to above plus woody notes. Sweet dark fruit but also savoury on the palate. Long finish. I enjoyed this.
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Some barnyard that blew away after some time in the glass. Red cherry, dusty tannins, hint of menthol. Love the way the acidity and the fruit melded seamlessly in this. Very enjoyable, drank over four nights.
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Mahogany, dusty blackberries, plum compote, rosewater, and sweet spices on the nose. Dense fragrant fruit on the palate with a sweet acid lightness, salty chocolate back notes moving into a dry delicious finish with a deep undercurrent of sweet tannins. Superb with tahini kofta and cucumber tomato salad.
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Classic Musar transformation. Tried a bit straight after decanting for comparison purposes - tawny colour, musty, perfumed nose, with clear tangy fruit (redcurrant?); on the palate high acid, very tart and sharp, shortish finish. After 1.5h-2h - totally different wine. On the nose, clear black cherry, a bit of plum, jammy, very spicy (pepper, cloves, star anise), at time fennel, leafy green, smokey, maybe a hint of tobacco? On the palate, med body, high acid and chokingly full of tannin. Just wow! This time clearly RED cherry, fresh, morphing into savoury meaty notes, and undercurrent of dry smokiness and bitterness (cherry stone), acidity coming in waves until you’re left with heat and spice finishing gently, with length. Bravo!
Red fruit, plums, cassis, pepper, and leather on the nose. Medium tannins, nice acidity, with lots of red fruit, berries, and herbs on the palate. A tad sweet on the palate but otherwise very interesting and good. My first Musar, very nice wine!
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Le premier jour, trop bretté, semble sur extrait avec du moka et fruits mures. N’a pas la finesse de musar. Le deuxième jour, beaucoup mieux. Cerise, fruits noirs, volatilité de musar, manque de pureté et de fraicheur.
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2001 – 92. A real testament to the winemaker’s skill. See previous verticals. It’s now 18 years old and you can still taste that distinct fresh fruit on the palate. Just starting to get a little lighter now. 2002 – 90. That sharp spritz that we previously got on the front of the tongue has now finally gone. 2003 – 89. Odd one out of the evening. More ‘meaty’ and savoury. Went fine with food. We had previously found the 2003 to be much smoother. 2004 – 92. Yes, back to that medicinal cherry lozenges punch 2005 – 93. Drinking very well now. Hint of spiciness. 2007 – 92. A deeper, heavier year. You can still find some 2007’s at the larger retailers and it’s ready. Had the strongest bouquet of the lot 2007 Magnum – 93. We had fun here, putting a magnum and a standard bottle of the same year up against each other. Was there a difference? Yes. Would you know if you did not have them side by side? Unlikely. This was the star of the night. Ripe fruit. Think warm sunshine. 2008 – 91. Youngest one here and it shows immediately just looking at the rims comparing it with the others. It was the ‘reliable friend’ – easy drinking, plenty of fruit (evokes Christmas sweet spices) and went well with the cheese course A Billecart Salmon 1999 to start. All reds out of the Eurocave the night before, opened in the morning. Smoked duck with asparagus and a walnut dressing to start, beef filet with a shallot and port sauce, potatoes cooked with garlic and thyme, cheeses, rose possett with rhubarb.
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This is a phenomenal musar and drinking very well right now. 30 minute decant. Medium cherry red. The nose is cherry, spice and game. The palate is medium bodied and very well balanced. Flavors of raspberries, cherries herbs, game this is delicious with limited but growing complexity. This is in the riper less gamey side of the musar spectrum of flavors and it works.
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Nez complexe, fruit rouge, épice, pharmacie. En bouche beaucoup de finesse. Elegant, tout en rondeur. Ampleur et longueur moyenne. Très agréable à boire, la bouteille se vide rapidement
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Upping my score from a month ago. It was a mistake to drink it alongside 99 AND only 2 days after delivery. It settled now and on its own it is easily a 92 with upward potential. While 99 is power and muscle - this is aristocratic elegance. Strongish acid component as well still slightly unresolved tannins tell me that this will continue to evolve. Excellent.
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This is interesting- there’s a nice core of sweet cherry fruit with some tertiary aromas and a strong vein of crushed grapeseed bitterness. A very nice Musar and a great example of how they can blend fruit and funk.
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Really interesting bottle. Medium red, very cloudy, medium tannins and some what muted fruit with lots of complexity and earthiness. Drank alongside a 2008 Duluc du Branaire-Ducru. Made a very interesting contrast of Cab based wines. . Paired very well with a bolognese. interesting and a real pleasure.
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Tried this alongside 1999. While my favorite 99 is easily in the usual 93-95 range, this is more 89-90 right now. To be fair, it was delivered two days ago, so shaking doesn't help. Had them both slo oxed, and will decant later. See if anything changes - right now 2001 is leaner, more closed - youngish burgundy or barolo to mature bordeaux (99). I now have 98, 99, 01, 04, and 2009. Will do a vertical one day.
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This wine is all about the nose, which is a super-intense, penetrating bouquet of red fruits with hints of tobacco and earth. Very engaging. The palate was nice and balanced but did not quite deliver on the promise of the bouquet. This shows medium-weight red and brambly fruits that are quite ripe. Fine tannins are unobtrusive and age has rounded this out, but the overall palate impression, while tasty, is not particularly memorable.
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ouvert vers 15h et bu vers 19h30 . Carafé (sans aucun depot) Dès l’ouverture , il était déjà beau ! Il a pas bougé d’un poil pendant tout ce temps . Sur les épices douces (L'anis étoilé en partie). , les fruits rouges bien mûrs au départ puis la confiture par la suite . Un vin qui semble encore jeune . Un vin abouti et bien content qu’il m’en reste 2 autres ! Un vol pour le prix demandé à mon avis .
92 pts
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Short note cos drunk over supper but this is absolutely perfect. Sweet, sweet fruit, dark cherries bordering on but never getting jammy, tobacco, dusty North African spices and rose petals. Add a waft of VA, and I’m in Musar heaven. I am sure this will last for years but think this might be the sweet spot. Sheer pleasure.
I decanted to remove sediment but wouldn’t do it too far in advance as it evolved quickly after opening.
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CNY at UE Straits. Appearance is clear, pale intensity, garnet colour. Legs. Nose is not clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of VA, barnyard funk, earth, dirt, spice, incense. Developed. On the palate, dry, hig acidity, medium alcohol (13.5%), grippy high tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ Flavour intensity, with flavours of sour red cherries, sour plums, spiced incense, dirty dirty earth. Gritty medium+ finish. Bottle variation. Clearly not as good as the last 2 times I tasted this bottle. Too many obtrusive faults. Not so much in a good place.
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Wine is bricked, with clear edge. Fairly translucent.
Nose of an aged Bordeaux with some funky earthy notes underneath. Tobacco, leather, spice, but with a touch of nail polish remover. I wonder if that is the famous Volatile Acidity I have heard so much about. But it went away after a few minutes. Plus some tomato, and red fruit.
On palate, wine is sound and quite nice. Aged cabernet feel with the blue cheese, touch of soy, good acidity.
I have sometimes gotten headaches from this type of aged wine. Will drink water preemptively.
Pretty great wine, and when price factored in, tough to beat. I have a couple other bottles (older and younger) and looking forward to trying.
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From a 375. Stood up for 1 week, had fine sediment at the bottom. Decanted and tasted. Medium-clear ruby-garnet with moderate bricking (bottom 1-2 oz was cloudy but decanted off); medium to medium-plus intensity, soy, umami, red fruit; medium-bodied, medium to medium-plus acidity, chewy red fruit, cherries, savory, a bit of soy, balance medium alcohol (13.5% on label); medium-plus finish. This is really nice, and I'll give it some air before tasting again this evening. 92-93 now 5 hours decanted: Nose has a bit more intensity, a bit of Christmas spice, just slight smoke, superbly integrated soy with red fruit; palate is similar to when first opened. This is like being wrapped in a blanket in front of a fire, superbly put together and unlike any other wine. 93 with years ahead of it.
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Musar is just one of those wines where one needs to be picky to find areas to criticise when it consistently delivers quality at a not so fine price. This bottle was no different.
Nose was so inviting... Florals, sweet spice, orange peel and a whole potpurri of scents.
On the palate, it was nice crunchy fruit but balanced with sweet spice and some oak, leather and tobacco. Wow, this is really hitting its stride.
On a casual night, where one seeks quality but can’t bear to open a really fine bottle, Musar fulfills that niche perfectly.
Thankful that i have more and will see how it develops in the next 5-10 years.
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From a half bottle; What a gorgeous wine! Garnet color, translucent and starting to show a bit of age at the edge.. A voluptuous nose that builds into a crescendo of a myriad of beguiling smells. Never "in your face", it envelops you with warmth and a quietly confident sensuality. On the palate supple, warm, elegant and superbly well balanced with a great middle palate and wonderful length. A truly superb bottle! One of the best I had in the last 24 months.
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Même note et même appréciation qu'en juin 2018. Beaucoup de finesse et passablement d'évolution, un brin trop pour moi. De plus en plus je pense que pour mon palais. je préfère mais Musar autour de 10-12 ans, mais pas davantage. Il manque un peu de fruits et d"épices dans ce vin presque bourguignon. 91
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Uklar med murstens kant. Stall og varm frukt à la svisker og plommer, pipetobakk. Litt volatil. Smak følger duft med mørk, søtlig frukt; moden og rosinpreget, men det er godt; pen fylde, snille tanniner og lang, krydret ettersmak
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Pas mal moins convainquant que 2000 et 2004 en ce moment cette bouteille. Nez sur les feuilles mouillées, des épices, de la fumée et un côté animal. En bouche c'est assez souple, des épices et du cuir avec des cerises et une acidité assez présente. Longueur moyenne avec un peu de chauffe en finale.
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Pioche adéquate. Robe avec signe de vieillissement ocre. Bouquet de bouquet fleurs séchées et atacas. Bouche dotée d'un bel équilibre et longueur. Bien bon, à re-tenter à tête reposée, car plus méditatif qu'un crowd pleaser. ***
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Très beau Musar à point, tout en finesse, rien ne sert d'attendre, le tertiaire est déjà bien présent. Le nez un peu sur le tabac, la pâte de tomates et le graphite. J'ai l'impression que les Musar sont généralement à leur peak vers 15 ans; 20 ans, c'est sans doute pousser un peu loin (le 1999 m'avait semblé presque trop vieux l'an dernier). Délicieux et unique en son genre. 91
In a terrific place now. Fully mature. Nice modest nose of red fruit and tobacco. The mid palate is elegant and medium bodied. Flavors of red fruit, smoked meats, lead pencil and tobacco. There wasn’t any of the barnyard flavors you sometimes get with Musar.
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Une première pour moi avec les rouges de Gaston Hochar. Il en résulte un vin avec plusieurs tonalités d'épices. Un vin ouvert avec une bonne complexité. Un très beau vin. 92 sur 100.
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SAQ N° 13390693 64$ Bref, voyons ce que mon premier Musar rouge me donne. Pas de déviance. C'est plutôt frais, je m'attendais à un vin plus capiteux. Beau bouquet sur les fruits rouges et les fleurs séchées. Soupcon d'herbes de provence. Bonne douceur en bouche et sur les mêmes notes. Finesse. Il m'en reste 3 que j'ouvrirai d'ici 2-3 ans, avec agneau grillé. ***
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Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+ (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): See through crimson with orange in rim; exotic nose, spices, Musar, orange zest, balsamic, slight VA, crunchy red fruit, cooked strawberries; inherent sweetness, autumnal, sweet tanned leather, good mid-palate sap, tangy finish; interesting and different; drinking well now; called Musar right off the bat but went 2000.
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ouvert vers 15h et bu vers 19h30 . Carafé (sans aucun depot) Dès l’ouverture , il était déjà beau ! Il a pas bougé d’un poil pendant tout ce temps . Sur les épices douces (L'anis étoilé en partie). , les fruits rouges bien mûrs au départ puis la confiture par la suite . Un vin abouti et bien content qu’il m’en reste 3 autres ! 92 pts
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Musar tasting at Roberson Wine. Noticeably pale with the smokey vegetal character of an older wine. Brulée red fruit core with sweet spice tones and decent acid balance. Good length. Still firmly in the excellent bracket but forward for a Musar and for drinking by its 20th birthday.
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Brick red; hickory, wood smoke, warm tar, high toned; marked acidity, lovely tension, gamey, sous bois; finish walks the tight rope. Now & next 15 years. The real deal.
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Have you ever tried a candy bar 15 years after your first Halloween trick o´ treat? The joy and nostalgia just hit you like a ton of bricks. You were searching for that stick-icky peanut butter cornflake cup for over a decade and now you finally moved to a larger city to find it and embrace it. This is Musar 2001 (on a good day). Raisiny-pine-dark chocolate scent wavering out of the glass, followed by medium-bodied ecstasy. Sweet aftertaste, not too strong, even for the lightweight drinker. If you want good times, you´re gonna have good times.
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Dark and red cherries, almond paste, dried dark fruit. Julmust, Christmas spices, Coca-Cola. Tobacco, smoke, barnyard. Root vegetables, dried herbs, paint bucket. Light mouthfeel with balanced and integrated alcohol and tannins. Mature and complex and at the same time subtle. Did not improve (nor decline) to day 2 which leads me to believe this is pretty much on peak right now.
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Direkt i glaset 30 sekunder efter flasköppning finns nästan bara röda körsbär på näsan. Efter två minuter kommer cigarr och lite läder och lite arkiv med papper och torra dokumentskåp. Doftar väldigt angenämt!
Smaken i det här läget väldigt låg, återhållsam och mot perfekt mogna röda körsbär. Inte så mycket mer. Lätt strävt.
Får tre timmar i karaff.
Näsan ger då cigarrlåda och röda bär. Färska gröna fikon. Lite kryddighet i form av färsk grön timjan men väldigt integrerat i övriga dofter. Inga stora kraftfulla dofter utan mer balanserat timidt.
Smaken ger röda bär. Piptobakstoner i munhålan. Rostade rotfrukter. Lite torkade fikon. Riktigt gott. Verkligen ett bra vin även om jag har druckit än bättre årgångar av Musar.
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Drinking well, with some stinky complexity, yet everything holding together well. In another wine I might say 'drink up' but Musar does seem to sustain this level of maturity for a good while.
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Consistent with previous bottle. Just a touch of that signature Musar VA on the nose but mostly tart red fruits with a hint of balsamic coming through.
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This is lovely. In a really good place at present. One of the better Musar I’ve tried. The nose shows vibrant tertiary aromas that taste the same - sweet black currants against tart red currants. Great balance. Deceptive length. Very good
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ouvert vers 15h et bu vers 19h30 . Juste épaulé. Dès l’ouverture , il était déjà beau ! Il a pas bougé d’un poil pendant tout ce temps . Sur les épices douces , la prune au départ puis la confiture par la suite . Un vin abouti et bien content qu’il m’en reste 4 autres ! 92 pts
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Quelle beauté ! Je suis un grand amateur du Château Musar...jamais déçu ! Encore jeune mais prêt à boire...d'ici 2020 mais pourquoi attendre. Bien intégré...soyeux en bouche avec de beaux fruits rouges et épices : sel de céleri...longue finale...toujours une traite ! Bravo !
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Colour: ruby very slight brown edges Nose: red fruit, spicy mint cumin black pepper, leather, earthy, black cherry, Palate: very tasty, soft tannin, fruit & spice long finish.
Very very nice and value for money. Nose lots going on, the oak was very much like a brunello, less like a bordeaux. Fruit was more red than black in this vintage. Loved it.
Notes from Musar website: 2001 was a most unusual year – although it began normally with some quite rainy and cold days, by mid February the climate changed to much warmer weather with almost no rain or snow at all. From March until August there was only 23mm of precipitation – therefore the total for the year was dramatically less than normal and the water table was significantly lowered. After a regular flowering in the spring, July and August were exceptionally hot. This was the fourth year in a row of very little rainfall causing the vines to tire. Cinsault vines were the most affected, especially those grown on limestone soils. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan grapes, with their thicker, firmer skins were more protected from the sun and showed excellent concentration. The Cinsault was still fragrant and fruity but lost some of its colour; the Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan were, however, rich, powerful and fruity with smoky, leathery aromas and deep violet colour. The harvest began on the 3rd September – one of the earliest start dates on record. The overall crop was reduced by 15% but the grapes were healthy and ripe, not overly tannic or acidic. Fermentation progressed steadily and the malolactic followed easily and naturally as it did in 2000. This vintage is marked by the domination of the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Carignan over the Cinsault. The wine was fermented in cement vats, aged in French Nevers oak barrels for one year and bottled in the summer of 2004. Scarlet in colour with terracotta tones at the rim, it has a complex nose of cigar box spice, warm leather, baked fruits, ripe morello cherries and blackcurrants. The palate has intense flavours of red cherries, dark chocolate, olives, figs and velvet smooth tannins on the very long finish.
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Tasted during a WA event "a matter of taste" walk about, so no tasting notes, only occasional impressions. A good Musar, typical to its style, unapologetically oxidative and bretty. Aromatically complex but you have to like the style. It is like Coriander, Dorian, Cummin, Brussles Sprouts. Love it or hate it kind of food.
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Couleur pâle et trouble. Un nez de cuir et de cerises rouges avec un peu de volatile. Bouche aux arômes étranges, avec un côté mûr et sucré, de fruits secs, puis une finale acidulée qui détonne. C’est pas très charmeur. Plein et original, certes, mais plutôt janséniste. Pas de plaisir, je me fatigue après un verre. Déception. 86 pts
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Je n'avais aucune attente concernant le Musar 2001 car les critiques avaient l'air plutôt partagées. J'ai cependant été agréablement surpris, peut être justement car je n'avais pas d'attente? Il ne fait pas ses 16 ans d'âge, mes 2 autres bouteilles vont attendre. J'ai hâte de le ré-essayer dans quelques années.
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Briefly decanted. No detailed notes as drank over a business dinner.....a pity I couldn't contemplate it more because, strangely, this was my first time to drink this vintage of the red. Very brightly jeweled semi-transparent ruby colour. Nose lacked the classic and appealing Musar funk....very clean, bright medium spice and deep red and black fruits. Palate has a similar clean, deep-fruited quite sophisticated linear character which had me thinking more of a St. Julien or Pauillac than classic Musar. Good length and persistence. Very enjoyable indeed, especially with roasted French pigeon.
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C'était mon premier Musar après quelques jeune Musar. Le vin était évolué avec une robe orangée. La différence avec le jeune Musar n'est pas incroyable du moins pour le 2001. Les tannis sont fondus et il reste de l'acidité. C'est un vin que l'on doit carafer quoi qu'il était quand même bon dès l'ouverture. J'ai bien aimé mon expérience Musar, mais je n'ai pas été subjugué compte tenu du prix de près de 70$. Par contre, c'est toujours plaisant de boire un vin avec quelques années derrière lui!
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drunk over lunch hence short note Absolutely lovely now, full of fruit and so spicy with layers of leather, cinnamon and cedar. Absolutely a point and though distinctively Musar it's not too Musar ie the VA is under control Would love to try this again in 5 years, then 10, then 15. . . .
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Superb showing. Lovely garnet colour, cork breaking down and crumbling.
Nose: Really bright barnyard nose expected of Musar with some bottle age. Likened to proper English cider. This blew off after some bottle time leaving a delicate balance pursued by nectarine medjool dates and prunes.
Mouth: Really well balanced. Tannins softened out leaving a pleasant grip. Long finish. Bottle lasted several hours.
Had this with roast leg of lamb. Great value for money.
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First try of this year of a wine I admire so much. Promising garnet colour with very little brown. Cork is drenched but it holds together. Yes it's Musar - that's unmistakable from the first sniff. But (as some have mentioned below) it seems an unusually thin version of this sometimes utterly captivating wine. I don't think this was a dud bottle as the wine is holding together OK (although more persistent acetone than usual - this didn't blow away after the first hour as it normally does), and there is an intriguing marzipan sweetness to it, but the knockout fruit core is largely absent (or perhaps just hiding? I think absent, but I'd very much like to be wrong). Definitely more red fruit than dark fruit here too. But it's still a good wine, and 88 is still a good score. Just no wow factor (at least at the moment) that us Musar-nuts crave!
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Un vin qui rappelle des vins du Rhône sud d'un certain âge: pruneaux, feuilles de tabac, épices. Intéressant et à mon avis bien fait sans défaut, mais pas ma tasse de thé.
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I am a fan of Musar, and this bottle did not disappoint. After an odd and somewhat off-putting opening nose of rotten ripe fruit, the wine opened up with more sour and dry cherry, cigar, moist earth, dry leaves and smokey peat. The palate was less Bordeaux and more wild, with a pleasant cut in the mid palate that went very nicely with pork. Dark color with little age showing. It will develop bit more for a few years, but but the projected 2017-2055 drinking dates a bit silly. This is not DRC or Lafite.
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Such an interesting wine. Cab Sauv, Cinsault and Carignan. A wild blend or black and red fruits, with a very nice acidity. Some mineral elements as well. The wine is smooth, but will likely be in prime form for up to another decade.
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From a 375ml bottle. The cork was almost completely stained upon popping. Aired shortly in the bottle (30-45 min). Awesome nose of leather, barnyard, a whiff of spicy oak and ripe red fruit. Medium bodied, supple and smooth with decent tannic bite, lots of red fruit left with good acidity and subtle leathery notes. Still rather fresh on the palate. Incredibly delicious! Has to be in a perfect spot right now.
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Chateau Musar Tasting: Also funky but in a slightly different way: Bretty nose, very similar to a Belgian ale like Orval. Has some piney, herbal notes that are not present in the other wines. Nice soft tannins on the finish.
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Drinking really well out of half-bottle, red and black fruits, sandalwood, plenty of savory notes on the palate, good line and length. Most enjoyable. Drink now.
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10 vintages of Chateau Musar (@Private location): *** Please see the general tasting story notes for more details *** Glass: Riedel BDX Sommelier Decanted for about 4+ hours. Clear, medium+ garnet color. Clean, medium intense, developing nose. Dry, medium+ acidity, medium+/high tannin. Needs more time, not at its full peak. Still closed, so not much notes here. At the moment 91pts.
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Pretty royal ruby. Juicy with structure but very round reserved tannins. Cherry, ripe red apple, plum, and blueberry. Fruity and open, full of life, slightly candied, young to the tongue. Seems to have plenty of life left.
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From 375ml. Hitting it's stride, really nice complexity of red fruit, spice, and hints of soy and cinnamon. Still holding onto some fruit, but long finish with a lot of the secondary flavors taking the lead. Will drink well for the medium-term, but in a nice place now.
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the bottle says Decanting recommended and can only agreed. Upon opening very closed and almost tasting like fruit is fading and acidity taking the center stage. After 4 hrs in the decanter the wine opens up to a red cherry, licorice spicy and elegant wine that feels like just starting its drinking window. Overall impression is more on the Rhone side of Musar. Need to get more highly recommended
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Decanted. Clear, medium ruby. On the nose: Red berries, soft cherries, earth, sweet spice, brett. Same distinct VA paint solvent as the previous bottle, but this time around the air time greatly helped. The VA notes receded (but never completely went away), and more complex floral and herbal notes emerged. On the palate: Medium(+) acidity, medium(+) body. Medium(+) intensity of strawberry, red cherry, earth, and a hint of dark fruit. Medium(+) integrated tannins, medium(+) pleasant finish. This wine punches above its weight. The chameleonic nose is engaging, and the body can hold its own against some other pricier old world wines. 92 pts tonight. Should be good for another 10 years or so.
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Tasted blind this time. Late night quick session at ES. Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose medium+ intensity, extremely complex and kept throwing up new aromas each time it was sniffed over 1.5 hours. Slight VA. Other aromas of floral violets, earth, perfume, sweet biscuit, honey caramel, sandalwood, sweet spice, red cherry. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (13.5%), medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of sweet red cherries, sweet earth, licorice, peppery spices. Long finish. Almost the same tasting note as the previous bottle drank non-blind. This bottle has slightly less VA and hardly any brett.
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Mini Brunello Night (Extra Space): Pop and poured. Drank over 45 minutes. Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs. Nose is not clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of VA, bretty earth, sweet red fruits, redcurrants. Developing. On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (13.5%), medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of intensely sweet red cherries, redcurrant, synthetic strawberries, sweet earth, licorice, sweet peppery spices. Medium+ finish. Now this wine is sure to spark many a debate, and it has its haters and its fans. For me, I don't really like the VA on the nose, but the palate is good. This bottle feels like it's still going strong for the next 5 years at least.
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Sadly, this wine seems on a steep downslope. The fruit was quite mature, a touch pruney, and largely overshadowed by the heavy dose of VA. Still enough of the exotic spices and general Musar strangeness to keep it interesting, but this is not one of the ageless classics from this producer.
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Tuesday Night Double Blind $60+ (Alpharetta, GA): See through crimson, paler rim; sweet red fruit, cranberry, autumnal, dried leaves, raisin, seaside, cedar; sweet fruit subsides to savory vegetal and ripe red fruit; very good, called early on Musar 99-01.
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Another vertical tasting, this time with hot beef over mustard greens as a starter, lebanese lamb, then a cheese course. All wines opened 4 hours before the meal. A 2004 Verve Cliquot vs a 2008 Nyetimber to start. 2001 - 92. amazing fruit for a 15 year old wine 2003 - 91. both the 2003 and 2004 were musty on the nose at the beginning but this quickly dissipated. The 2003 was so smooth. A bit of wood (given that they use concrete vats) 2004 - 92 one of the definite stars of the evening. Think cherry sweetness 2005 - 91 still very good and some of our guests remembered this as their favourite. Probably maturing quicker than the other vintages 2007 - 92 we thought this was a '94 in the making. Both the '97 and '98 needed a bit longer 2008 - 92 really need to give this a few more years before we can judge. Lots of promise There was no 2006 vintage and we gave the 2002 a miss given the 'spritz' we had from previous tastings Oh, such a lovely time
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Decanted for an hour. This is coming off as a fairly light-weight Musar, elegant red berries with a touch of smoke. The palate is also on the light side, with delicious red berries, good tannins and acidity. I'd say this is at its peak now, won't be getting better.
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Color: lightly bricked red at the rim with a ruby core. Smell: Tobacco, cement, dried red fruits, and dried flowers with the fruit notes dominating the nose more than anything else as all these scents seem to ebb and flow back and forth. Taste: This seems more light on the palate than I recall. Notes of cherry, cola, kumquat, and a hint of cedar comes through. Overall: This was decanted & refrigerated for about 12 hours. This bottle was imported by Vineyard Road Inc. instead of Broadbent who has been the only importer until recently. While this is outstanding...there's something that seems a little advanced for a Musar to my recollection of the last time I had this. Light-medium body, high acidity, med+ fruit, with a medium length finish. Excellent...but not quite as good as the Broadbent bottles I've had. It may be important to pay attention to the importer with a wine like Musar. Given that Broadbent has had such a long relationship with Musar...or this may just be an off bottle.
Had at the beach with family. Notes from day 2. N cherry, clove, leather, earth, cinammon. P black cherry, currant, tobbaco, dusty earth, spice F long in length, solid structure and mouthfeel Overall a really clean example of Musar, really nice bottle.
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Post Lake's Dinner; 7/9/2016-7/10/2016 (Muse): Graphite, cherry, ash, blackcurrant and cranberry - quite perfumed nose. Good acidity and length, this is quite clean overall and while it is solid, it didn't feel like a classic Musar.
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Sourced from Flickingers, opened one hour prior, and served with grilled kufta, this bottle was everything I have come to expect from Musar. Beautiful nose, perfect balance, nice length. Lovely complement to the food. That delightful sweet/savoury pendulum. Finally -- depending on your POV, this is either a compliment or a criticism -- this was decidedly non-barnyard, un-funky. A quite refined Musar that way. Drinking so well now, this is still likely to have a very long life.
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Il y a des épices là-dedans mon ami.Le livre Plenty au complet dans un vin.Moi qui adore son auteur ! Des notes de cumin/fenougrec , fruits rouges sêchés, canneberges et framboises.Un peu de plastique brûlé au départ mais le tout s'estompe rapidement.Limpide et facile à boire. 17.5/20 et à garder encore quelques années !
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Quite translucent, mature pomegranate color with some orange bricking and almost clear rim. A bit restrained nose that is rather dry and savory yet showing quite much sunny character in the form of wizened cherry, some dried date and hints of raisin. Underneath, very light bretty funk and a touch of VA that seems more unpleasant and chemical than the normal Musar volatility more akin to sweeter balsamico notes. Dry, dense and moderately full-bodied palate with a but muted flavors of dark pruney fruit, ripe fig, some raisin and a hint of dates. Quite pronounced, grainy tannins and moderately high acidity, but counterpointed with such concentration that the wine comes across as quite supple and smooth. Juicy, but a bit short finish with flavors of sweet raisin, peppery spice, some plummy fruit and a bit of tannic astringency.
Well, this is definitely a Musar, but quite clumsy and underwhelming at that. The wine seems very awkward and backward with rather dry, angular character and still very sunny, pruney fruit. Good structure, but in this wine it gives the wine more robust roughness than actual sense of structure and balance. Not quite representative of the vintage, and it fared rather poorly in a Musar vertical of 1994-2008. Probably an off bottle or suffered at some point from poor cellaring conditions.
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Sometimes Musar can just be so right, and tonight with lamb pie topped with cornbread and pickled onions was one of those times. Warm, enveloping, rich, spicy, ripe and singular.
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Wet earth,licorice,fenugreek,dry red berries,barnyard are on the nose.Palate is very silky and fresh.Has slightly sweetness...Medium plus finish with fine tannins and fresh acidity...Drink now-2020...
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Ruby red with tawny rim. A little bit of Bretty barnyard funk on the nose which blows off after awhile. Dried red fruit and spice with soft tannins and firm acidity.
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Fantastic nose quite alike to an aged 90s Bordeaux. With cassis, cedar, sous bois, earth, leather, strawberry, spices and cherry. The palate was very Rhone-esque though. With bright cherries and spices. The texture was very velvety and filled with subtle nuances of fruit, spice and wood. Very different in character from the '99 Musar but equally exotic in a style that can be gotten only from this winery. A steal at current prices. Especially for the quality of the wine. Much more open than the previous '01 Musar tried a few years ago. Ready for consumption. Not decanted. Slow ox for about an hour.
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Cloudy ruby with garnet at the edges. On the nose, layers of blackberry, menthol, cumin, with a whisper of oak. Not complex on the palate but balanced and with a pure expression of juice, slightly stewed, commensurate acid, tannins integrated and rolling out smoothly at the end. It has the clarity and balance that comes with age. 50 + 16 + 17 + 9.
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Decanted 30 minutes. Generally well made and balanced. Open with moderate complexity and length. A somewhat cloying sweetness that I often find in Musar. This may improve over 5-10 years and could warrant 90-91.
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Nose: Dark berries, Herbs, Rose Petal/Floral note, Earth and a smoke/caramel note. Slight bit of VA, but overall quite elegant. Palate: Layered but very soft and resolved on the palate. Dense cushy feel with Plum, Black Cherry, Framboise and then many different herb notes. Finish: Moderate length with some acid, but mostly velvety fruit, char and licorice.
Agree with others on the Barbaresco/Rhone hypothetical blend.
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Rather translucent dark cherry color with some orange bricking towards the almost clear rim. Lovely and attractive nose, with lovely depth and complexity - although the volatile aromas so typical of Musar seem to be more pungent, chemical and glue-like instead of those sweeter, nuanced balsamico notes more typical of the house. Modestly developed aromas of savory dark berries, tart red berries, sunny dark fruit, some dark cherry, a little earthy sous-bois and a hint of dried, dusty leather. In the mouth the wine is a lot sweeter, rich and suave than the nose suggests, with a supple, full body. Ripe, complex and dark-toned flavors of plummy fruit, aromatic spice, some fig, a little cherry, hints of leathery brett and a touch of paint thinner VA - intermingled with juicy, meaty notes. Moderately grippy, firm, dusty tannins. Rich, quite robust and slightly grippy finish with savory flavors of ripe, dark-toned fruit, sour cherry, bitterness, some leather, a little salty acetaldehyde tang and a slightest touch of herbal greenness.
A delightful and surprisingly imposing, even brooding, vintage of Musar with surprisingly powerful structure and lots of depth and complexity but very little of that bretty barnyard funk. Overall the 2001 does not seem as elegant and sophisticated as some vintages (some might consider it a travesty calling a wine as wild and funky as Musar as "sophisticated" or "elegant") with its roughness, occasionally slightly glue-like and more off-putting than attractive VA characteristics and slight greenness, but it still manages to hit many of my sweet spots with its combination of mature nuances and powerful, grippy character. Starting to show some more developed notes, but the structure seems quite unresolved even after 15 years - this is definitely a keeper. Tasty stuff now with right food, but a wine to be aged a lot more if enjoyed on its own. Very recommended.
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My first Lebanonese wine and I liked it and don't know anything about it. I hits me as being a heavy right bank blend with Cab Franc dominating. Red fruits, some veggies and herbs, very smooth and a good balance of acidity.
Perfectly integrated, well-ahead of the 1999 (still disjointed a few months ago). Supple, not powerful. Just an absolute pleasure. Red cherries, dried strawberries, rye, subdued tamari with slight balsamic prickle, browned liquorice. This isn't arresting as the '95, but rather it's a quieter, equally thoughtful companion. Effortlessly transportive. With it's constant shifting and ease, it makes me think of friendships. Of the people I've met and the conversations I've loved. Of my friend, Tim, who shared the bottle with me. Of friendships born out of music, climbing, work, school, wine - friendships that transcended the genre in which they emerged.
I wouldn't change anything about this wine. Score: Around 9.5
Little to no brett on the nose, raspberry/cherry and a bit of earth, acid is medium to strong with balanced tannin. Drank very young, long life ahead imho. Very nice bottle
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I'd say typical Musar like previous notes, but this is my first old Musar :) I've tasted the 2005 vintage and indeed you can identify a style in common in both wines. Though the 2001 vintage was more evolved, with some tobacco and smoky notes, it kept the finesse, freshness and spices while being a solid full-bodied wine. Pairs well with spicy food but a bit too much on its own.
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Terroni with Marc Hochar: Cherry tart, dried herbs, complex; pale ruby with slight signs of rust; good higher acidity in the back, moderate body, slick mouthfeel with dry fine tannins, lovely dried rose petals, balanced, "classic", like a Pinot Noir x Barbaresco in a sense. Cooler year than '07, shows more complexity and less alc. as well than '07.
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Good bretty character on the nose, rich and heady.
I'm not a massive fan of brett but this was integrated rather than dominant. Quite pale in the glass belying the intensity of fruit. Plenty of life in this - a good example.
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Time has not treated this particular bottle well. Quite a change since my last experience with the 2001 three years ago. Pale garnet in colour. Very distinct nose with dried red berries along with blood and iodine. Slender with faint berry aromas and feathery tannins. The finish is bright yet not unforgettable.
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My first encounter with Chateau Musar. Decanted half of bottle for about 15 min and drank over the following 2h. A bricking and translucent red. Initially plenty of sweet stewed fruit and vegetable. Later the wine losses the rather flabby sweetness and becomes much more herbal and earthy. Fine to medium tannins. and medium minus finish. Based on this bottle and vintage am puzzled why Bordeaux is often mentioned with Chateau Musar as this is drinking much more like a hypothethical blend of a Northern Rhone from a cooler vintage with Nebbiolo and a traditional Brunello (with much softer tannins than the later two wines though). Will see how the rest of the bottle drinks on day 2. So far a nice wine but not impressive enough to seek out going forward
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Tuesday Night Double Blind $50+ (Bin 75): Cloudy crimson, orange rim; nutty, autumnal, orange oil, mahogany, leather, sour cherry; musky cherry, silky, texture, a little disjointed but tasty; very similar to Quintarelli Valpo; was on Musar from the color alone.
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Tasted side by side with '04 musar. It was my first time tasting this maker. It is a very unique wine..the closest thing it resembled was an old rioja. Both vintages have high acidity, which make these wines lovely when they are old. The nose was very plummy and secondary with noticeable oak. The palate had red berries, cherry licore and plums. 2001 showed more finesss while 2004 had more strengths. Without tasting old Muscar, it is hard for me to tell if this will turn into something amazing. All I can say is that it is an interesting wine at present stage, but ppl usually either love it or hate it. I personally incline slightly to the love side. But the wine did not have the depth and power for me to give a higher rating.
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19 Vintages of Musar Rouge; 1/25/2015-1/26/2015 (Clark Point House in Southwest Harbor, Maine): Color: Ruby core with a slight tawny/clear meniscus. Smell: Red fruits, cement, clove, and earth. Taste: Red fruits, dried red fruits, and clove. Overall: Given the youth of this wine, it's showing well and very "typical Musar" on the nose and palate displaying elegance, poise, and promise for a long future. light-med body, high acidity, med tannin vibrant fruit and a building finish that whispers of pending greatness. In honor of Bart Broadbent who made tasting the '84 Rouge possible I'll use the five * system. (***/**)
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Wine Education Service - Château Musar (LSE): Light tawny and translucent. Mature nose, animal development and dates. Fruity attack, very attractive, balanced, sweet in the mid palate, long. NOTE: This was a two bottle tasting and the second bottle was much less attractive; I would have scored it 84.
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Medium clear ruby with garnet hues. Sweet nose with candied red fruit, medicinal notes, some spice barnyard. Velvety texture. Very good balance albeit a bit blunt relative to the rest.
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Uh oh, I've just become a victim of Musar's infamous bottle variation. Time and air didn't do too much for the wine which, though not 'flawed' so to speak, was nevertheless flat and unexciting. Here's hoping the next bottle will be better...
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As usual, Musar provides a very interesting drinking experience. The wine keeps changing over the evening, a bit volatile in the beginning but after a few hours it was very balanced and quite elegant. Interestingly, i am getting some nebbiolo vibes (also got that with a 2002 once) with licorice, tar, red berries and a high acidity. Great!
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Musar Mini-vertical at Jules' place (Hoboken, NJ.): This is pretty clearly the best wine of the night. More primary on the nose, with great strawberry and cherry, marzipan. This is candied, bright and exotic - it is a depth of flavor on the nose that the previous 3 didn't. The palate is similar - excellent and sweet with dark fruits, some funk, mushroom, spice, horse. This is exciting, exotic and mostly balanced. There is a touch of heat on the finish along with cherry, mineral and spice. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 16.5-17/20.
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My last 2001. Bottle breath 5 hours. Very traditional Bordeaux cab blend. Different from those I had before, this 01 has developed well. Great smoke and gamey nose. Great structure with complex palate with fresh red cherry, gamey, mint and hints of olive. Quite elegant.
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The wine is clear and bright with a pale tawny colour and presence of dense legs. The nose is clean and developing, showing medium(+) intensity aromas of baked plums, cherries in liqueur, anise, cedar, tobacco, nail varnish remover and hints of leather. The wine is dry in the mouth with a medium acidity. It has medium(+) fine-grained tannins and a high alcohol. It has a medium(+) body and medium(+) intensity aromas of baked plums, cherries in liqueur, anise, cedar, tobacco, nail varnish remover and hints of leather. The finish is medium(+).
It is a very good quality wine with a nice fruit concentration and finish, and some degree of complexity provided by oak ageing and maturity notes. However it should be even longer, even more concentrated and even more complex to be considered outstanding. Can drink now, but it has enough tannic structure and flavour concentration to develop a bit more of tertiary aromas over the next 3-5 years.
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From magnum. Elegant, very drinkable, surprisingly light. Fresh-tasting with some sweetness and vanilla as well. Woodsy smells. It showed best after about 2 hours in the decanter and didn't fade much after that.
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Verticale Musar (Restaurant al Sad, Choueir): Robe rubis claire a reflets tuilés. Nez complexe sur le kirsch, le foin et les épices, signature typique des Musar. Tanin fondus, belle acidité.
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Decanted for an hour. Color was garnet. Pinot like. On the nose, some sous bois, spices and barnyard aromas. Palate had dense sweet lingering red fruits, berries and spices. Medium acidity and short to medium finish. The wine still had some slight heat on entry. Good for drinking in the present or cellering for more years.
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Very pale garnet color. Nose has a healthy dose of barnyard aromas and volatile acidity on an earhty, vegetal and spicy background while there is some cherry and plummy fruit as well. So, quite complex with notes of maturity but still retaining a surprising freshness of fruit. After some time in the glass though the wine oxidizes. Palate is medium bodied with fluid texture, imperceptible tannins, medium acidity, flavorful and with decent finish. This wine has its moments and when you're in the mood for it, it's unbeatable. Rusticity at its best.
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Quite a broad orange fade as a rim; classically vegetal Musar nose, fruit mingled with nail varnish. Pretty decent palate, flavoursome but for Musar lovers only. Dry funky finish, old stained wood.
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Popped, breathed in bottle 60 minutes, consumed over next two hours. This has developed positively over the past year, adding weight and revealing nuance. Seamless, complex, balanced, fascinating with a lengthy, succulent, expanding finish. Unique and delicious.
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Helles, transparentes rot. Wunderbare, elegante Aromen nach dunklen Beeren, Erde, Tabak, Leder, burgundisch in der Anmutung, schöne Säure, wirkt insgesamt ein klein wenig gezehrt. Dennoch großer Wein.
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After a trio of 2003 Bordeaux, this was a refreshing surprise. The nose on this wine is seductive and very distinct with a fresh mix of eucalyptus, menthol, lots of earthiness, while the fruit is mostly absent.
The palate is lean to medium in body, carried by tart dark red plums, with some prune and spice in the background. Has excellent freshness. Evaporates toward the back with a short finish, but the nose/entry/mid palate are excellent.
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My last bottle, and it just sang beautifully. High-toned fruits, spice bonanza bouquet, and very little VA. Exotic, sweet but balanced. Undeniably Musar, both in terms of its aromas/flavors and just the smile it brings to my face when drinking it. At peak.
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Decanted for two hours, tasting throughout. This is a gorgeous wine brimming with earthy aromas, sweet cherry, raspberry, pomegranite, and black pepper. The same fruits come through on the palate, though the pepper is more subtle while the sweeter fruits come forward. Its a well balanced wine that lingers on the palate. This wine is so fun to drink that I found it tough to slow down and take notes.
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Ruby brick in colour and is getting lighter at the rim. Has a nice nose of pomegranates, raspberries, some tobacco, and some earthy plums. Red cherries, plums, tobacco, and some spiciness on the palate. This to me is drinking really well right now and has some nice round earthy body to it.
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- Ruby color. It's in total harmony with a medium/full body. Round texture with a long finish - Absolutely first class. Bursting with cherry/berry flavour and exceptionally well balanced and rounded. This bottle was decanted 3 hours prior to consumption. I suspect this is now at its peak (and may remain so for several years yet).
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WES - Château Musar Vertical (LSE Holborn): Medium to low intensity. Colour change at the rim. Slight cloudiness. Not much volatility, soft perfume with sweet summer pud fruits. Smooth start, good acidity, good length with a slightly bitter finish.
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Wine Education Service - Château Musar (LSE): Translucent with an orange brown rim. Some sweetness on the nose, stewed prunes and figs. Sweet with high acidity, softish tannins, refreshing but a bit austere, might improve.
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I've have several different vintages, and this 2001 Musar does not disappoint. It tastes like an older Burgundy and is drinking well now. The classic funky barnyard nose is there, with the uniquely sweet tannins typical of Musar. Dried, sweet red cherry compote; barnyard; a bit of fennel. A great value given all the layers and flavors that make this wine so interesting.
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Excellent. Popped and poured from 375 and this needed very little air before setting off. Dark cherries and pomegranate on the very lively nose. Wine is excellently structured and balanced, more elegant and Burgundian as others have said. It's absolutely delicious and I can't wait to try other vintages based on this bottle.
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Decanted and drank over two hours, faded after 3-4h. Nose of red currants, spices, pomegranate, plums and a touch of barnyard. A well balanced wine where the acidity and fruit takes hold over the soft well integrated tannins. To me, this wine reminds me more of a Burgundy as the typical Cab elements are missing. Drinking beautifully now but should last for longer. Love this wine, elegant and excellent for the price point. 92-93p
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Decanted. First hour afterwards showed much VA. Needed another 3 hours to open up. Fruity and clean nose against dark berries. Structured and balanced in the mouth. Decent length. Overall slightly dissappointing, perhaps I expected too much? Will hold several years. Great with venision.
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My first time trying this wine. I also had '00 and '05 along with a blanc and a rose and I liked this '01 the most though all were very tasty.
I'd easily and understandably guess Bordeaux. Plenty of funkiness in this along with mixed berry, prominent earthiness, and plum. Elegant and enjoyable. Thanks to Dave W. for sharing.
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Similar to prior notes, except this time the Brett was a bit too horsey and the VA more pronounced, which in turn crowded out the usual high-toned aromatics and sweet, silky palate. Still a delicious and elegant cabernet blend, but just not showing its best on this occasion.
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Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+ (Bin 75): Translucent red crimson with orange rim; chestnut, ripe red fruit, orange, fat and rich, Italian nose; ripe and rich on the palate, good cherry and orange, viscous, long finish, great acid, very balanced; called Quintarelli Valpo like I usually do, duh.
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From half-bottle, followed over 4 hours... Loads of character here, filled with scents of a time long past... cinnamon, clove, sour orange, mulling spices, dusty earth, frankincense, cranberry, tart cherry, a bit of VA. This is quite sweet, giving it a Rhonish profile, and it expands across the palette with terrific brightness, chewy glycerin and ample yet suave tannins. More depth than a recent bottle of the lovely 1998 Musar. Drinking really well now, I dig this. Will likely improve. 92-93 pts.
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Another vertical tasting 18 months from the last one.
1999 - we thought this was at its peak last year. It is still going strong. As night went on, it became sweet and honeyed. There is plenty of punch. Apparently that is supposed to be the characteristic of Musars. Instead of peaking and then declining, they stay at that peak for years. Score 93 2000 - Rich nose. Slightly lighter on the palate. More wood. Score 91 2001 - favourite for 2 of the guests. Lovely fruit. Still lots of body for a 12yr old wine. Score 92 2002 - again that spritz and bite. Phenolic - even on the cork. What is it with the '02. Least favourite of the lot 2003 - Lots of blackcurrants but lighter compared with the others. Score 91 2004 - Wow. Medicinal lozenges. Think Vicks vapour rub. This will age very well. Score 92 2005 - noticeably more purple at the edges. Still has youth. Again medicinal but good clean fruit. Yummy. This has certainly matured in the last 18 months and drinking well now. Interesting how it has changed in that time. Score 91
We had beef in ale as the main course and then Gruyere de Compte (another vertical of 18, 21 ans 24 months) for the cheese course. The Musars went perfectly. All bottles opened 9 hours before starting the meal.
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Sort of a hypothetical blend of Bordeaux and Rhone with the elegance of Burgundy. Classic Cabernet flavors, but with refreshing delicacy and acidity. Cassis, chocolate and tobacco shop along with leather and truffle. Intense yet weightless. Lingering succulent finish. Beautiful with steak tartar.
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My second time on tasting Chateau Musar 2001. Similar to the previous tasting experience which in one and a half years ago.
Extremely high acidity and strong earthy taste for the first hour. The wine seemed to become more 'ready' for the next couple hours. Garnet in color. Very complex on nose with baked fruits, raspberry, cigar box, flowers and cassis. Good concentration along with balanced acidity and velvet tannin. It provided intense flavors of raspberry, cherry, gamey, olives and medium-short finish with lead pencil on palate. Brilliant wine at this price. But before opening this wine, please make sure you have at least two hours to open it up.
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Another absolutely beguiling and delicious Musar. Like a stroll through the spice market on the nose, with a silky elegance on the palate, and that sweet-but-not-cloying finish that I've loved in other vintages as well. Is really ready to drink now, but it showed no signs of flagging or fading.
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Ripe red berries, almond?, animal notes, leather, slightly warm impression on the nose. Palate with good concentration, ripe red berries, noticeable mineral, good acidity, medium tannin. Classical style with "southern France" hints, good balance.
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Been meaning to try this for a while having read a number of reviews. It did not disappoint. Lighter, aged colour. Notes of spice, earth and casiss on the nose. Red fruits, great balanced wine; acid and fine tannins. Approachable and made in an old world style. Good length. Could go a few more years.
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Chateau Musar Wine Dinner (Sarah and Andre's): This had light bricking showing signs of possible premature aging--there was some fresh looking cork seepage; dried cherry, sour cherry, slight carmelized note, wet earth, and a touch maderized but not off-putting. We'll re-try this bottle later to compare condition. Flawed but agreeable.
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Light, aged, coppery red. No tannin, sharp acid and dusty cherry fruit plus a very subtle, funky aged character. Like previous tasters I was reminded of an aged Quintarelli, it's an uncanny resemblance, and this wine is a better value. Lives up to its reputation fully.
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Light, aged color almost see through copper color; nose of perfumy red fruit, aged soy note which was hardly noticeable (I am really sensitive) but did not show on the palate, Italian-esque, medicinal note, cherry, orange tanginess, reminds me of Veneto (Quintarelli)- but I learned my lesson from the last bottle and knew this was Musar- I nailed it this time.
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Looked aged with color all the way to the core. Very sweet, tangy, red fruit, cinnamon, and cough syrup. Ripe and texturally rich with a viscous mouthfeel. Reminded me of a Quintarelli, but lacked the VA note. Steve nailed it.
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Notes from day 2. Dark red in color. Nose of cherry, clove, high quality leather, tobbaco, funk, earth, cinammon. Palate of black cherry, leather, tobbaco, funk, earth, spice. The finish was long in length, good acidity and structure as well as a really nice mouthfeel. Overall the wine was really starting to show its stuff tonight as opposed to yesterday. Hold or drink: 50+5+13+17+7 4
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Decanted for around 1 hour. Medium garnet color. Slightly earthy, barnyard aromas on the nose along with red fruits and high minerality. Mostly tart red fruits on the palate with cranberry and dried cherries coming through. Really nice acidity with plenty of fine tannins but definitely drinkable at this point. Juicy mouthfeel with a nice finish. The wine went really well with food too. I will let my last bottle sit for another couple of years to see where it goes in terms of complexity.
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Early Nov 2012: clear rubin red color with brown reflexes; strawberry, raspberry and oriental bazar (cinnamon, clove, pepper, cumin) plus sandal wood; medium body; fruity fresh acid on the palate; round texture; long tanninic finish.
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such an interesting wine. Interesting nose. Sherry like after first taste, but after 1 hour decant flavors of dried strawberries, cigar box, and olives. Long on the tongue on the open and mid palate. Shorter finish, but smooth tannins. Nice!
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Not as esoteric as expected. Lots of fruit with underlying cab notes. Somehow it came off as candylike. Maybe volatile acidity. I am interested in another vintage but so far Musar is not as impressive as I expected.
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This bottle is showing some age. Light in color with some browning. Light mouthfeel that was more like Genache to me. After a couple of hours, this was heading downhill. My first bottle 2 years ago was better and I thought it had the stuffing to age. Maybe this is an off bottle.
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Clear garnet in colour. Clean nose of red fruit, spice, and game. Dry, med acidity, med body, smooth tannins, strawberry, spice, and cherry on palate. nice finish. Had wine with donair, and kebabs, and if was perfect. Second night this wine was even better. tannins were smoothed out even more, and even more secondary flavours showed through.
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Dinner at Coi (Coi, San Francisco): Blend of cab sauv, carignon, and cinsault. Lovely nose of spice, raspberry, strawberry, cinnamon/sweet spice; full bodied, medium tannins, red and black fruits, lovely; medium length finish. Excellent, unique. 92-93
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Vertical tasting – 7 years of Musar from 1999 to 2005
2005 – most tannic one. Noticeably younger. Very good year, smooth, but needs longer in bottle. Scores range 85-91 2004 – still has a little bite on the tip of the tongue. Tastes younger than its age. Fruit is nice and clean. Mustier. Nose is dull. Hot year. Punchy. Scores range 87-90 2003 – lovely and smooth from the word go. Silky but more lightweight compared to the others. Scores range 82-92 2002 – there was a sharp spritz on the bottle, still there hours after opening. Roughest of the lot and not nearly as good as my previous experience of this year. Maybe just a rogue bottle. 2001 – if tasted blind, you could be forgiven for thinking this was a grand vin claret. The Cabernet dominates this year. Another hot year. Almost sherry like. Not full or punchy though. A few more years to go. Well liked. Scores range 90-92 2000 – bubblegum sweet yet earthy. Distinct from the others. Nice, clear, young and fruity for a 12year old wine. The 2000 grew on us as the night went on. This has reached the point when it can be enjoyed. Scores range 90-92 1999 – this is at its peak now and showing its aristocracy. Drink up. Scores range 90-93
We tried the 2003, 2004 and 2005 with the starter (shredded duck) and then added the 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 for the main (Roman lamb). All bottles opened 6 hours prior to tasting. The cork for the 2000 was coloured all the way up but the wines were all at the same level in the necks.
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Cloudy rusty brick red; sweet cherry; spicy, savory like a barn and bacon sandwich; perfumy, aromatic; sweet and savory mouth, with a long and tangy finish. Concentrated, wonderful and interesting!
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Chateau Musar 2001 is drinking beautifully right now. The wine has developed really well showing those developed maturation elements which entice you to open any bottles left right now - however the wine has a lot of promise for even longer maturation. And what a price - quality ratio.
What a nose. Rich and matured, full of cherry cola mixed with really ripe plum, in addition to leather and cigarbox (secondary notes from longer maturation), black pepper and some burned rubber -> giving a feeling of a mature 1970s nebbiolo.
The wine is in very good balance where big tannins have almost entirely been integrated, the mouthfeel is initially silky however the strong acidity runs over the silky feeling on the mid-palate, leading to a long finish full of dark fruits and nicely mixed with the acidity of the wine. Fruit has not dried yet thus indicating potential for further, even long cellaring. The components are there - sweet alcohol, tannins and fruit content as well as the great acidity. It is a big wine, one I could enjoy almost for the rest of my life (save for some pinot noir and nebbiolo).
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Needs to be decanted for a couple of hours for the nose to develop and some of the funky notes to fade. Nice complex mouth feel with a medium length. Still has legs to last a while longer.
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Musarathon (Strictly Rhythm, London): After the 99, this was quieter, but showing a lot of the same character, rich and grippy, with a good acid backbone
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Musarathon (Strictly Rhythm, London): Very similar profile to the '99 of sweet red berries and cinnamon. But more of the '95's sickly syrupiness and less of the '99's bright acidity leave a less balanced wine.
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Pale brick in colour with shades of rose at the rim. Initial notes of barnyard are followed by strawberry marmelade, sweet spices and faint notes of tobacco. Elegant and silky with strong acidity and a long, minerally driven finish.
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Decanted 6 hours the day prior then re-bottled and opened 18 hours later. Nose: Raisins, very port-like overall and not giving up much else. Palate: Smoke, sappy, spiced cherries, currants on the attack. Lively tannins, raisins, and cherries on the mid-palate. Currants and barnyard linger on the finish.
First foray into the Musar line and it's definitely a mixed bag for me. While there is good balance and structure, the wine is a Frankenstein of flavors for me. I totally see where the Bordeaux meets Burgundy comparisons come from, but there is also a very raisiny, Amarone meets port thing going on that props up the mid-palate. The barnyard and metallicness was extremely overpowering on day 1 when I took a tiny sip and while it did mostly blow off, it did partly frame the overall palate on day 2. A conversation piece sort of wine for me, unless this is simply an off vintage.
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Drank at Terra in Santa Fe. Absolutely great food and experience. First time to have this wine. Some have described this as a hypothetical blend of Bordeaux and Burgundy. I can definitely see that. The nose is almost Rhonish and the complexity reminds me of cabernet but the stylishness of a great pinot. A remarkable wine.
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Initially Burgundian on the nose floral strawberries light spices, then it gains weight. Sweet red cherries, raspberries, clove, rose petals. Cracking nose Just the odd whiff of horse sweat. Wild juicy strawberries in the mouth, some oak present, and a lovely spicy finish that goes on and on. Well balanced acidity and fine integrated tannin.... I 'm becoming a moosehead and this is only my second one!
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Nose: Similar to the '00 but tighter on the nose. A light creamy aspect and beef stew
Taste: Softer on the palate, rounded and creamier than the older vintages in the tasting. Some spices and fine tannins on the finish. Mid-palate was a little bit hollow. Not as much acid compared to the rest.
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It shows a nice evoluated hue, brownish rim, opaque and not completely clean. On the nose, wet soil, moss, tobacco and compote frui...everything on the terciary side. The palate is quite good, complex, round and has a nice finish too. Overall, I do prefer 2002 vintage over this one.
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Red fruit, damp earth, tobacco and clove palate. Drinks great with about an hour of air. Not at all as funky as other vintages I've had and highly recommended.
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Las Vegas Locals Dinner at Lotus of Siam (Lotus of Siam - Las vegas, NV): Bought off the list at Lotus of Siam and was decanted as soon as I got to the restaurant. In retrospect, I should have asked them to start decanting it around lunchtime. At first this wasn't interested in showing us much. By the end of dinner, it had blossomed into a beautiful wine. The nose had the expected Musar-funk to it combined with beautiful red fruit, subtle tobacco and spices. After some air, the palate had incredibly elegant red fruit with minerals, leather and tobacco. Should be a great Musar with time...definitely decant this if you're planning on drinking it soon.
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Wine Education Service - Château Musar (LSE): Slight age. Very meaty nose with fruit, spice and oak. Fruity, tobacco, excellent balance, lean and mean, fruity mid palate, serious, elegant, spicy, reasonable length.
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Popped and poured into a decanter, a taste taken off immediately. Straight from the pop this is a complex wine, with bright red berries, barnyard, VA, sweet lilac on the nose. The palate is elegant, with a sweet aspect to it, red berries, good tannins, very delicious. I had this over a year ago last, this time it is showing much better. Really excellent, very Musar.
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Notes from day 2. Red to a little bricking going on. Nose of black cherry, clove, funk, little earth, some mint/herb going on. Palate of black cherry, black licorice, cinnamon, spice, tobacco, funky earth. The finish was above average in length and good balance with tannins and acidity still in check. Overall this is an excellent wine that I am glad to have a few more bottles of, will only get better. Hold or drink: 50+5+12+17+8
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Color: Brick Ruby Smell: There is something that reminds me of the oil stained cement floors in my grandfather's workshop. Floral notes that offer hints of cedar, cinnamon, clove, and all spice with dried red fruits linger lightly in the nose. Taste: Wild strawberry jam, cranberries, kumkuat, and kiwi with bing cherry gliding across the palate. Overall: Medium body, high acidity, and medium + fruit lead me to believe this could eventually become a GREAT Musar. However, right now it's stuck at the outstanding quality and needs more time in bottle to settle...I will be buying more.
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2001 was a most unusual year – although it began normally with some quite rainy and cold days, by mid February the climate changed to much warmer weather with almost no rain or snow at all. From March until August there was only 23mm of precipitation – therefore the total for the year was dramatically less than normal and the water table was significantly lowered. After a regular flowering in the spring, July and August were exceptionally hot. This was the fourth year in a row of very little rainfall causing the vines to tire. Cinsault vines were the most affected, especially those grown on limestone soils. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan grapes, with their thicker, firmer skins were more protected from the sun and showed excellent concentration. The Cinsault was still fragrant and fruity but lost some of its colour; the Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan were, however, rich, powerful and fruity with smoky, leathery aromas and deep violet colour.
The harvest began on the 3rd September – one of the earliest start dates on record. The overall crop was reduced by 15% but the grapes were healthy and ripe, not overly tannic or acidic. Fermentation progressed steadily and the malolactic followed easily and naturally as it did in 2000.
This vintage is marked by the domination of the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Carignan over the Cinsault. The wine was fermented in cement vats, aged in French Nevers oak barrels for one year and bottled in the summer of 2004.
Scarlet in colour with terracotta tones at the rim, it has a complex nose of cigar box spice, warm leather, baked fruits, ripe morello cherries and blackcurrants. The palate has intense flavours of red cherries, dark chocolate, olives, figs and velvet smooth tannins on the very long finish.
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Lovely aromatics of strawberries, herbs, and spices, followed by a smooth, sweet cherry on the palate with a little cocoa thrown in too. Soft tannins and very easy drinking, but perhaps a tad too sweet for my liking. More like a CdP/Bordeaux hybrid than I'd expected, but altogether very enjoyable and paired pretty well with my short rib.
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Decanted for an hour before tasting. Medium ruby core, orange rim. Port-like nose with hints of strawberries, raisins, leather and spices – very distinctly Musar. Sweet fruit and spices dominate the palate. Nice viscosity and smooth, velvety tannins. Good concentration and length. High marks on the “delicious scale”, but lacks a little acidity to balance out the sweetness when paired with food.
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Great nose of venison, black pepper, cocoa, dark cherry, and cinnamon. Amazing length on the wine, with huge notes of red fruit, black cherry, leather, spices, gamey meats. Weight is great with food and great acid on the finish.
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First Musar. Hazy light red with some oranging rim. Nose is something like day old cherry turnover drizzled with acetone and garnished with lavender. That's the best I've got right now. Very, very lithe on the palate. Plenty of acidity without being edgy. Barest of tannins remaining. Again something like baked cherry, berry, and plum fruit, but not strong or fresh, more like cold leftovers of such. Sweetish but not sugary. Rather a persistent finish. Certainly intriguing, and I will count myself as a fan, but the wife was not in the camp. Would like to try one from a stronger vintage.
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Decanted for nearly 1 hr, ripe and spicy and sensual nose, some leather, spice and good med dark fruit flavours, almost Rioja like in the balance of elegance and power, would like a lot more time
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Surprisingly light in color - opaque brick red. Decanted for half an hour. Subtle and restrained, not much on the nose other than a slighty dusty, earthy note. Very elegant, reminiscent of a Médoc with well integrated oak, but spicier. Earthy, dusty, plums, sour cherries, some tobacco, leather and licorice. Beautiful. Funky, meaty notes coming through..? Not very tannic, thinking it shouldn't age much longer. Finish not as long as I'd hoped. Second day - not as good. Too acidic, lacking in flavours other than a weird, meaty one, especially the last drop of the bottle. Wouldn't want to cellar this any longer. My first Musar, hoping that my 2002 will better. The 2001 is still very interesting, though.
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From magnum - decanted for 2 hours. Developing some brick colouring. Very fragrant and then lots of flavour - some berry flavours that have evolved nicely. Length is good - allayed all my fears after a magnum from same batch had been flawed
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ripe Victoria plum with the floral aspect (esp of day 2), cedar/wood, some spice, some acetone/ethyl acetate; some astringency, smooth palate without being offensive or boring, very enjoyable
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As elegant as Serge Hochar himself, the man behind Château Musar, this blend of cabernet sauvignon, carignan and cinsault is lithe yet firm. The fruit feels autumnal, in shades of rust red and ocher spice, and is saturated with a spicy, foresty fragrance. It's delicious now, ready for game birds scented with juniper berries, and should live on for another decade. I had read a lot about this wine and I'm glad I didn't sit on this much longer. When I first poured this wine, I thought it was gone. The color was a bit brownish, with thin opacity, and I certainly thought I got that acetic acid smell off the nose. However, after it was open for a bit, it seemed to come around. For a wine that purports to be in a Bordeaux-style, the weight of this wine was very thin in the mouth...more like a Beaujolais or maybe a Carneros Pinot. If it was a Bordeaux wine, it was definitely a right bank wine. It tasted more of merlot or cab franc than cab Sauvignon. You really must drink this now though!
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surprise of the night. seemed quite a bit older than the 99s that i have had. light at the rim. savage nose - lots of earth, musk, yet fruit with a touch of sweetness. good balance but agree with other reviewers in wondering how much time this one has left. will drink these up over the next few years and hold the 99s. just love this style of wine. went great with roasted bone in leg of lamb.
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Backbone is softening and this is beautiful. Approaching plateau. I'm told the winemaker varies the blend of Bordeaux and Southern Rhone varietals each vintage but the 2001 drinks more like a cool vintage cdp with a roast cherry twist and savory black llicorice notes sprinkled into the balanced enjoyable red-berry profile. RN74
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A definite rim developing - slightly earthy, classic Musar style - raisins and sweet plums. Long sweet length, perhaps too sweet and acidic. Much shorter life length here, perhaps only 3-4 years, a transparent wine with less complexity.
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Mini-Vertical: Chateau Musar (Arlequin Wines, San Francisco): Garnet color, pretty advanced for 10 year old wine. This reeks of VA and has a very Italianate profile in this respect. Faded red fruit, lighter to the point of feeling skinny, and a funny chemical component that has me wondering if this is flawed or just an extreme expression of this wine. Whatever the case, a disappointing way to start the series of reds.
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This was a tasting of Chateau Musar red from 89, 99 and 01. 01 was still too young and should remain in the cellar for two more years. The 99 was perfect and the 89 already was a little bit old (and also lost part of its taste after staying open for some time. Also in the tasting was a bottle of Hochar red 2000 (the second wine from Musar). Compared to the Musar the taste was a little bit light
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Drinking well despite, I'm told, being young for a Musar. This wine really hits a sweet spot for me; the proportion of the fruit, comprised of black cherry and red berries, is perfect against the spices, the tobacco, and the floral components, all framed by a good amount of acidity. More licorice and fresh dates toward the end. First Musar for me, and certainly will not be the last. Not much funk at this point, though, which I gather makes this vintage somewhat atypical in that regard.
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Brick red; understated (for Musar) hickory woodsmoke, whiff of VA blew off quickly though remained high toned; smooth, supple, though with tell tale piquant note, velvety 'sweet' fruit. Forward, this is in a good place right now. Positive, extended finish Goodness now how long this will age.
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Notes from day 2. Dark red to purple in color. Nose of black cherry, black licorice, cinnamon and spice. Palate of black cherry, black plum, cinnamon, red cherry, currant, spice, little earth & funky meatiness, and tannin on the tail end. The finish is above average in length and the balance is good but more forward than the 99. Hold. 50+5+12+16+8
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Bordeaux North to South (My house): From magnum. Dark fruit, some figs and prunes, however still more Bordeaux like than many other Musars. Long and powerful. No volatile acidity.
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Light ruby red with a touch of the classic Musar "stink", leather and cedar wood. Started slightly funky and woody with a hint of tomato ketchup, but blossomed in the glass with a lovely supple texture and sweet, rich baked red fruits.
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My first taste of Musar, and if this is anything to go by, I need some of this in my cellar! This is awesome stuff; a kaleidoscope of flavour with all sorts of wild floral, earthy and funky elements over fresh red fruits and touches of olive and fig. Very finessed and elegant, medium weight in the mouth with really bright acidity keeping it fresh and precise. Yum.
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Lichtrood van kleur, als een Bourgogne. Kruidige en fruitige geur, ook wat stalgeur. Kruidig van smaak, vleeskersen, truffel, eikenhout, wat zoet-zuur. Middellange afdronk. Nu perfect op dronk, ik denk niet dat deze wijn de komende jaren nog zal gaan verbeteren. Maar waarom ook langer wachten?
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Lightish in color, looking more like a Gamay than anything. Spicy nose. Nice tart red fruit on palate with all kinds of other flavors spilling onto one's taste buds. This has years and years on it, but it is very good to drink right now too.
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Wine Education Service - Château Musar - 80th Anniversary Tasting (Imperial College): An intreesting and complex nose. It starts with animal, tobacco and spice (cinnamon) notes and then becomes quite fruity. The taste is very fruity and youthful, much sweeter that the 2002, fairly obvious tannins, excellent balance, needs a few more years but it's drinking well now.
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(Very retrospective note so no score) Decanted - beautiful dark red colour. Lovely fruity smell initially and delightful to taste. With each mouthful continued to develop and get better and better. Last glass was stunning. Great now and tastes as if it will continue to improve for longer.
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First taste of the 2001 vintage. Decanted for about an hour, not much sediment in this bottle and no VA. Had with dinner (duck breast and wild mushroom risotto) with a guest so no formal notes made. This was very much about fruit, red fruits, sweet, some tannins, just a hint of leather. This did not make as much of an impression on me as previous vintages have, there is some oomph missing here. Still, very good and I'm glad I popped it. 50+5+10+15+8=88
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was worried with the mould on the cord but a quick taste relieved my worries - double decanted and left for 30 minutes. On the nose and taste it was quite fruit forward but with spicy notes as well - acidity well balanced too and good length
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Cork was extruded (I hadn't noticed this in the store), so I popped this one right away. No apparent flaws. This is a lighter softer Musar, reminded me more of a Burg than a Bordeaux. Evolved nicely over two days, gaining weight and smoothing out. Quite a bargain.
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IMedium garnet with a bit of bricking around the edges and a little bit cloudy. There is more sediment here than I expected and I was admittedly a bit sloppy pouring it out into the decanter. Some bright cherry on the nose mixed up with fig, balsamic, savory/earthy tones and a bit of brett. It's also showing some VA and I haven't been able to decided how I feel about that yet. Medium bodied, medium tannins, medium acid. Finishes up with earthy tones that stick around for a while. After a while in the decanter the fruit on the palate has become bigger, rounder, and softer, showing a little bit of currant. Pencil lead develops on the midpalate through the finish.
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Surprisingly mature allready. Much like a 15 years old racy wine. Style is a mix between Bordeaux and Burgundy - very good. BUT a little too much volatile acids (this has been more or less a problem in the previous bottles I have tasted in recent years, not only from this vintage). Drink now!
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Lots of bright fruit that was more syrah in aroma to me than cab, earthy, cow farm but not poopy. The flavor was deeelicious. Lots of sweet blackberry, dark cherries, and spice but with an elegantly light mouthfeel. With dinner (grilled med rare ribeye sliced over a greekish salad) there is a whole new dimension in a mix of olives and fennel fronds with the fruit. The acid is wonderfully present but not overly assertive. The tannic structure is silky and inviting. The finish just goes on for minutes..fruit, spice, more fruit, beet juice, some bitters, more spice. Wonderful stuff. Caveat: this is my first bottle of Musar red so I have no basis for comparison on how Musar-y this really is. All I can say is that it won't be my last bottle of Musar.
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Muddy color, a lot of volatile acitidy. Some dried fruit, moderate lenght. In the benefit of doubt, this may have been an imperfect bottle. However, it may also be a result og the bottle variation often seen in Musar.
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Pale; classic leather & hickory, baked fruit, whiff of VA; piquant, spiky fruit, 'sweet', multi-layered, this is not in a good phase, currently; extended length.
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Ah, that heady Musar fragrance of spices and stewed plums, little if any V/A, quite clean in fact, on the palate a cardboardy entry, but then glorious plummy fruit lifted by a medicinal tone, high acidity. Terrific.
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This was decanted and left for about an hour before the first pour. The colour was stunning, burnt amber/brick but straight away I got a strong VA nose with lot of manure/poop. It was smooth in the mouth, but slightly disjointed and a little disappointing. I knew Musar's evolve so I left the rest for the next day and moved onto a stunningly good South African Tawny port.
Next day and the benefits of an overnight decant were there. There was still some VA/acetone on the nose, although it's not as strong as before and there's a spicy, slightly sweet aspect which makes me think of a fortified wine plus the smell of "age' - not quite chocolate/cedar/spice/leather, but teasing hints of suchlike. As before smooth in the mouth with fine tannins, there's a strong acidity and a slightly bitter finish and some heat on the back of the throat. There's definately some raisins in there, subtle secondary flavours and some cherry on the finish - this is a lean, rather elegant wine but the bias to VA and acidity keep it from greatness. 88-89pts.
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Yeah, it's a bit volatile, and there's that exotic Moroccan bazaar whiff, but on the palate, this is so thick, sweet, deep and nuanced, and long too - yet another utterly wonderful Musar experience
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First time I've tasted Musar. Colour is coppering at the edge of the glass, quite a manure like nose for me. Medium bodied, but interesting, spicy, with some red fruit.
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It took about 2 hours in a glas before the whole complexity was shown. Very nice nose with alot of red current, the taste was very nice balanced. I will buy a case for the cellar.
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Slight fade at the rim. Spicy treacle notes. Quite lifted. Medium bodied and quite ripe fruits on palate. Balsamic hints. Good length. Probably will improve with bottle age.
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Chateau Musar-smaking i regi av Aperitif (Gamle Logen, Oslo): Farge: Middels dyprød, litt brunrød mot kanten. Duft: Fat, litt lær, sursøt bærfrukt, mot bringebær, parfymert, så kommer fat og lær. Smak: Mye syre, moden bærfrukt, tanniner, elegant. Litt ung, men fullt drikkbar. Denne vil tjene på noen få års lagring og fortsette å utvikle seg i mange år. Laget på 1/3 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1/3 Cinsault, 1/3 Carignan, Grenache og Mourvedre.
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4/23/2024 - RajivAyyangar wrote:
w/alexF
fur, brown sugar, tamari, dried cranberry and dried red cherry. softer and lighter style. not particularly assertive. Silky finish. Very musar - hello old friend! It's been a minute.
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4/18/2024 - Neat Water Back Likes this wine:
This is drinking beautifully! Such an elegant, fragrant, floral nose.
We drank this basically as a PnP. Fortunately, the bottle was stored properly and the restaurant didn’t know what they had, we received a great deal on the bottle. Unfortunately, they were not prepared to remove the cork properly with 20+ years of age.
Regardless of the obstacles, this was drinking great. Light bricking at the edge of the wine in the glass but the aromatics just gave and gave. Some tannin is still there but they’re not super grippy, just right to enjoy with a steak or to ponder thoughts while you enjoy a glass.
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3/27/2024 - LandCruiser Likes this wine: 93 Points
What a treat- the color is Toyota Land Cruiser rust , aroma of spice , strawberries , cherries, liquorish. Medium on the tongue , tannins still noticeably present for 23+years.
Advice:
1) Open with Durand corkscrew (or similar)
2) Use a coffee filter when pouring into a decanter
3) 55-65 temp when serving
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3/8/2024 - Ernestas Likes this wine: 93 Points
Always a pleasure to return to an aged Musar. Made from a blend of CS, Cinsault and Carignan, fermented in cement, aged in oak for 12 months. Seems lighter in colour than 2002 or 2000. Medium+ intensity aroma of prunes, spices, dried cherries, blood, cigar box, leather, hint of tamarind. Medium+ body, rewarding rich spiced cherry and fig flavours, leather and smoky tobacco notes, structure is pleasantly leaner than for instance 2002, medium+ acidity, extra fine tannins.
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2/16/2024 - Renevin Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nez discret mais avec de belles notes de tabac, fumée, cuir. En bouche ampleur moyenne, tanins fondus. Tout en rondeur. Finale sur des notes de tabac et de cuir
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2/16/2024 - mclanew Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured. Havent had one of these in a bit. This is very good out of the gate with just a bit of air. Nose of black cherry, flowers. Transparent, medium bodied, black cherry, a little tar, herbs and a little funk. This is interesting and complex.
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2/15/2024 - ekorn wrote: flawed
Maderized.
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2/9/2024 - Eric wrote:
Mamnoon: The exact opposite of the 1999. Deep and earthy, bloody, Syrah personality, gaining a pine forest character over time. Deep, almost unyielding, but over time this gains a really poignant balsamic note on the finish, sweet and sour, great acidity.
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1/26/2024 - admid Likes this wine: 95 Points
Brickish red with some sediments
Intense tertiary nose with raisins, prunes, tobacco and leather
Balanced and lean, smooth tannins
lingering
Great wine
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1/12/2024 - AudunG wrote: 89 Points
Brick red. Savoury aromas of dark berries, prunes, leather and oriental spices. Meaty and full bodied in the mouth. Well developed, but will last. On line with the best Musar's I have tasted from this vintage.
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12/25/2023 - johnrm Likes this wine: 94 Points
Double-decanted. Tasted on Christmas Day with a flight of each year from 1998 to 2003. Drinking beautifully from the off. A great nose which took time to develop in the glass, as before (it developed even more impressively after 8 hours). Deceptively pale in colour but full of sweet, soft fruit (difficult to separate the complex, subtle flavours but cherry was prominent). Long, with the complexity unravelling gradually in the glass. Still going strong and very rewarding.
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12/11/2023 - northpolewine wrote: 89 Points
A bit raisiny, less spice than I normally expect from Musar.
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11/11/2023 - SuperSomm Likes this wine: 90 Points
Deep garnet colour. Pronounced and developing nose with dark plum, fig, prune, leather, tobacco, cedar, cinnamon, thyme, potpourri, forest floor, vanilla and orange peel. Medium (+) taste of dark plum, fig, raisins, leather, tobacco, cedar, cinnamon, potpourri, vanilla, orange peel, chocolate, eucalyptus and licorice. Long and dry finish. Medium acidity. Medium (+) tannins. Medium body. A very good Lebanese Bordeaux blend from a half bottle. Cork bled through. Drink now or over the next couple of years. Goes well with beef or lamb.
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11/10/2023 - Jonathanmustang Likes this wine: 93 Points
Ouvert 6h avant, avec Musar c’est vraiment important.
Après, musar est un véritable magicien!
Une déflagration totale sur les épices douces, le bois de santal, les fruits rouge, le cuir, la feuille morte, quelques notes de menthol, des herbes et du sous-bois
L’attaque est puissante, super fruitée sur la cerise, les arômes du nez se retrouvent en bouche dans un ensemble suave, fondu.
La finale est d’une belle longueur, une explosion de fruit, d’épices et d’arômes tertiaire
Un vin magnifique, clairement sur un plateau, mais fort délicieux
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9/16/2023 - jshufelt wrote: 93 Points
Decanted 30 minutes before service. In the glass, auburn at the rim, shading to a clear medium red at the core. On the nose, raisins and prunes, which concerned me - oxidized bottle? Thankfully not. On the palate, dried currants, strawberries, leather, and secondary notes of tobacco and graphite, with a light, delicate texture. Would be very interesting as a ringer in a blind Pauillac flight. I suspect there is not much more left on this drinking plateau, so if you haven't opened one, now is the time.
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9/12/2023 - chbeaumont wrote: 94 Points
Brick red; classic intriguing bouquet; complex, engaging; very long indeed. On top form.
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9/9/2023 - Sookin1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Always amazed by this wine. Old and great in mouth and nose. Delicious option
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9/8/2023 - mclanew Likes this wine: 94 Points
Slow ox for one hour. Drinking really well. Red cherry, olives, game and minerals. Mature but not in decline. Transparent, complex with medium length.
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9/6/2023 - AudunG wrote: 84 Points
Bought at Gatwick Airport. Brick red. Developed and earthy aromas, and a bit ethereal and oxidized. Soft on the palate, and lacks the power and fruit of a good Musar.
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9/5/2023 - Sookin1 Likes this wine: 96 Points
For a 22 year old wine, it is unbelievable how great this wine was. It kept great nose, flavours and length. Tannins were soft. All on the fruit. A delicious surprise
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7/12/2023 - aelwine wrote:
Tasted this alongside a 2016.
Very similar DNA and style.
This particular one had dried fruits, a touch of toffee/caramel, mellow and tannins are fully integrated
Complex and elegant, matured nicely.
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7/2/2023 - James Kim Likes this wine: 94 Points
Stood up for 2 days. Decanted off sediment for 2.5h. Now 3h after decant. Lovely, seamless aromas of currants, cassis, ripe ripe cherries, game meats, minerals, herbs, leather, mild green tobacco and a bit of VA. Palate w red cherries, some currants, mild tobacco, herbs, roasted game meats, cedar, leather, minerals and a bit of VA. Nice moderately long finish of fruit, tobacco, leather, and just a touch of VA. Lovely elegant, medium body with mild tannins on midpalate. Excellent, juicy acids give the wine a lovely lift. Beautiful. I can imagine that this can gain some more complexity w some more time but I think the wine is pretty close to peak. Went beautifully with dry aged strip steak.
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6/18/2023 - Thefatbastard Likes this wine:
Superbe! Des notes de cuir, de fruit kirshé, d’épices douces. Complexité et finesse… Soyeux, long. Tout simplement magnifique!
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5/27/2023 - Fletch0007 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fully translucent, yellow-orange - very much at maturity. Toasted vanilla & strawberry jam on the nose - delicate and very expressive. Still full-bodied and very long. My first taste of Musar and a memorable one. Would struggle to tell apart from Bordeaux if tasted blind. Wonderful stuff. Ready now.
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5/17/2023 - doctornoah wrote: flawed
Heat damaged and off
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5/15/2023 - ulyon Likes this wine: 92 Points
92 the icon from the Middle East. Still has some years ahead. But drink now
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4/29/2023 - paul canet wrote: 93 Points
This was an amazing bottle
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4/1/2023 - forceberry wrote:
2001 was a very hot and dry vintage in Beqaa: by mid-February the weather turned to much more warmer than usual with almost nonexistent rains. After relatively normal weather during the flowering, the weather turned hotter than average for July and August, resulting in 15% reduction in yield. The harvest was carried ahead of the schedule, starting already on 3rd of September. The Cinsaut suffered from the hot weather, losing some of its color; thus, the percentage of Cinsaut is somewhat lower in this year's blend compared to other vintages. As normal, the wine was fermented and aged in cement vats for 9 months, aged in oak for 12 months, blended together and matured for a further year in cement vats before bottling. 13,5% alcohol. Decanted for four hours before tasting the wine.
Quite dark yet moderately translucent and very evolved dried-blood red color with a tertiary syrupy brown hue. The nose feels quite old and oxidative with somewhat tired aromas of beef jerky, some dried dates, light nutty notes of rancio, a little bit of soy sauce, a hint of smoke-cured meat and a touch of old furniture. The wine feels old, tertiary and moderately tired with a medium body and somewhat oxidative flavors of raisins and dried dates, some balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of beef jerky, light nutty notes of rancio, a hint of soy sauce and a touch of mushroomy funk. The wine feels rather high in acidity with ripe, quite resolved medium tannins. The finish is quite long, slightly more grippy and a bit tired with very tertiary flavors of raisins and dried dates, some soy sauce, light sweet notes of balsamic VA, a little bit of beef jerky, a hint of earthy spices and a touch of smoke.
This has been a rather uneven vintage, some bottles being quite enjoyable and some rather tired or slightly unbalanced. However, this wine is getting so tertiary that it is obviously way past its peak. I wouldn't say the wine is fully oxidized, so I'm not marking it as "flawed/defective", but I'm refraining from scoring the wine. Based on my previous experiences with this vintage, this is not how the wine should be - however, I don't know if this was a poor bottle or if 2001 is now officially past its peak. I need to revisit this vintage in the future to see which is the case.
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3/28/2023 - Max S. Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still drinking well, notes from last time match up. Hold 1 for 3-5, other for 7-10. Denver group event 7
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3/24/2023 - johnrm Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted and tasted after 4+ hours. The nose was attractive and very complex and difficult to describe adequately - it developed substantially over 10-15 minutes in the glass.
Soft juicy, fresh fruit on the palate belied its (modest) age. Dark, spicy fruit - complex with soft, well-balanced acidity and tannins. Very long and satisfying.
As always, the wine benefitted from time to open after de-corking (with a 2-pronged butler’s friend).
Elegant, beautifully balanced, and really quite delicate for a Musar but a gorgeous glass, as always. We were reluctant to set the glass aside to serve dinner. It is great now but has years ahead.
With, and after, food it retained its fragrance, character and quality.
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3/5/2023 - winot Likes this wine: 92 Points
Yet another great example. The sweet fruit is well supported and well framed. Super balance. Only quibble is that it lacks a bit of oomph on the back end. The finish is long, but back end depth is a little weak. But it's a quibble. Musar is always a pleasure.
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2/18/2023 - mclanew wrote: 94 Points
Consistent with last notes
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2/11/2023 - mclanew Likes this wine: 94 Points
Popped and poured. This is a great Musar if you like the very balanced, transparent version. Cherry, strawberry, herbs, smoke and a little funk. This is elegant, complex but still nicely balanced. Perfectly mature now.
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2/5/2023 - BHP1994 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Plenty of thoughtful reviews already posted. I will only add that this seemed to be in a very nice place right now in its later middle-aged years. Floral nose. Mellow blue fruits. Savory with tertiary notes of tea and herb.
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1/7/2023 - Baloo452 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Petite merveille.
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12/25/2022 - sjp1323 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Excellet pairing with Xmas Eve beef Wellington!
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12/23/2022 - RHLondon Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely elegant and mellow Musar, getting paler in colour, with a classic herbal, slightly medicinal nose showing a hint of lavender. Delicate on the palate, by no means the most complex, but a really enjoyable drink, especially with food (paella for us). Something like a ballerina on the tongue - all the enjoyment is in the poise and balance. Easy. No rush to drink, pretty sure this will age as gracefully as Madame Poole, becoming lighter and more delicate with each passing year...
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12/14/2022 - melvinyeowq wrote: 92 Points
Long day of wines: Always tough to guess a Musar but also always fun to see how it develops in the glass. Thought northern Rhone at first with blue, savoury fruit but with time in the glass the tertiary notes of mushroom reminded me of a Bordeaux. Once a clue was given that this was not French or Italian it was obvious that this was a Musar. Quite developed, tea-like tannins were fully resolved so drink up.
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11/25/2022 - JayP Likes this wine: 89 Points
Last of my 2001"s. Very typical Musar - you can see why this is loved by many but others just dont get it. I would drink up if you have any left - maybe over next 6 months
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11/22/2022 - Goodwine4ever wrote: 93 Points
Quelle élégance ! Rouge rubis clair, Au premier nez ça nous rappel le Cabernet-Sauvignon mais c'est tellement fin, délicat, poussiéreux que c'est très facile de nous amener en Pinot. Le nez ainsi qu'une certaine chaleur nous amène ailleurs que la Bourgogne. Un vin inimitable par son style mais c'est tellement bon, bien fait et savoureux. Adoré ce vin serait peu dire. Bravo !
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11/10/2022 - Geoffy wrote:
Bought from Waitrose 3 years ago for £28 (now retailing at £90 apparently - what's going on?). Been in the cupboard under my stairs since and didn't dare leave it any longer.
Superb wine, (i'd have guessed top end Tuscan) sweetish red fruits but I get the bit about paint thinner, in a very good way; elegant and beautifully balanced, medium length.
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10/8/2022 - Climins wrote:
Terrible cork condition and pretty matured. No rating because it was so unusually developed but wine was still very much drinkable and a success. Spoke with someone knowing the winery who confirmed that cork problems are common with Chateau Musar.
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10/3/2022 - Dugis wrote: 93 Points
Lovely development. Still going strong. Stables. A pleasant powerhouse
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9/22/2022 - Khon Kaen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Enjoy with good friends. Very good, similar to previous bottles.
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9/19/2022 - talbot61 Likes this wine:
At Boston Wine & Poker, Needham, Mass, Sept. 18, tasted blind:
I thought that this was a high-quality Italian. (Wrong!) Very structured, though with very well-integrated oakiness, challenging but very drinkable. Very good.
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9/16/2022 - ndsperry Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wide rim of a brick brown colour. First nose was red plums; then more floral with blackcurrant and hibiscus. Developing palate with more plum, nectarine skin, raspberries and blueberries. It is still fresh and delicious and could go on for another five years.
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8/27/2022 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 92 Points
Had to try this again given the last experience a few weeks back. Fantastic again with slightly less fireworks. Cinnamon, forest floor, spice, red and black fruit and a uniqueness that cannot be found elsewhere. Just a great bottle of wine for $70.
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8/20/2022 - JohnMcIlwain Likes this wine:
Structure resolving nicely. Fruit still vibrant and even shading and primary. Nice earthy top note. Still on the ascent. Very good.
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8/7/2022 - Arnold Reijnders wrote: 92 Points
Classic Musar, indeed light paint thinner nose in the beginning as Hannibal notes but then it opens into a long, smooth and silky wine. If you like E Reynaud wines or Trevallon, this is the affordable alternative. Great to drink now, colour still bright red while the 2000 I had 2 weeks ago was very brown, the 2001 is the better vintage.
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7/31/2022 - Hanibal Likes this wine: 92 Points
Initially closed with a paint thinner smell, decanted for 1 hour and it helped allot. Lots of strawberries and blackberries with herbs and spices … silky smooth tannins, similar profile to a C9P. Not in decline but not sure it will get better
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7/30/2022 - AudunG wrote: 89 Points
Brick red. Savoury aromas of prunes, raisins and oriental spices. Meaty and full bodied in the mouth. Well developed, but will last.
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7/26/2022 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 93 Points
Excellent and now in its full potential. All the Musar classic elements. Very fresh. Sweet. For me, having been drinking lots of brunellos in the last 12 months, this has some elements of high end brunello. Sweetness, freshness, acidity.
Great wine.
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7/22/2022 - Kemo Sabe Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was on fire tonight. Gorgeous nose of red candied fruit, some apple peal, cab spice and hints of darker fruits. This was medium color and medium body. Sat next to a glass of red Burg and was virtually the same color and similar weight. On the palate this was weightless yet the flavors were powerful and complex and in perfect harmony and lots of detail. Really great showing.
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7/2/2022 - gediminasbielskus Likes this wine: 90 Points
Gorgeous wine. Fresh and full of life. Slight touch of dusty road on red fruits (cranberry, dried cherries) and a gentle touch of VA that really makes the wine moreish. Amazing when these bottles are good.
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6/25/2022 - AGELVIS wrote: 89 Points
One hour slow ox. Very rusty ruby color, with healthy rim fade. Raisin, chocolate malt balls (i.e. Whoppers), and mushrooms dipped in molasses on the aged nose. Smooth, dry palate, with good acidity. Firm tannins on the long finish.
This is clearly well made, but far past its peak for my palate. I would have loved to try this 10 years ago.
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6/23/2022 - JCH2019 wrote: 92 Points
Wonderful drinking. Nose of leather, violets, raspberry; also redcurrant. Beautiful mouth feel and long, expressive flavour. Baseline merlot, coffee, plum, vanilla in a creamy, integrated mist of flavour. Blend feels to have minority can sauv with carignan. Just delicious, expanding and delivering the Musar experience brilliantly.
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6/17/2022 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Musarathon (Ariana II): Perfectly a point. Just enough filthy excitement to make it clear it’s Musar, but very much colours between the lines. If the 98 hadn’t been so special this would have easily been my red of the dinner - lovely stuff.
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5/30/2022 - Khon Kaen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pop and pour. Medium bodied. Nose is like leather, minerals. Mouthfeel is very smooth and soft black fruit, blackberry. Nicely balanced. Aging well and seems like it can still go a few more years before going downhill.
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5/22/2022 - Jabor wrote: 88 Points
This is drinking beautifully. Very balanced nose, soft tanins, flavors are distinct and sharp.
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5/7/2022 - Smithc1214 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is currently in its drinking window with a couple years to go. Has a nice nose of rich dark fruit. Wine is well integrated with no hints of fading. I have one more bottle I will hold onto for a couple more years before popping
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4/11/2022 - Hickey987 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Great old wine. A little subdued at first but great flavor, acidity and spice once it opened up. At little sweet at first taste but very balanced overall. Would definitely drink again.
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4/2/2022 - Ajallo Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another excellent bottle of Musar. To me right up there with the 1999. Nose is fairly subdued (not the slightest hint of brett), some cassis, a hint of graphite. It is on the palate it is all happening. The cassis and graphite from the nose is there. What really stands out is that nothing stands out, i.e. perfect harmony. Fruit, acidity, grip. Compared to other vintages a bit more fruit forward, , manage to merge a nice complexity with an almost youthful feel. Lot to contemplate here, stand out experience.
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3/21/2022 - Smahlatz Likes this wine: 92 Points
92. Consistent with previous notes. I never thought musar would be so consistent ;)
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3/20/2022 - JayP Likes this wine: 87 Points
Rather under-whelmed by this. Didn't have the distinctive Musar 'tang' Maybe too old?
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3/16/2022 - Sookin1 Likes this wine: 85 Points
With a porc ribs. Soft and bay to drink.
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3/12/2022 - cdp1276 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Light musk and chalk on initial taste, showing good fruit and well balanced acidty. Medium long tannins.
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3/11/2022 - chbeaumont wrote: 93 Points
Brick red; some VA which blew off after an hour, a beguiling, tending to elegant bouquet; similarly beguiling/enticing palate, rather complex. At peak, but should remain on plateau for a further decade.
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3/10/2022 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I tasted this on 10/23/2020 and again in March 2022. The bottle drank in 2020 presented quite young and went well with an Ottolenghi lamb dish. It had a massive nose of barnyard, mushrooms and cranberries. High acidity and some good tannins left. This bottle from March 2022 was drunk alongside several other vintages and was the weakest vintage, showing thinner than the others and having a shorter finish.
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2/20/2022 - AndrewWill wrote:
Tasted from a Vinotech machine in Charleston. The nose is extremely complex, offering wafts of California raisin, red berries, gasoline, wet stone.
Complex palate too with soil, coffee grounds, mocha, raisin, fig.
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2/17/2022 - ploher wrote:
And another bottle, I just can't and also don't want to resist. Decanted for about 10 hours. Quite different to the last one, this bottle was ultrafine with almost no brett or volatile acidity. Super clean and smooth with sweet, honeyed red fruits, figs and blood oranges, leather, tobacco, blood and smoke. The palate is pure silk, there are tannins as there should be, but just so ultrafine, perfectly integrated. Such sweet, beautiful, sensual fruit covering the whole palate. Lingering finish, every flavor transparent and in total harmony. Heaven in a bottle, this is - once more - perfect wine for me. 20/20
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2/16/2022 - MarshallLi Likes this wine: 92 Points
Pale garnet,medium(+) redcurrant,cranberry,dried fruit,charred wood,smoke,dried fruit,wet leaves,coffee,dry,high acidity,soft medium(-) tannin,low alcohol,medium(-) body,medium(+) finish,very good wine,suitable for bottle ageing
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1/27/2022 - FiggySmalls Likes this wine:
on pnp getting exactly what's to love about Musar on the nose: a bit of va, perfectly ripe fruit, some yeasty funk, and deep deliciousness that you could smell all night! so vibrant
palate on pnp=DULL!!! and not just compared to the nose.
we'll see what air reveals.
on day two=wow! the nose retains vivacity and depth, having lost most of the va and yeasty funk. the palate has bloomed and shows intense layers of flavor. soft but plenty taught if we're talking balance.
it's hard to imagine something so rich (and supple and inviting) could be so nimble and full of life. musar. a steal
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1/20/2022 - Alexroy wrote: 93 Points
Day 2. Lovely, bright, light but powerful. Long raspberry finish. Lovely.
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1/16/2022 - Khon Kaen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pop and pour. This is a great wine. Unfortunately, this is my last bottle. I will taste this wine but will try other vintages.
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1/16/2022 - Sookin1 Likes this wine: 90 Points
All In soft flavours. Went super well with a Guinea fowl.
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1/7/2022 - MSheridan Likes this wine: 90 Points
better showing than the previous 2 bottles but still a lighter expression of Musar.
Light garnet colouring. Cherry, apple and nail polish remover on the palate with moderate to high acidity.
It doesnt feel like there's enough depth to warrant long term cellaring but perhaps its snoozing?
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12/31/2021 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for about an hour. Dark garnet. Nose of deep soil, currant, plum blossom, cassis. Layers of feral red plum, sauvage, red currant, and earth on the palate. Freshening acidity and firm tannin. Longer finish of red meat, red berry, iodine, and rocky soil. Just the thing with Tuscan steak on New Year's Eve.
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12/31/2021 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 91 Points
Cork was sturdy and came out in one piece, but was around 1.5cm wetted.
Out of the bottle it tasted promising. Brett, oxidation, slightly singed, wisps of raspberry. Double-decanted a couple hrs before dinner. Let’s see where this goes!
It had some savory musar notes but remained aromatically reticent. Paired wonderfully with stewed lamb but never really sang. Maybe try again in 5yrs? Seems like it’s mid inflection.
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12/25/2021 - MSheridan Likes this wine: 89 Points
Another lesser bottle of the 2001 vintage. There's been a lot of discussion on bottle variance for this vintage which seems to be the case for this case I've bought.
My 2nd from 6 purchased and once again it has Musar character but just lighter and thinner. Worked well with Christmas dinner but its just not up to level of other vintages of Musar
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12/11/2021 - Sookin1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Extremely good. Delicious and graceful. One of my best experience with Musar 2001
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12/11/2021 - adnorthup wrote:
4 hour decant. Still a bit high acid, but starting to settle down. Classic Musar fruit and Brett, a nice rendition, just needs some more time in bottle
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12/7/2021 - drfischer wrote: 89 Points
The taste in fading - not what it used to be
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11/30/2021 - paintinginacave Likes this wine: 86 Points
Stood up for seven days. Drank over two. A soft, saturated cork that came out rather too easily. A pale ruby core fading to a pale garnet outer edge. There were signs of volatile acidity upon opening. The fruit profile sits in both the red and black camp with dried red berries and blackcurrents, floral scents of violets and lilacs and, a touch of ground white pepper. A rather dilute palate where the attack quickly fades, the mid palate lacks depth, and all that’s left on the finish are some slightly bitter, roasted herbs. After an hour or so the nose started to blossom; becoming more scented and black fruit-driven and the palate had thankfully fleshed out, gaining weight. The fruit profile was now darker, riper and supported by campfire smoke and damp herbaceous notes. Texturally soft and fully integrated with decent length. I’d strongly advocate exposing this wine to air either by a slow oxidation or a decant for at least an hour before tasting.
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11/24/2021 - gbejjani Likes this wine: 93 Points
Year in, year out, a wine that delights. This is a typical Musar, with the port and madeira like flavors mixed in with earth and mushrooms, light on the fruit overall though, more on the savory side. Typical and unique.
For more please watch below at YT channel Pandewine
https://youtu.be/ylsQ3AfJvXg
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11/19/2021 - Khon Kaen Likes this wine: 91 Points
We finished 3 bottles.
2014 Esprit de Pavie. Decant for 30 minutes. Pencil lead taste, little fruit. Strong tannins, low acidity. Compared to the last time I tasted it, it is growing. Good balance and drinking well now. 90
2015 Château Belle-Vue. Decant in 1 hour. Beautiful classic Bordeaux. Juicy, spicy and fresh. Medium to full body. This wine is the youngest wine tonight, but it has ripe, round fruit and spice flavors. Rich texture. 90
2001 Chateau Musar. Pop and pour. Juicy and fresh. Medium body..... Delicious. 91
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11/16/2021 - Khon Kaen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pop and pour...... Delicious.
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11/2/2021 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 94 Points
The colour is half way between garnet and mahogany. Lovely nose of dried red fruits, new leather, dried herbs, sour cherry, roasted chestnut and the remnants of some spiced oak. No VA and very little funkiness! Super smooth, with tart dried red fruits, medium plus acid, no tannins and unnoticeable alcohol. Medium bodied with effortless fruit extract and perfectly balanced. Finishes tangy and dry, but not too dry, with lingering sweet and sour cherry flavours. Just delightful! Amazing with black truffles and fresh pasta.
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10/22/2021 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
Dinner in Bodega Bay (Terrapin Creek): From a restaurant list, so opened and served. Ruby, some bricking; aromatic, soy and umami/tamari, red cherry; balanced medium body, medium alcohol 13.5%, medium-plus acidity, plenty of tamari complexity, fairly clean for Musar with only a slight whiff of funk which blows off quickly, smooth and integrated medium tannin, great mouthfeel; complex and tertiary, long finish. A lovely wine which would benefit a lot from a decanter and some time. Still, incredible balance with dinner. 93
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10/18/2021 - Max S. Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking beautifully. Wonderful red fruit, good depth. Hard not to drink now.
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10/17/2021 - Jaymnik Likes this wine: 92 Points
Opened partly to see if it’s fading as others have found - for what it’s worth, this was as fresh as a daisy. Cranberry, cherry, fig and rosemary into a long balsamic finish with a touch of smoke. Excellent balance and depth, a typically intriguing mix of flavours.
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10/15/2021 - NiklasW Likes this wine: 94 Points
10 years ago today I proposed to my now wife, and she said yes. To celebrate we had a bottle of 2001 Musar with dinner. Now 10 happy years later we open the last bottle of 2001 and it is fantastic. Wonderful Musar nose of red cherries, perfume, touch of VA, bit of leather. The palate is sublime, beautiful fruit, resolved tannins, just delicious.
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10/10/2021 - Sookin1 wrote: 85 Points
The Musar 2001 start to turn into the first notes of fortified wines. The color is amber and the taste not what it used to be. To consume fast.
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9/25/2021 - mclanew Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another great bottle of this- consistent with previous notes
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9/20/2021 - wino_tim wrote: 90 Points
Very pale red with reflections of garnet. An attractive and not particularly wild - by Musar standards - nose offers aromas of dried red cherry, kirsch, clay bricks, grilled rosemary, leather, and spice. Medium bodied on the palate with medium+ acidity, and a medium+ level of fine, resolving tannins. This drinks well now with a short decant.
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9/16/2021 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 92 Points
From memory. Not sure of date on this at all. I do remember that it was fantastic. With Murphie, Chuck and Michelle. Had with Lebanese apps and Lebanese soup.
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9/10/2021 - Khon Kaen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good!
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9/6/2021 - Khon Kaen Likes this wine: 91 Points
The vintage 2001 is my second experience with Chateau Musar. My first bottles is 1998. Both have the similar characteristics. The body is light and smooth texture. It looks transparent ruby colored and brown on the rim. Big leather, tobacco and smoky nose. The tastes like oak, cherry, figs, cinnamon and sweet plums. The wine has low acidity but very balance. The flavor is very complex, beautiful fruits. What an interesting wine.
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9/6/2021 - Smahlatz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Consistent with previous notes. Elegant, complex, refined, complete.
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9/3/2021 - pjaines wrote:
2 bottles in a row have been very poor. Drink Musar? Roll the dice. These 2 bottles were very soupy, dirty and acidic. Such large variation bottle by bottle - some have been great - others just plain suck.
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8/30/2021 - ploher wrote:
Musar Vertical: Here we go again with one of my favourite vintages, this shows incredible power on the nose with stunning intensity, this has meaty, powerful red berries, juicy cherries, blood and some medicinal / funky notes, also some black pepper and dried fruits like figs. The palate is in total harmony here, it’s definitely much more powerful and meatier than the sweet "godess" 1999, but shows the same impeccable balance and may have even more potential for the future. 20/20
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8/21/2021 - La Grappe wrote: 91 Points
Quite a deep colour; a fine, mature example of this wine, with fragrant, even exotic, fruit, depth and persistence. I don’t see this improving further, so drink up (as we have done: it was our last bottle).
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8/20/2021 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Terrible cork that totally disintegrated when trying to pull. Medium light ruby red in colour. Very clear and precise looking. Sweet red fruit, meaty / merde-y nose, new leather, lifted, spirited nose that has a touch of VA. Medium bodied, sweet red fruit (fresh and dried), perfect acidity, no tannins left and balanced alcohol. The flavours are again those sweet, fresh and dried red fruits, leather, ferrous, minerals and dried blood. Long sappy finish. Distinctively Musar!
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8/14/2021 - Tomh123 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Medium garnet in colour. Aromas and flavours of dried cherry, figs, fig chutney, prunes, raisins, plum, cedar, tobacco earth and autumn leaves.
The tannins were soft and a lovely amount of acidity. Good intensity of flavour and long finish. A fantastic wine. Was drunk with a 91 Musar.
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8/3/2021 - asparagus Likes this wine: 92 Points
As Forrest Gump said "Life is like a bottle of Musar Rouge - you never know what you're gonna get". This was a very good (but not great) bottle. Red (sweet) fruit, good acid and decent finish. Tannins were very fine.
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8/1/2021 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 92 Points
Middle East Wine Zoom Tasting. Drank in Gabriel Standart. How many of these Musar bottles are floating around!? I keep seeing them!
Appearance medium intensity, ruby colour going garnet. Some light sediment. Legs.
Nose dirty dirty as usual. Medium+ intensity, with aromas of VA nail polish, caramel oxidative, nuttiness, red plums, animal leather meat background (probably brett as usual). Developed.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium alcohol 13.5%), grippy high tannins, full body. Medum+ flavour intensity with flavours of honeyed nuttiness, oxidative caramel, animal leather, fine red plums, sweet red cherries, licorice, peppery spices. Long finish.
Very good quality. Musar is what it is. Oxidative wine that tastes good. Maybe an acquired taste for most people.
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8/1/2021 - Sookin1 Likes this wine: 86 Points
Time to drink it
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7/18/2021 - Lawrenceloh_sg wrote: 92 Points
Clear Garnet
Medium intensity of ripe red cherries, strawberries, leather, cigar, herb, licorice, mushroom
Dry
Acid is medium
Tannin is medium+
Alcohol is medium
Medium body
Finish is long.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan
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7/13/2021 - tedcholl Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wine education and tasting week continues with sister and brother in law visit. They were willing to try something new and different so I opened this 2001 Musar! It was a hit! Still alot of fruit and life left in this bottle. Dried cherry, orange peel, red currants, exotic leather and spices, very smooth and integrated tannins. Lots of layers. Decanted in bottle for 4 hours.
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7/11/2021 - sverre Smemo wrote: 82 Points
Time to drink. Brown and mature taste
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7/10/2021 - ChateauDutremble Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nez intense de prunes broyées, d'épices...sel de céleri et d'épices à ketchup maison, de légumes cuits et de caramel brulé. Un vin soyeux, rond et d'umami. Frais aux saveurs de caramel salé. Finale moyenne. Un vin à boire sans nourriture et sans tarder...fin d'apogée.
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6/27/2021 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 93 Points
7 hrs decant. Left 1/3 of a bottle for the next 48 hrs. Great as usual. Hits all the Registers. Can’t drink this every day, but two bottles a month at least - concentrating on 98 and 99, but now also on 2001, which for me is almost as good now.
After 24 hrs. Not really better. Note to myself: just give this 3-4 years more, while drinking 98-99.
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6/26/2021 - Sookin1 Likes this wine: 89 Points
It is time to drink this 2001. Still very good but should not wait longer.
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6/23/2021 - La Grappe wrote: 89 Points
Not quite as supple as previous bottles, the fruit a little drier and harder, but still an interesting, slightly exotic and nicely mature wine.
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6/20/2021 - Sookin1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
This 20 year old wine always amazes the people I serve this wine to. This time it tasted like an aged Burgundy. Really good.
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6/10/2021 - kevinpatrick Likes this wine:
Wine Night in Charlotte -- Cork Vault Bottle Share Returns! (Charlotte, NC): double decanted 3 hours in advance. Equal parts Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, and Cinsault. Fragrant nose of red fruits (somewhat primary) and earthy, smoky aromas. Smooth on the palate, the wine displayed wonderful complexity with rich flavors of black and red currants and notes of dried herbs. Smoke, spice, and everything nice. Excellent structure and fully integrated tannins, this wine was in a fantastic place. Nice long savory finish punctuated this wonderful bottle that paired magnificently with Ethiopian spiced meat served on the evening.
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5/30/2021 - Sookin1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Still amazed by this 2001. Corked was little moulded on top but did not impact the quality of the wine.
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5/29/2021 - pomelo wrote: 93 Points
Le vin chante dès l’ouverture. Rubis moyen briqué. Nez de cerise, de prune, eucalyptus, tabac et feuilles de thé. Bouche épicée avec acidité moyenne, tanins fondus et très longue finale sur les épices. Un musar comme on aime et prêt à boire.
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5/24/2021 - ranriver Likes this wine: 93 Points
excellent red, all the complexity of a 20 yr old wine and so rich on the palate, full of flavour. probably could have decanted a bit longer, so look forward to the next bottle!
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5/22/2021 - La Grappe wrote: 92 Points
As before - exotic, perfumed, mature but still lively with good persistence and length. A fine example, excellent for current drinking.
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5/16/2021 - Sookin1 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Fantastic on the nose and extremely smooth on the palate. A 20 year old wine. Top class.
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5/16/2021 - Brunello12345 wrote: 90 Points
We drank this during a blind wine tasting. I was really happy that I finally got to try this, it is impossible to get at our liquor commission. Although this is not my taste palette at all, I can appreciate this wine and am glad I tried it. Definitely a lot of Brett here! Also: olives, red berries, some tobacco and wood. The colour was medium red/brownish. In general, I don't love medium-bodied wines and wines that are predominantly red fruit and this wine is both of those. I do like trying different wines and this wine is definitely different. Would I drink it again, of course. Is it going to be my favorite wine on any given night? No. Also, the fact that my wife hated it and found it vile won't help me drinking it again!
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5/14/2021 - winers4 Likes this wine:
Decanted for 3 hours, pale garnet colour. A bit closed on the nose, floral with a hint of red berries, flinty. After 24 hours totally opened out, red berry, black cherry, olive, cedar, clove & fresh tobacco. Structured, very intense fruit on the palate, blueberry, raspberry, plum, prune & liquorice. Good backbone to the tannins and plenty of life with a lingering finish.
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5/13/2021 - d'Artagnan wrote: 92 Points
Ma dernière bouteille prise en 2017 avait été très décevante (86 pts), j’ouvrais donc celle-ci avec appréhension, espérant retrouver la magie d'antan....Euréka!
Si le nez montre la classique acidité volatile à l’ouverture, avec ces notes d’éther et de vernis à ongle, cet aspect se dissipe à l'aération et fait place à des notes de cerises, de raisins de corinthe, cuir et tabac.
La bouche a un côté acidulé et une palette de saveurs originale, qui ne plairait pas à tous. Je me roule dedans!! La finale est vraiment très longue, très épicée et assez gourmande, avec une ampleur et une complexité aromatique fascinantes, un équilibre qu’on ne soupçonnerait pas à l’ouverture. J'ai l'impression de recroiser un vieil ami et de le retrouver aussi plaisant qu'autrefois. Original et distinctif, plein de personnalité, ....truculent! 92-93 pts
R.I.P. Monsieur Hochar, votre rencontre nous avait tous marqués et des vins comme celui-ci honorent votre mémoire.
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5/9/2021 - La Grappe wrote: 92 Points
On this occasion, the cork came out intact. The wine has quite a deep colour, mature with a brown tinge. It displays exotic, perfumed fruit and seems fully mature, although it is still lively, complex and long. An excellent, characterful wine which I think should be drunk soon before it declines.
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5/1/2021 - JayP Likes this wine: 90 Points
Another delicious bottle. Decanted for 90 mins and definitely opened up to become very much a Musar. Maybe could have done with a further hour of decanting - not sure as very aware this is a 20 year old wine
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4/30/2021 - bigberrypicker Likes this wine: 95 Points
Superb. Wonderful figgy and complex nose. Perfectly balanced mouth and long finish.
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4/22/2021 - PSPatrick wrote: 92 Points
High fill, cork intact. Red fruit, spices, cinnamon, light chocolate, light tobacco, and gamy notes, with good acidity, high quality tannin and very good length. Good, medium body. Some VA. A weird association with premium yogurt (whatever that may be) jumped to my mind.
Not the most complex vintage of Château Musar, but well-structured, smoothly textured and very harmonious. Needs four hours in the decanter. Some upside potential. Drink (after three to four hours of aeration) or hold.
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4/14/2021 - La Grappe wrote: 93 Points
The cork crumbled to dust when I tried to remove it, but the wine was perfectly preserved; it had a mature, brownish colour, and a very exotic, perfumed palate which was concentrated, elegant and long. A very fine example, for drinking in the near future while it remains lively.
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4/9/2021 - AudunG wrote: 89 Points
A balanced and delicious Musar, and better than some previous bottles, which were a bit too volatile. Some prunes and old cellar, which I find in many Musar wines. But also delicious and savoury fruit, with fine tannins.
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4/4/2021 - Leones de Lisboa Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic, perfectly mature Musar.
A wee bit feral on the first night but most of that blew off after 3-4 hour decant. From then onwards it was glass after glass of lovely gamey fruit and spice. Great acidity and soft tannins. I savoured every sip: a wonderful wine to enjoy slowly over a long Easter 2021 weekend.
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4/4/2021 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Served with Easter lamb, drunk outside on the terrace with the inlaws. Best bottle of this I’ve drunk - one of the nicest Musars I’ve had in a while. Just a whiff of animale to it, but very balanced, and with more acidity than I usually get from Musar. Really good stuff.
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4/2/2021 - Snowey Likes this wine:
Cork came out in one piece but was soaked almost to the end. Fell apart a bit at the very end of extraction and it definitely looks like a different material than French corks.
Color was rust with clear rim showing its age.
Nose was expressive and palate showed well with dark fruit flavors reminiscent of an amarone. Really enjoyable and it’s amazing how much flavor and fruit is still prominent in this 20 year old wine.
Will buy more musar.
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3/21/2021 - caspernick Likes this wine: 95 Points
Our second wine of the 16th virtual wine tasting gave me pause in deciding it's drinking order. I originally wanted to showcase this icon as the finale of our session, but after careful consideration felt it was best to go before the younger, bolder wines- it was a good call.
Chateau Musar at pretty much any age will have an orange tinge, or bricking. It's also usually about 50% opaque. This blend of Carignan, Cinsault and Cabernet Sauvignon never looks brooding in the glass. I asked the group for their comments when we started smelling the wine. "Heaven" was the first I heard- very appropriate. We also noted strawberry, leather, black pepper (?), cured meat, garrigue, black cherry, funk, barnyard, new-purse leather, dirt, smoke and earth. These are awesome descriptors from the group, yet I still feel we have missed out on some more. The nose was amazing.
On the palate this beauty is deceiving- delicate, yet powerful. Flavors of cracked pepper, cherry, leather, spice, raspberry jelly and baked cherry compote. The smoothness of this wine is above reproach. The tannins so well integrated and the gobs of acidity so well disguised. I think the gaminess and dried prune notes were my highlight. I was so happy to have been able to present this tremendous wine to my friends, who for the most part loved it. I awarded a perfect 20 points on the tasting scale. Technically speaking, it gets 95 real points and at $75, five stars. I would imagine this one has a long tasting window but make sure you have a two-pronged wine opener, the corks gave issue to several bottles.
https://caspernick.com/2021/03/21/chateau-musar-2001-bekaa-valley-lebanon/
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3/20/2021 - Redsquare82 wrote: 96 Points
Phenomally aged example of Musar. The nose is cassis and caramel, with summer flowers. On the palette the plum and berries are rich, followed by layers of tobacco, creme de cassis, tar, leather, vanilla. This is a superb wine. Tannins are velvety, the finish is luscious.
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3/14/2021 - jkscully Likes this wine:
Really funky at first, but this passed with about a 3 hour decant. Cherry, plum, and dried fig fruit with iron, tobacco, dusty sweet tannins, bay leaf, curry, and a meaty/funky finish that also has some spice. Less depth, but brighter than the 2000 Musar. The 2000 Musar reminded me of Mourvedre, but this one reminds of an Italian wine except with a slightly funky finish. I really liked it.
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3/9/2021 - Musigny1955 Likes this wine: 93 Points
{Purchased Sept 2020 from a trusted source; perfect fill} Tasted over two days with Coravin in between. Red core with just an hint of russet brown on the rim. Lovely, long nose with Pauillac-like scents, tobacco, red more than black fruits, some white pepper; palate was deep and reflective of the nose, excellent length. Rated it 91-94 at one time or another. A marvel, and marvelous that it is still in the market for a very reasonable price! Tiniest hint of brett and VA in the background added complexity and did not detract. This bottle was in a great drinking window and no signs of needing to be drunk immediately. I will try to find more!
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3/8/2021 - Ola Granholt Likes this wine: 89 Points
Grumsete, mye bunnfall. Lang ettersmak. Kraftig.
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3/6/2021 - ManuKey Likes this wine: 93 Points
La robe du vin est semi-brouillée, au pourtour tirant sur le orange brulé. Le nez embaume les fruits rouges mi-confits, les épices asiatiques, la menthe poivrée, la garrigue, avec une touche de funk. Envoutant. En bouche, l'attaque est fraiche et soyeuse, au touché de dentelle, dirigé par une acidité racée. C'est fondu et parfaitement à point et détient une vinosité hors du commun. La finale complexe s'étire longuement, ponctuée de notes anisées. Incroyable vin pour 65$ CAD. Coup de coeur.
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3/6/2021 - MSheridan wrote: 88 Points
As a big a Musar fan it pains me to say this was a bit of a disappointment. Bottle variance is pretty common from what I’ve heard so hoping this is one of those instances.
It had most of the expected profiles: a touch of VA, cherry fruit & orange rind but it was all a bit thin and limp. Lacked depth and richness I’d like, it was lighter, maybe a little burg-esque.
I double decanter at 8:30am and didn’t visit this until 5pm and sampled over the night, leaving some for the following day. No dramatic signs of improvement over that time.
Better experiences had from my 02 & 03 halves.
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3/6/2021 - kevinpatrick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Last of a bottle I coravined 2 glasses from previously. Popped cork and slow-ox for 2 hours before drinking. Served alongside Musakhan which paired wonderfully with the wine. The Musar was in exceptional form: dark red cherries on the nose; on the palate smooth, rich smoky notes of mature aged red cherries and plenty of elegant structure with a savory long finish that contrasted seamlessly with the sweeter sumac chicken. A joy of a wine with a deliciously opulent nose and delightful texture throughout each drink. Lots of life in these bottles. 93 - 94 pts.
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3/6/2021 - ploher wrote:
Decanted for about 12 hours. Immediately after opening this offered blood oranges, blood, iron, some sour cherries, but the palate was a bit thin. After 12 hours in the decanter this has opened up beautifully and is just marvelous. Again blood oranges, leather, smoke, also some figs offering a beautiful sweetness. The tannins are super crunchy, sweet and of exceptional quality; incredibly aromatic and long. Very polished for Musar. One of the best vintages I've had so far because it combines the quintessential musar aromatics with outstanding polish / finesse. Close to perfection for my palate. 20/20
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2/24/2021 - La Grappe wrote: 91 Points
A mature colour, showing some brown; elegant, perfumed, with good weight and length. Fully mature and a most attractive, and somewhat exotic wine.
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2/22/2021 - uve Likes this wine: 91 Points
This vintage has been my first taste of Musar - and I’m a fan! It has some of the characteristics of a mature barolo - a fruit core of red cherries and dried berries, dusty tannins, then leather and tobacco. It’s more herby than a Barolo and has secondary flavours that only a genuinely fine wine can give - and bags of character. Marked down just a tad by a very slight astringent note on the finish.
Other tasting notes have mentioned some inconsistency between bottles. This is my fourth bottle - so far 3 have been consistent, the other was drinkable but flawed.
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2/20/2021 - Rupert wrote: 91 Points
In one of its more refined moods - herbs and exotic spices, some cedar, nicely harmonious.
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2/18/2021 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:
This may be the best bottle of this vintage that I’ve tried, and those of us who love Musar will know how loaded with meaning that is! This bottle has very sweet cherry fruit, none of the greenness of the last I opened in 2019, and that trademark Musar funkiness sitting well off in the background. Fantastic!
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2/9/2021 - sharonandroland Likes this wine: 94 Points
Superb and in a great drinking window.
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2/4/2021 - king-bing wrote: 91 Points
Pale with distinct orange rim. Not much going on to start, maybe a touch of cranberry and a slightly spicy finish. Then decanted as a moderate amount of sediment. After about 2 hours, this was really waking up. Very much in the Rhone mould this reminded me of a lighter style of Chateauneuf. Not the baked earth but lovely red tone with a smidgeon of VA after a while that added rather than detracted. Not especially deep but very decent.
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1/30/2021 - Villon wrote: 92 Points
Au nez, c'est complexe et textbook vieux Musar: notes de menthol, de fines herbes (thym, romarin), de prunes séchées, et un côté animal et sanguin affirmé. En bouche, c'est tout en finesse, le fruit commence à diminuer, les notes tertiaires sont appuyés et la finale et un peu chaude, ce qui fait ressortir le côté sudiste du vin. Vraiment à 20 ans ce Musar est au top de ce qu'il peut offrir. À moins d'aimer les vins très tertiaires, je vois difficilement pourquoi on garderait ce vin encore bien longtemps. 92
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1/29/2021 - La Grappe Likes this wine: 92 Points
Quite a deep colour, showing maturity; a very fragrant, even exotic wine, elegant, nicely rounded and with a persistent finish. A fine, mature wine, perfect for drinking now. On the strength of this, I have bought 6 more bottles (for the same price as the 2014).
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1/29/2021 - Fine wine Lad Likes this wine: 94 Points
Decanted for approx 1h before drinking
The wine is slightly hazy, looks Garnet coloured with some bricking at the edge. The legs are long. There is heavy sediment in the bottle.
On the nose: Ripe rich black and red fruit, sweet strawberry, then more savoury with stewed meat black pepper, vanilla (oak) and slight barnyard.
On the palate: sweet fruit - 1st berries then citrus, then back to stewed caramelised berries and vanilla, finishing with tobacco and lead pencil.
The body is medium/full
The wine has silky texture.
The wine finishes very long.
The wine has smooth acidity.
The wine mediums, round Tannins.
Wow!
Beautiful colour, aged and bricking at the edge.
As usual with Musar the wine is big yet has an amazing finesse.
Perfect balance between Acidity and Tannin.
This wine is very complex and flavourful and as time went on became more fruit forward and was evolving every mouthful.
A delight !
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1/29/2021 - mclanew wrote: 93 Points
Consistent with previous notes
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1/19/2021 - Keith Cooper Likes this wine: 90 Points
The great Serge Hochar always recommended opening Musar well ahead of time, even the older vintages. So I opened this 3 hours before tasting to accompany lamb tagine. Blackcurrant colour, very complex nose and palate, with good fruit levels, leather, spice, richness, charcoal and good earthiness. I drank the rest of the bottle over the following two evenings and it remained at peak quality throughout.
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1/19/2021 - Mizukun wrote:
Leather, cedar, mint, green pepper, asparagus, on the nose.
Twenty years on, the acid and tannins are harmonious and show finess. This wine is tremendously well made, with a beautiful mouthfeel and structure with a huge bloom on the front end and a lingering finish.
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1/16/2021 - Grochol Likes this wine: 93 Points
Nose: cherry, strawberry, roses, balsamic, earth, cinnamon, ash, leaves, hint of leather
Taste: medium to full bodied, medium tannins, medium acidity, cherry, dried cranberry, fig, balsamic, earth, baking spices, leather, hint of sweetness, mature, bright, silky, elegant, complex, everything is integrated and in the right place in this beatiful wine
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1/15/2021 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 93 Points
Menthol and good acidity. Goes in the direction of excellent Barolo for me. Complexity and fullness. Great. Certainly a decade to go.
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12/29/2020 - JayP Likes this wine: 90 Points
Every time i drink Musar i think what a remarkable wine it is - and this one drank nearly 20 years after being made was no exception. Cork was 1/2 way up 'damp' but came out OK and no obvious nose/taste of oxidation in the wine. Having said that I am not sure I would want to leave it to drink on a second night as others suggest. IE my bottle was perhaps a little 'fragile' and getting near drink up time.
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12/28/2020 - Mondarin Likes this wine: 92 Points
A surprisingly star-bright pale garnet. (It turned a more medium, darker garnet the next day).
Medium + intensity flavors of sweet cherries, rhubarb pie, some earth, some savoury, cured meat, dried roses and every so slight leather.
Dry, medium+ acid, medium, resolved, smooth, fine-grained tannins, medium alcohol (13%), medium + body and a long finish.
A very good to outstanding wine. Surprising how elegant it was-- not rustic and not overtly funky, bretty or barnyardy at all (as is Musar's reputation). Had lifted aromatics and a classy profile from maturity, yet still youthful brightness. Bright, lively and energetic yet grounded. Burgundian. Honestly would not think this is a cabernet sauvingon blend (although i don't have too much experience drinking really aged cab sauv.)
A fine accompaniment to our Christmas meal of roasted lamb shoulder and lemon garlic potatoes.
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12/26/2020 - Jaymnik Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ruby colour with some bricking on the edge. Aromas of soured cheery, cranberry, balsam, smoke, cinnamon. More tart berries to taste, the bright acidity eventually gives way to pine, liquorice and creme de framboise. Surprising freshness given the age, the touch of sweetness at the end more apparent on the second day. Drunk over 3 days, enthralling on each.
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12/24/2020 - Littleern Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cork very easy to remove and saturated to about a 1/3. Good nose. Lots of fruit, berries, tobacco. Light in colour. Good length with a predominately sour cherry tinge. Quite lot of sediment in the bottle, some of which found its way it one decanter! Very easy to drink on its own but paired up with some blue cheese this evening which paired quite well
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12/21/2020 - swaap wrote: 91 Points
Notes d’évolution au nez avec une trame de tannins fins et d’une complexité remarquable. Belle longueur en bouche soutenue par une acidité encore présente malgré ses 19 ans d’âge.
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12/18/2020 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 95 Points
Phenomenal wine for the money. Enjoyed at a Mediterranean restaurant after a night of drinking. This stood out for its elegance, depth, and lovely secondary flavors. I consider Musar one of the world's best red wine bangs for the bucks.
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12/5/2020 - FjordogFjell wrote: flawed
1/2 flaske. Dårlig kork helt gjennomtrukket. PnP lukt av tang og sødmefull frukt
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11/16/2020 - Smahlatz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Classic musar here, leather, tobacco, dried fruits, currants, spices. This is a lovely elegant musar at this point. The flavours are all there, but nothing overbearing, all working together beautifully harmoniously. My favourite musar vintage right now.
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11/13/2020 - Rupert wrote: 91 Points
Pale, mellow, tobacco, spices, quite sweet - surprisingly advanced, but this was a classic mature musar experience
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11/10/2020 - BB_RP wrote:
Surprisingly fruity. A little bit one-dimensional?
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11/9/2020 - Radders12345 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Colour: fairly pale with some bricking at the edge.
Nose: plum, blackcurrant, dried cherry, chocolate, mushroom, pipe tobacco, chai spices
Palate: dried plum, anis, cassis, chocolate. Medium plus acidity and dusty tannins.
Delicious and perfect with dried aged rib eye some black truffle mustard and roast Brussels sprouts and mashed potato.
The value for money here is phenomenal and I never buy enough Musar when I have the opportunity - 3 more bottles left.
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10/24/2020 - Thellie wrote: 92 Points
Lovely Musar nose after an hour’s opening of the bottle. Cinnamon, cassis, spice plus some richness and body. Good balance and a long finish as expected. No VA, as far as I could tell—and that’s sometimes a problem with Musar. After a few hours it actually seemed muddier and a bit harsh on the finish. Sediment perhaps? In any case, this was soulful wine and I loved it.
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10/24/2020 - Loathesome Likes this wine: 97 Points
I don't normally add a second note but this last bottle tasted was just fantastic and if you wanted to show anyone what Musar was about then this is the one. Full throttle raisny, mature fruit from the off and controlled power and complex concentration throughout. Just glorious.
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10/17/2020 - Jason T Likes this wine:
Cork blew up on me and I had to decant. Explosive on the nose right out of the gate, and really stayed that way for a good 6-8 hours.
Medium red with a bit of bricking around the edges. No funk at all, just beautiful cherry smell and what I struggle to describe as anything other than 'tar'. Really reminds me of late 90's Vieux Telegraphe.
Tannins were quite restrained on day 1, and had softened by day 2. Nose started to fade then as well. Overall so much more expressive than the 2003 I had a while back. A really fun wine in a really great place right now.
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9/27/2020 - JWG wrote: 94 Points
Really elegant red blend from Lebanon that has some of the best qualities of a Rhone/Bordeaux wine. (Cork was a mess, but had no effect on the wine apparently.) Decanted but started drinking right after the decant and it was front and center great at the beginning, only evolving slightly more luscious over then next hour. Red fruit and earthiness on the nose and the palate, with good acidity and a light hint of tannins.
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9/5/2020 - Dithiolium wrote: 88 Points
Pale brick colour. Wine has evolved with age. Dried plums, leather, spice, lingering ripe fruit sweetness. Light bodied with long finish.
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9/3/2020 - phil the agony wrote: 92 Points
Aucune note prise
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8/29/2020 - Renevin wrote:
Difficile de vraiment l apprécier à sa juste valeur apres avoir bu un Tignanello et un Château Margaux.
Nez noix, médicaments. En bouche, bel équilibre.
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8/16/2020 - Corporateslaves Likes this wine: 90 Points
Cork saturated through but still intact. Black fruits, licorice, soft and resolved with minimal tannins. Always good with roast dinner and good VFM.
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8/15/2020 - dlowrey99 Likes this wine: 93 Points
tldr: cork was very brittle, slipped easily into the bottle when trying to open it; luckily wine seemed fine. wonderful wine, great mix of age and freshness; brightness and lightness of a burgundy with the earthiness and funk of a bordeaux; great on its own and really excels with food - we enjoyed it with ribeye, mushrooms, and brussel sprouts.
Color: med ruby with a good amount of bricking around the edges and towards the center.
Nose: bright extracted red fruit upon opening, but after a lengthy decant lots of earth and funk, tertiary syrup-ness, raspberry liqueur, faintest alcohol vapors.
Body: med/med+; rather light in comparison to the poignant palate.
Acid: med+ tantalizing, really lifts the wine through to the finish.
Alcohol: guessed 13.3%; actual 13.5%
Palate: decently complex and layered, balanced at the same time; fresh tart red fruit on the front, aged fig preserve and damp leaves/bark/earth across the middle, and smooth yet grippy integrated tannins on the finish; lively acidity throughout keeps the wine fresh.
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7/25/2020 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
From 375mL. Ruby-garnet color; medium-plus intensity aromatics with christmas spice, soy, umami, black cherry; palate is medium-plus bodied, excellent acidity throughout, balanced alcohol (13.5%), plenty of soy and umami on the palate, good length and depth through the midpalate; finish is medium-plus length with excellent complexity that carries through the palate. My main issue with halves is that it's harder to follow for 1-2 days as Musar can evolve or change over that time frame. 93
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7/24/2020 - mattym19 Likes this wine: 92 Points
By the bottle at Noreetuh in NYC, “quarantine style”. Decanted about an hour. Nose is barnyardy and funky with cherries and a tarry, charred leather note. Palate is full of super ripe cherries, plums, licorice, a little volatile acidity and a medium finish with nicely resolved tannins primarily on the cheeks. Lots of sweetness but balanced and dry on the finish. Definitely Musar; love it or hate it. Luckily for me I love it. Perfect with the mochiko fried chicken.
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7/17/2020 - FraserMacmillen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful brownish red, not much on the nose, bit of grape must, unique flavour finding hard to describe. Almost nutmeg. Definitely a spicy wine, not fruity. bit of tannin. V. Good.
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7/11/2020 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for 4 hours before service, which was about right but could have been longer. Perfect cork. Transparent cherry red and very strong lifted notes of oiled pews in a cathedral. Now is semi-transparent. Nose is earthy, deep dark spices like star anise, liquorice stick, white pepper, lots of other black spices. Quite linear by Musar standards....quite intriguing in a Priorat manner. Palate is immediately gorgeous.... really silkily textured deep rich textured dark red cherry, classic Asian spice market, rich and unctuous like a great Rhône wine.... belly-filling. Super deep and long finish with impressive length and reverberance. Head-filling. Has opened up massively since I first drank it 3 years ago. Ready now but has a decade or two of further development ahead of it. Gorgeous. 92+
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7/10/2020 - kfrench150 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Recently acquired at a very good price in retail no less! Decanted to remove sediment and it smells typically funky/horsey in the decanter. Medium light colour of delicate, faded rosehip jelly fading to strong orange pekoe tea at the rim. The funk has mostly gone, and now the nose is full of spicey, dried red fruits, freshly sawn cedar, leather with a feral, animal undertone. Just a hint of VA and alcoholic heat as well. Over time notes of medjool dates, curry comb and rosehips emerge. Long slow legs that seem to stick to the sides of the glass. Fuller on the palate than it appears from the colour. Initial sweet and sour red berry impressions quickly transition to spiced leather, pointed acidity and tongue squeezing tannins. Some notes of VA, as expected, but not as much as other vintages. Very smooooth. The finish is quite dry with tart red fruit, tingly acidity and tea-like tannins that leave your mouth watering for more. Original, intriguing and delicious! Not as profound as some vintages but enthralling just the same! An intellectual wine.
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7/1/2020 - Collector1855 wrote: flawed
Tasted a few Musar side by side against some Pauillacs. WE loved the Musars for their aromatic complexity, many of them did not have too much funk (aka Brett) as I observed in bottles before but a nice nose of musk, underbrush, sweet spices and more red than dark berries. There is a good portion of Carrignan and Cinsault next to CabSav in these wines. This makes the wine a bit lighter than a Bordeaux and also higher pitched in the aromatics. So after having tasted the 1989 (93, the lightest of all of them), 1999/2004 (94, aromatic, good mid mouth presence), 2001 (NR, light cork) we concluded that these wines are better to be compared against a South of France Blend than a Bordeaux blend.
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6/27/2020 - Loathesome Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is everything Chateau Musar should be. Good concentration. That very rustic mature Bordeaux/Rhone style with good acidity knitting it all together. Mid weight but great length. So reassuring to see them confidentally still making this old style wine in a period of global style boredom amongst too many producers worldwide.
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6/13/2020 - asparagus Likes this wine: 93 Points
This was a beautiful musar - maybe the best i've ever had? Closed at the beginning, but after about 45min in a decanter, the aromatics began to unfurl and the wine began to reveal its beauty. Red cherry, dusty tannins, hint of menthol. Loved the perception of sweetness of the fruit - something that comes with reasonably aged cabernet-based wines. This beauty can last for a couple of decades easily, but it is already so wonderful to drink now.
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6/8/2020 - Kirk Grant wrote:
This really is getting into the prime drinking window. Classic Muser on the nose & palate, just a wonderful and beautiful wine that offers both depth & width along a long finish. Outstanding!!!
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5/31/2020 - FjordogFjell wrote: 93 Points
"Gjenglemt" av broderen. Håper den kan matche Brisket med aubergine og pinsefeirng 19 år, forsmak: Moden lett krydderet lukt mot rognebær. Lett sødmefylt smak med rognebær og tørka moreller. Åpner opp etter noen minutter i glasset, jern, krydder. Intens flott og spennende vin, god syre og laaaang ettersmak. Etter noen timer i åpen flaske: jordbær. Elegant og flott opplevelse. Knall syre. 1 dag i flaske: voldsom og elegant på samme tid. Moden tørka frukt, dadler. Og smågodt?
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5/30/2020 - ieatprawnsss Likes this wine: 91 Points
Well resolved, expressive nose of cherry jam, spices with herbal notes. Really great acidity that cuts through the entire palate. Drinking very well now, could definitely use some air.
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5/28/2020 - Hanibal Likes this wine: 91 Points
In a good drinking window now if given 3 hour decant. Nice red fruits with cigar and leather and a bit of barn funk
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5/21/2020 - Sebran Likes this wine: 93 Points
Elegant and beautiful. Drinking very nice now, no need to wait longer.
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5/12/2020 - Egatniv Likes this wine: 94 Points
Classic London broil, roasted purple potatoes, artichokes. Delicious, even with chokes!
Chicken thighs w black beans, basmati rice and chilis; sautéed escarole. Another good match
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5/12/2020 - mclanew Likes this wine: 91 Points
This was not as good as previous bottles I have had of this. A little funk on the nose only partially sorts itself in time. The palate is nicely balanced, fully mature with flavors of black currant, blackberry, herbs, tobacco, tar and spice coming through. The wine is a little rugged around the edges. This wine seemed more rustic and less pure than the last bottle I had of this.
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4/29/2020 - chbeaumont wrote: 94 Points
As good as a recent bottle bottle. This vintage is drinking very well indeed, currently. Harmonious.
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4/25/2020 - Jkn985 wrote:
Fantastic with lambchops. Cedar and sweet dark fruit coming to the fore. Not great on its own, too much tannin.
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4/16/2020 - eduardokp Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great wine, red cherry jam, eucalyptus, cedar, smoke, tabaco, hint of dark chocolate. Medium+ acidity, smooth tannins, surprisingly long finishing. Well balanced, exceeded my expectations.
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4/16/2020 - chbeaumont wrote: 94 Points
Good colour; all the classical elements on the nose; expressive, shapely, bags of character; finished impressively. Will age effortlessly.
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4/10/2020 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is, as usual, an absolute delight to drink, and is indeed in its own space. Very elegant, beautiful spices and will continue evolving, probably increasing to 94-95. Love it. Slo ox for 7 hrs and then PnP. Tonight with baked aubergine and tahini sauce...
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3/22/2020 - MDM73 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nose of cedar and barnyard dominates: classic musar. This bottle was a bit more baryardy than usual, but this mostly blew off in the first 10-15 minutes and was left with lots of dried cherry, currants, cedar, tobacco, and that lovey gaminess that Musar has. Still amazing acidity and fine tannins that provides great grip and length.
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3/19/2020 - il_diavolo wrote: flawed
The cork completely crumbled and the wine tasted older than it should be. Interesting in some way but flawed I'm pretty sure.
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3/8/2020 - DougLee wrote: 91 Points
Full of character and balance but needing a few more years to develop further.
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2/29/2020 - sb_guido Likes this wine: 90 Points
Incredible nose, but very troubled (not clear). Left standing for three hours prior to drinking and decanted. Need to leave the bottle standing for like a week for optimal results (from my experience!).
Yet enjoyable for price.
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2/23/2020 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Fantastic on day 1, fantastic on day 2.
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2/22/2020 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
Slicing acidity and good red fruit.
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2/18/2020 - rsbeck wrote: 94 Points
Popped, breathed in bottle 60 minutes, consumed over next two hours. This has developed positively, becoming more elegant and revealing more beguiling nuance. Seamless, complex, balanced, with refreshing acidity and a lengthy, succulent, expanding finish.
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2/14/2020 - j@$0n p€++y wrote: flawed
Flawed. I could push the cork in with my finger, it slid so easy. It's like the cork was slathered in silicone, Uh-oh. This tasted like lipton ice tea over the first hour. Did improve some but consensus was this was an off bottle.
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1/17/2020 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+ (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Crimson core with pale orange rim, fine sediment; so meaty and savory, leather, sweet rich fruit, exotic, viscous, red apple skin, dried oranges, liquor soaked cherry, so distinctive, youthful tart finish; called '01 Musar
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1/15/2020 - Alykhan V Likes this wine: 93 Points
Perfumed nose
Sweet ripe black cherry, barnyard, leather, animal, cigar box, flowers, sweet and sour aromas
Long finish, delicious
Early in its drinking window. Good for next 5 years at least. Probably best between 2022-2025
If drinking now, decant at least 30 minutes before serving. The wine evolved nicely in the glass
Medium body
Colour was pale or medium- garnet
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1/11/2020 - Mimesis Likes this wine: 92 Points
Chateau Musar 1999-2004 vertical blind tasting: Initially darker and a little more closed than the other wines in the flight, the 2001 vintage opens into very fine table wine that’s less immediately identifiable as a Musar than most of the others in the flight. The fruit perfectly balances the tannins, even if the flavor occasionally veers into overripe territory. Fortunately, with the next sip, it steps back from the brink just in time.
Perhaps because it’s a more conventional wine, tasters were better able to keep their bearings with the 2001, and they rewarded it with a 2nd place rating out of the six vintages on offer. If nothing else, this suggests that Musar can be very, very good even when it’s not extraverted. This is also the only wine in the flight that I believe would really benefit from more aging.
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1/9/2020 - asgerG wrote: 92 Points
D2h. Mature garnet red, yellow edge, 5. Opulent mature spicy sweetish bouquet, complex. Harmonious, good acidity, almost resolved tannins, spicy finish. Drink now-onwards.
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1/4/2020 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 92 Points
At Gatwick. Hotel room. Mugs. No decant.
Earthy nose. Slightly singed and Bretty. Brooding dark cherry fruit with a sort of Bretty bitterness. Still this has dried violets and dried blackberry and tamari. Promising. Needs more time and a long decant.
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1/1/2020 - Esteban wrote: 93 Points
Toujors aussi bon. Complexe, équilibre et longueur en bouche.
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12/31/2019 - Danneskjöld wrote: flawed
Moden og avslipt moden frukt. For mye volatil syre for min del.
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12/22/2019 - Jonathanmustang wrote: 88 Points
Bouchon saturé et légère note oxydative, neanmoins quelques notes agréables
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12/10/2019 - Andrew Beckett wrote: 89 Points
On a journey to genius or dross, but worth waiting to find out where it's heading as just awkward right now. Certainly let it breathe.
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12/2/2019 - Egatniv Likes this wine: 90 Points
Great value. Opened up nicely after aeration.
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11/30/2019 - Lahontan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Suffers when compared to the richer, more layered and flavorful 1999. Great nose that somehow does not deliver... Does it need more age? I had it with rack of lamb but it did not shine. Austere, very old-school. If you liked French wines in general back in the 1980s (ie, austere to the point of being almost acidic) then it might be your thing. Still the nose is something else: think medieval art as opposed to all the baroque stuff we are getting now (think fruit-forward Californian). Really hard to grade this as I am not sure it will stand to gain with age, though if I had more bottle I would surely forget about them for 5+ years...
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11/24/2019 - mtaczak Likes this wine: 89 Points
Was expecting more ... neither mature nor fresh, neither deep nor light. Awkward middle age? It was ... fine. Probably should have paired some food.
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10/25/2019 - forceberry wrote: 92 Points
2001 was a very hot and dry vintage: by mid-February the weather turned to much more warmer than usual with almost nonexistent rains. After relatively normal weather during the flowering, the weather turned hotter than average for July and August, resulting in 15% reduction in yield. The harvest was carried ahead of the schedule, starting already on 3rd of September. The Cinsaut suffered from the hot weather, losing some of its color; thus, the percentage of Cinsaut is somewhat lower in this year's blend compared to other vintages. As normal, the wine was fermented and aged in cement vats for 9 months, aged in oak for 12 months, blended together and matured for a further year in cement vats before bottling. 13,5% alcohol. Decanted for a few hours before tasting the wine.
Somewhat pale, limpid cranberry red color with developed pomegranate highlights. The nose feels somewhat restrained with slightly sweet-toned aromas of rose hips, some strawberry, a little bit of earthy spice, light licorice tones and a hint of old, dry leather. In contrast to my previous experiences with Musar 2001, this wine lacks the slightly medicinal or gluey volatile notes. The wine is juicy, dense and qutie full-bodied on the palate with rich flavors of wild strawberries, some overripe red plums, a little bit of game, light licorice notes, a little bit of smoke, a hint of blood and a touch of tart lingonberry juice. Despite the obvious ripeness, the wine is high in acidity. The testural tannins feel quite ripe and resolved with less grip than in the past. The finish is ripe, spicy and gently grippy with long, savory flavors of earthy spices, sour cherries, some gamey meat, a little bit of sanguine iron, a developed hint of corned beef and a touch of sweeter dark fruits.
A very harmonious and attractive Musar that seems to have somewhat lighter and more elegant with age, at least if compared to my past experiences when this vintage has felt more brooding and muscular in style. Perhaps this is signaling that the wine is starting to arrive at its plateau of maturity? I don't really know, since the bottle variation with Musar is so prevalent. Nevertheless, this is a very attractive and eminently really drinkable vintage of Musar with a good combination of developed ripe fruit, freshness and sophistication.
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10/21/2019 - bob92 wrote: 93 Points
This is drinking very well now.
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10/5/2019 - AudunG wrote: flawed
Corked.
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9/26/2019 - ZMAng Likes this wine: 90 Points
75cl bottle: Medium ruby. Wet barnyard, leather, wood notes on the nose. Sweet dark fruit on the palate, but not cloying like the 2000. Well-balanced, spicy, still primary - prefer the faster effective aging which was apparent in the half-bottle, but still enjoyable. With an hour or two to breathe, some tertiary notes, e.g. mushroom, were evident. 88-90.
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9/7/2019 - Jahast wrote: 87 Points
Cork damaged
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8/24/2019 - AudunG wrote: 87 Points
Same notes as for previous bottle: Volatile aromas with dried red fruit, tobacco and spices. Sweet-and-sour fruit on the palate, with soft tannins.
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8/18/2019 - Crumbled cork Likes this wine: 96 Points
Decantered for an hour. Vanillas, peppers and Floral perfumes. Well balanced. Hints of thai spicy, but smooth and long.
Beautiful wine, 4 hrs since opening an improving.
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8/3/2019 - R J Lewis wrote:
On opening. Wet cork. Pronounced. Lots of VA. Soy, sour cherry, earth, leather. Palate confirms, plus balanced med+ alcohol. Finish full of sundried tomato, leaf, fresh red meat. Long. Put into a decanter to allow VA to blow off. .
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7/28/2019 - ZMAng Likes this wine: 92 Points
Coravin from half bottle: Rusty red / tawny. Mushroom and sweet dark fruit on first nosing. Similar notes on the palate. Dense with good acidity, integrated tannins. Medium to long.
Out of the half bottle: Cork had to be pushed in. Expressive nose, similar to above plus woody notes. Sweet dark fruit but also savoury on the palate. Long finish. I enjoyed this.
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7/22/2019 - asparagus Likes this wine: 91 Points
Some barnyard that blew away after some time in the glass. Red cherry, dusty tannins, hint of menthol. Love the way the acidity and the fruit melded seamlessly in this. Very enjoyable, drank over four nights.
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6/6/2019 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 94 Points
Mahogany, dusty blackberries, plum compote, rosewater, and sweet spices on the nose. Dense fragrant fruit on the palate with a sweet acid lightness, salty chocolate back notes moving into a dry delicious finish with a deep undercurrent of sweet tannins. Superb with tahini kofta and cucumber tomato salad.
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5/30/2019 - Karoline.phillips Likes this wine: 100 Points
Classic Musar transformation. Tried a bit straight after decanting for comparison purposes - tawny colour, musty, perfumed nose, with clear tangy fruit (redcurrant?); on the palate high acid, very tart and sharp, shortish finish. After 1.5h-2h - totally different wine. On the nose, clear black cherry, a bit of plum, jammy, very spicy (pepper, cloves, star anise), at time fennel, leafy green, smokey, maybe a hint of tobacco? On the palate, med body, high acid and chokingly full of tannin. Just wow! This time clearly RED cherry, fresh, morphing into savoury meaty notes, and undercurrent of dry smokiness and bitterness (cherry stone), acidity coming in waves until you’re left with heat and spice finishing gently, with length. Bravo!
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5/24/2019 - glou.sf Likes this wine: 93 Points
Red fruit, plums, cassis, pepper, and leather on the nose. Medium tannins, nice acidity, with lots of red fruit, berries, and herbs on the palate. A tad sweet on the palate but otherwise very interesting and good. My first Musar, very nice wine!
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5/18/2019 - benjamin96 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Le premier jour, trop bretté, semble sur extrait avec du moka et fruits mures. N’a pas la finesse de musar.
Le deuxième jour, beaucoup mieux. Cerise, fruits noirs, volatilité de musar, manque de pureté et de fraicheur.
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5/5/2019 - shallIshantI Likes this wine: 92 Points
2001 – 92. A real testament to the winemaker’s skill. See previous verticals. It’s now 18 years old and you can still taste that distinct fresh fruit on the palate. Just starting to get a little lighter now.
2002 – 90. That sharp spritz that we previously got on the front of the tongue has now finally gone.
2003 – 89. Odd one out of the evening. More ‘meaty’ and savoury. Went fine with food. We had previously found the 2003 to be much smoother.
2004 – 92. Yes, back to that medicinal cherry lozenges punch
2005 – 93. Drinking very well now. Hint of spiciness.
2007 – 92. A deeper, heavier year. You can still find some 2007’s at the larger retailers and it’s ready. Had the strongest bouquet of the lot
2007 Magnum – 93. We had fun here, putting a magnum and a standard bottle of the same year up against each other. Was there a difference? Yes. Would you know if you did not have them side by side? Unlikely. This was the star of the night. Ripe fruit. Think warm sunshine.
2008 – 91. Youngest one here and it shows immediately just looking at the rims comparing it with the others. It was the ‘reliable friend’ – easy drinking, plenty of fruit (evokes Christmas sweet spices) and went well with the cheese course
A Billecart Salmon 1999 to start. All reds out of the Eurocave the night before, opened in the morning. Smoked duck with asparagus and a walnut dressing to start, beef filet with a shallot and port sauce, potatoes cooked with garlic and thyme, cheeses, rose possett with rhubarb.
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5/2/2019 - mclanew Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is a phenomenal musar and drinking very well right now. 30 minute decant. Medium cherry red. The nose is cherry, spice and game. The palate is medium bodied and very well balanced. Flavors of raspberries, cherries herbs, game this is delicious with limited but growing complexity. This is in the riper less gamey side of the musar spectrum of flavors and it works.
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5/1/2019 - Renevin Likes this wine: 92 Points
Nez complexe, fruit rouge, épice, pharmacie. En bouche beaucoup de finesse. Elegant, tout en rondeur. Ampleur et longueur moyenne. Très agréable à boire, la bouteille se vide rapidement
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5/1/2019 - m.lef Likes this wine: 92 Points
Délicat et elegant vin feminin pret a boire encore du beau fruit mais avec des saveur des sous bois un beau vin belle découverte
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4/26/2019 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 92 Points
Upping my score from a month ago. It was a mistake to drink it alongside 99 AND only 2 days after delivery. It settled now and on its own it is easily a 92 with upward potential. While 99 is power and muscle - this is aristocratic elegance. Strongish acid component as well still slightly unresolved tannins tell me that this will continue to evolve. Excellent.
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4/22/2019 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:
This is interesting- there’s a nice core of sweet cherry fruit with some tertiary aromas and a strong vein of crushed grapeseed bitterness. A very nice Musar and a great example of how they can blend fruit and funk.
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4/12/2019 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good color, good bright fruit, good finish, lots of tannins, perfect with lamb chops.
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3/30/2019 - Will Hansen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really interesting bottle. Medium red, very cloudy, medium tannins and some what muted fruit with lots of complexity and earthiness. Drank alongside a 2008 Duluc du Branaire-Ducru. Made a very interesting contrast of Cab based wines. . Paired very well with a bolognese. interesting and a real pleasure.
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3/16/2019 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 90 Points
Tried this alongside 1999. While my favorite 99 is easily in the usual 93-95 range, this is more 89-90 right now. To be fair, it was delivered two days ago, so shaking doesn't help. Had them both slo oxed, and will decant later. See if anything changes - right now 2001 is leaner, more closed - youngish burgundy or barolo to mature bordeaux (99). I now have 98, 99, 01, 04, and 2009. Will do a vertical one day.
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3/8/2019 - chbeaumont wrote: 92 Points
This bottle is more lifted, high toned. Remains youthful. Thrilling, wild finish. Classic Musar.
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3/6/2019 - rc@ughey wrote: 91 Points
This wine is all about the nose, which is a super-intense, penetrating bouquet of red fruits with hints of tobacco and earth. Very engaging. The palate was nice and balanced but did not quite deliver on the promise of the bouquet. This shows medium-weight red and brambly fruits that are quite ripe. Fine tannins are unobtrusive and age has rounded this out, but the overall palate impression, while tasty, is not particularly memorable.
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3/3/2019 - Paul852 Likes this wine: 89 Points
Classic Musar in an easy-drinking version: very smooth. Nothing exceptional, but very pleasant straight from opening.
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2/17/2019 - phil the agony wrote: 92 Points
ouvert vers 15h et bu vers 19h30 . Carafé (sans aucun depot)
Dès l’ouverture , il était déjà beau ! Il a pas bougé d’un poil pendant tout ce temps .
Sur les épices douces (L'anis étoilé en partie). , les fruits rouges bien mûrs au départ puis la confiture par la suite . Un vin qui semble encore jeune .
Un vin abouti et bien content qu’il m’en reste 2 autres !
Un vol pour le prix demandé à mon avis .
92 pts
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2/14/2019 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
Short note cos drunk over supper but this is absolutely perfect. Sweet, sweet fruit, dark cherries bordering on but never getting jammy, tobacco, dusty North African spices and rose petals. Add a waft of VA, and I’m in Musar heaven. I am sure this will last for years but think this might be the sweet spot. Sheer pleasure.
I decanted to remove sediment but wouldn’t do it too far in advance as it evolved quickly after opening.
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2/5/2019 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 90 Points
CNY at UE Straits.
Appearance is clear, pale intensity, garnet colour. Legs.
Nose is not clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of VA, barnyard funk, earth, dirt, spice, incense. Developed.
On the palate, dry, hig acidity, medium alcohol (13.5%), grippy high tannins, medium+ body. Medium+ Flavour intensity, with flavours of sour red cherries, sour plums, spiced incense, dirty dirty earth. Gritty medium+ finish.
Bottle variation. Clearly not as good as the last 2 times I tasted this bottle. Too many obtrusive faults. Not so much in a good place.
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1/21/2019 - tak4 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Excited to try this “first growth” of Lebanon.
Decanted and tasted right away.
Wine is bricked, with clear edge. Fairly translucent.
Nose of an aged Bordeaux with some funky earthy notes underneath. Tobacco, leather, spice, but with a touch of nail polish remover. I wonder if that is the famous Volatile Acidity I have heard so much about. But it went away after a few minutes. Plus some tomato, and red fruit.
On palate, wine is sound and quite nice. Aged cabernet feel with the blue cheese, touch of soy, good acidity.
I have sometimes gotten headaches from this type of aged wine. Will drink water preemptively.
Pretty great wine, and when price factored in, tough to beat. I have a couple other bottles (older and younger) and looking forward to trying.
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12/16/2018 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
From a 375. Stood up for 1 week, had fine sediment at the bottom. Decanted and tasted. Medium-clear ruby-garnet with moderate bricking (bottom 1-2 oz was cloudy but decanted off); medium to medium-plus intensity, soy, umami, red fruit; medium-bodied, medium to medium-plus acidity, chewy red fruit, cherries, savory, a bit of soy, balance medium alcohol (13.5% on label); medium-plus finish. This is really nice, and I'll give it some air before tasting again this evening. 92-93 now
5 hours decanted: Nose has a bit more intensity, a bit of Christmas spice, just slight smoke, superbly integrated soy with red fruit; palate is similar to when first opened. This is like being wrapped in a blanket in front of a fire, superbly put together and unlike any other wine. 93 with years ahead of it.
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12/8/2018 - heymamalow Likes this wine: 92 Points
Musar is just one of those wines where one needs to be picky to find areas to criticise when it consistently delivers quality at a not so fine price. This bottle was no different.
Nose was so inviting... Florals, sweet spice, orange peel and a whole potpurri of scents.
On the palate, it was nice crunchy fruit but balanced with sweet spice and some oak, leather and tobacco. Wow, this is really hitting its stride.
On a casual night, where one seeks quality but can’t bear to open a really fine bottle, Musar fulfills that niche perfectly.
Thankful that i have more and will see how it develops in the next 5-10 years.
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12/1/2018 - AudunG wrote: 88 Points
Volatile aromas with dried red fruit, tobacco and spices. Sweet-and-sour fruit on the palate, with soft tannins.
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11/30/2018 - Bandreas Likes this wine: 96 Points
From a half bottle; What a gorgeous wine!
Garnet color, translucent and starting to show a bit of age at the edge..
A voluptuous nose that builds into a crescendo of a myriad of beguiling smells. Never "in your face", it envelops you with warmth and a quietly confident sensuality.
On the palate supple, warm, elegant and superbly well balanced with a great middle palate and wonderful length.
A truly superb bottle! One of the best I had in the last 24 months.
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11/22/2018 - maxima wrote: flawed
Bouchonnée ou déviante!
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11/11/2018 - tripu11 Likes this wine:
Consumed from a half bottle. Earthy nose, with smokey tones, almost paprika. Raspberry on the palate with balanced acidity. Very interesting wine.
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11/3/2018 - Villon wrote: 91 Points
Même note et même appréciation qu'en juin 2018. Beaucoup de finesse et passablement d'évolution, un brin trop pour moi. De plus en plus je pense que pour mon palais. je préfère mais Musar autour de 10-12 ans, mais pas davantage. Il manque un peu de fruits et d"épices dans ce vin presque bourguignon. 91
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10/21/2018 - murkybird Likes this wine: 91 Points
Baked red fruits, brick dust, and a slight hint of shoe polish. Went well with lamb shanks with a cinnamon and pepper spice rub.
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10/11/2018 - GuWin wrote: 91 Points
Uklar med murstens kant. Stall og varm frukt à la svisker og plommer, pipetobakk. Litt volatil. Smak følger duft med mørk, søtlig frukt; moden og rosinpreget, men det er godt; pen fylde, snille tanniner og lang, krydret ettersmak
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9/27/2018 - maxima wrote: 88 Points
Pas mal moins convainquant que 2000 et 2004 en ce moment cette bouteille.
Nez sur les feuilles mouillées, des épices, de la fumée et
un côté animal.
En bouche c'est assez souple, des épices et du cuir avec des cerises et
une acidité assez présente.
Longueur moyenne avec un peu de chauffe en finale.
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9/20/2018 - Avicenne Likes this wine: 89 Points
Pioche adéquate.
Robe avec signe de vieillissement ocre.
Bouquet de bouquet fleurs séchées et atacas.
Bouche dotée d'un bel équilibre et longueur.
Bien bon, à re-tenter à tête reposée, car plus méditatif qu'un crowd pleaser.
***
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6/28/2018 - Villon wrote: 91 Points
Très beau Musar à point, tout en finesse, rien ne sert d'attendre, le tertiaire est déjà bien présent. Le nez un peu sur le tabac, la pâte de tomates et le graphite. J'ai l'impression que les Musar sont généralement à leur peak vers 15 ans; 20 ans, c'est sans doute pousser un peu loin (le 1999 m'avait semblé presque trop vieux l'an dernier). Délicieux et unique en son genre. 91
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6/16/2018 - Crispin Likes this wine: 92 Points
I love this. And it will go for another ten years and still be huge.
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6/11/2018 - dkstar1 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Agree with others that this is in a great place right now. Not the most interesting bottle of Musar but a crowd pleaser nonetheless. Excellent.
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6/2/2018 - mclanew Likes this wine: 92 Points
In a terrific place now. Fully mature. Nice modest nose of red fruit and tobacco. The mid palate is elegant and medium bodied. Flavors of red fruit, smoked meats, lead pencil and tobacco. There wasn’t any of the barnyard flavors you sometimes get with Musar.
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5/26/2018 - Rasmus87 wrote: 92 Points
In a great place now
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5/25/2018 - chbeaumont wrote: 94 Points
Remarkably consistent to recent tasting. Clearly in its drinking window.
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5/22/2018 - mat600 wrote: 92 Points
Une première pour moi avec les rouges de Gaston Hochar. Il en résulte un vin avec plusieurs tonalités d'épices. Un vin ouvert avec une bonne complexité. Un très beau vin. 92 sur 100.
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5/15/2018 - Avicenne Likes this wine: 89 Points
SAQ N° 13390693 64$
Bref, voyons ce que mon premier Musar rouge me donne.
Pas de déviance. C'est plutôt frais, je m'attendais à un vin plus capiteux.
Beau bouquet sur les fruits rouges et les fleurs séchées. Soupcon d'herbes de provence.
Bonne douceur en bouche et sur les mêmes notes.
Finesse.
Il m'en reste 3 que j'ouvrirai d'ici 2-3 ans, avec agneau grillé.
***
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5/1/2018 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Tuesday Night Double Blind $40+ (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): See through crimson with orange in rim; exotic nose, spices, Musar, orange zest, balsamic, slight VA, crunchy red fruit, cooked strawberries; inherent sweetness, autumnal, sweet tanned leather, good mid-palate sap, tangy finish; interesting and different; drinking well now; called Musar right off the bat but went 2000.
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4/29/2018 - phil the agony wrote: 92 Points
ouvert vers 15h et bu vers 19h30 . Carafé (sans aucun depot)
Dès l’ouverture , il était déjà beau ! Il a pas bougé d’un poil pendant tout ce temps .
Sur les épices douces (L'anis étoilé en partie). , les fruits rouges bien mûrs au départ puis la confiture par la suite .
Un vin abouti et bien content qu’il m’en reste 3 autres !
92 pts
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4/24/2018 - KenPlace wrote: 91 Points
Classic Musar with barnyard. Bordeaux meets Rhone.
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4/22/2018 - pren wrote: 92 Points
LD. 比04 更brown一点。似乎多一点weight。但很接近。
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4/19/2018 - StainedGlass wrote: flawed
I love Musar and have a high tolerance for funkiness and VA, but this bottle was corked.
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4/12/2018 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 91 Points
Musar tasting at Roberson Wine.
Noticeably pale with the smokey vegetal character of an older wine. Brulée red fruit core with sweet spice tones and decent acid balance. Good length.
Still firmly in the excellent bracket but forward for a Musar and for drinking by its 20th birthday.
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4/8/2018 - Hanibal wrote: flawed
Third defective.... not buying anymore 2001
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4/8/2018 - Hanibal wrote: flawed
second one flawed today !!!!
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4/8/2018 - Hanibal wrote: flawed
flawed
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3/25/2018 - chbeaumont wrote: 94 Points
Brick red; hickory, wood smoke, warm tar, high toned; marked acidity, lovely tension, gamey, sous bois; finish walks the tight rope. Now & next 15 years. The real deal.
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3/10/2018 - Hanibal Likes this wine: 91 Points
finally a good bottle - very erratic between bottles
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1/25/2018 - grapenomad wrote: 92 Points
Have you ever tried a candy bar 15 years after your first Halloween trick o´ treat? The joy and nostalgia just hit you like a ton of bricks. You were searching for that stick-icky peanut butter cornflake cup for over a decade and now you finally moved to a larger city to find it and embrace it. This is Musar 2001 (on a good day). Raisiny-pine-dark chocolate scent wavering out of the glass, followed by medium-bodied ecstasy. Sweet aftertaste, not too strong, even for the lightweight drinker. If you want good times, you´re gonna have good times.
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1/21/2018 - arvidpalmqvist Likes this wine:
Dark and red cherries, almond paste, dried dark fruit. Julmust, Christmas spices, Coca-Cola. Tobacco, smoke, barnyard. Root vegetables, dried herbs, paint bucket. Light mouthfeel with balanced and integrated alcohol and tannins. Mature and complex and at the same time subtle. Did not improve (nor decline) to day 2 which leads me to believe this is pretty much on peak right now.
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1/6/2018 - Trydebull Likes this wine: 91 Points
Direkt i glaset 30 sekunder efter flasköppning finns nästan bara röda körsbär på näsan.
Efter två minuter kommer cigarr och lite läder och lite arkiv med papper och torra dokumentskåp. Doftar väldigt angenämt!
Smaken i det här läget väldigt låg, återhållsam och mot perfekt mogna röda körsbär. Inte så mycket mer. Lätt strävt.
Får tre timmar i karaff.
Näsan ger då cigarrlåda och röda bär. Färska gröna fikon. Lite kryddighet i form av färsk grön timjan men väldigt integrerat i övriga dofter. Inga stora kraftfulla dofter utan mer balanserat timidt.
Smaken ger röda bär. Piptobakstoner i munhålan. Rostade rotfrukter. Lite torkade fikon. Riktigt gott. Verkligen ett bra vin även om jag har druckit än bättre årgångar av Musar.
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1/1/2018 - Ian S wrote:
Drinking well, with some stinky complexity, yet everything holding together well. In another wine I might say 'drink up' but Musar does seem to sustain this level of maturity for a good while.
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12/31/2017 - Rich S Likes this wine: 91 Points
Consistent with previous bottle. Just a touch of that signature Musar VA on the nose but mostly tart red fruits with a hint of balsamic coming through.
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12/31/2017 - Thefatbastard wrote:
Superbe, notes tertiaires bien établies mais encore bcp de vie devant lui. Épices douces, cuir, kirsch. Longeur et équilibre impeccables.
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12/28/2017 - Jimmy_D Likes this wine: 93 Points
This is lovely. In a really good place at present. One of the better Musar I’ve tried. The nose shows vibrant tertiary aromas that taste the same - sweet black currants against tart red currants. Great balance. Deceptive length. Very good
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12/27/2017 - phil the agony wrote: 92 Points
ouvert vers 15h et bu vers 19h30 . Juste épaulé.
Dès l’ouverture , il était déjà beau ! Il a pas bougé d’un poil pendant tout ce temps .
Sur les épices douces , la prune au départ puis la confiture par la suite .
Un vin abouti et bien content qu’il m’en reste 4 autres !
92 pts
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12/25/2017 - ChateauDutremble Likes this wine: 95 Points
Quelle beauté ! Je suis un grand amateur du Château Musar...jamais déçu !
Encore jeune mais prêt à boire...d'ici 2020 mais pourquoi attendre. Bien intégré...soyeux en bouche avec de beaux fruits rouges et épices : sel de céleri...longue finale...toujours une traite ! Bravo !
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11/12/2017 - Swirling Likes this wine: 92 Points
Colour: ruby very slight brown edges
Nose: red fruit, spicy mint cumin black pepper, leather, earthy, black cherry,
Palate: very tasty, soft tannin, fruit & spice long finish.
Very very nice and value for money. Nose lots going on, the oak was very much like a brunello, less like a bordeaux. Fruit was more red than black in this vintage. Loved it.
Notes from Musar website:
2001 was a most unusual year – although it began normally with some quite rainy and cold days, by mid February the climate changed to much warmer weather with almost no rain or snow at all. From March until August there was only 23mm of precipitation – therefore the total for the year was dramatically less than normal and the water table was significantly lowered. After a regular flowering in the spring, July and August were exceptionally hot. This was the fourth year in a row of very little rainfall causing the vines to tire. Cinsault vines were the most affected, especially those grown on limestone soils. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan grapes, with their thicker, firmer skins were more protected from the sun and showed excellent concentration. The Cinsault was still fragrant and fruity but lost some of its colour; the Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan were, however, rich, powerful and fruity with smoky, leathery aromas and deep violet colour. The harvest began on the 3rd September – one of the earliest start dates on record. The overall crop was reduced by 15% but the grapes were healthy and ripe, not overly tannic or acidic. Fermentation progressed steadily and the malolactic followed easily and naturally as it did in 2000. This vintage is marked by the domination of the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Carignan over the Cinsault. The wine was fermented in cement vats, aged in French Nevers oak barrels for one year and bottled in the summer of 2004. Scarlet in colour with terracotta tones at the rim, it has a complex nose of cigar box spice, warm leather, baked fruits, ripe morello cherries and blackcurrants. The palate has intense flavours of red cherries, dark chocolate, olives, figs and velvet smooth tannins on the very long finish.
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11/2/2017 - mduque Likes this wine: 90 Points
Magnifique bouteille !
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10/22/2017 - Collector1855 wrote: 90 Points
Tasted during a WA event "a matter of taste" walk about, so no tasting notes, only occasional impressions. A good Musar, typical to its style, unapologetically oxidative and bretty. Aromatically complex but you have to like the style. It is like Coriander, Dorian, Cummin, Brussles Sprouts. Love it or hate it kind of food.
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10/21/2017 - Bjorn62 wrote:
The cork was damages, and the wine was bad.
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10/13/2017 - d'Artagnan wrote: 86 Points
Couleur pâle et trouble. Un nez de cuir et de cerises rouges avec un peu de volatile. Bouche aux arômes étranges, avec un côté mûr et sucré, de fruits secs, puis une finale acidulée qui détonne. C’est pas très charmeur. Plein et original, certes, mais plutôt janséniste. Pas de plaisir, je me fatigue après un verre. Déception. 86 pts
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10/1/2017 - dlemyre Likes this wine: 90 Points
Je n'avais aucune attente concernant le Musar 2001 car les critiques avaient l'air plutôt partagées. J'ai cependant été agréablement surpris, peut être justement car je n'avais pas d'attente? Il ne fait pas ses 16 ans d'âge, mes 2 autres bouteilles vont attendre. J'ai hâte de le ré-essayer dans quelques années.
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9/27/2017 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 90 Points
Briefly decanted. No detailed notes as drank over a business dinner.....a pity I couldn't contemplate it more because, strangely, this was my first time to drink this vintage of the red. Very brightly jeweled semi-transparent ruby colour. Nose lacked the classic and appealing Musar funk....very clean, bright medium spice and deep red and black fruits. Palate has a similar clean, deep-fruited quite sophisticated linear character which had me thinking more of a St. Julien or Pauillac than classic Musar. Good length and persistence. Very enjoyable indeed, especially with roasted French pigeon.
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9/27/2017 - ti_ric Likes this wine: 90 Points
C'était mon premier Musar après quelques jeune Musar. Le vin était évolué avec une robe orangée. La différence avec le jeune Musar n'est pas incroyable du moins pour le 2001. Les tannis sont fondus et il reste de l'acidité. C'est un vin que l'on doit carafer quoi qu'il était quand même bon dès l'ouverture. J'ai bien aimé mon expérience Musar, mais je n'ai pas été subjugué compte tenu du prix de près de 70$. Par contre, c'est toujours plaisant de boire un vin avec quelques années derrière lui!
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9/27/2017 - henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:
drunk over lunch hence short note
Absolutely lovely now, full of fruit and so spicy with layers of leather, cinnamon and cedar.
Absolutely a point and though distinctively Musar it's not too Musar ie the VA is under control
Would love to try this again in 5 years, then 10, then 15. . . .
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8/19/2017 - bigberrypicker Likes this wine: 91 Points
Superb showing. Lovely garnet colour, cork breaking down and crumbling.
Nose: Really bright barnyard nose expected of Musar with some bottle age. Likened to proper English cider. This blew off after some bottle time leaving a delicate balance pursued by nectarine medjool dates and prunes.
Mouth:
Really well balanced. Tannins softened out leaving a pleasant grip. Long finish. Bottle lasted several hours.
Had this with roast leg of lamb. Great value for money.
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8/14/2017 - TheMajor wrote: 88 Points
First try of this year of a wine I admire so much. Promising garnet colour with very little brown. Cork is drenched but it holds together. Yes it's Musar - that's unmistakable from the first sniff. But (as some have mentioned below) it seems an unusually thin version of this sometimes utterly captivating wine. I don't think this was a dud bottle as the wine is holding together OK (although more persistent acetone than usual - this didn't blow away after the first hour as it normally does), and there is an intriguing marzipan sweetness to it, but the knockout fruit core is largely absent (or perhaps just hiding? I think absent, but I'd very much like to be wrong). Definitely more red fruit than dark fruit here too. But it's still a good wine, and 88 is still a good score. Just no wow factor (at least at the moment) that us Musar-nuts crave!
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8/1/2017 - Mazy Likes this wine: 87 Points
Un vin qui rappelle des vins du Rhône sud d'un certain âge: pruneaux, feuilles de tabac, épices. Intéressant et à mon avis bien fait sans défaut, mais pas ma tasse de thé.
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7/9/2017 - Sotto325 wrote: 91 Points
I am a fan of Musar, and this bottle did not disappoint. After an odd and somewhat off-putting opening nose of rotten ripe fruit, the wine opened up with more sour and dry cherry, cigar, moist earth, dry leaves and smokey peat. The palate was less Bordeaux and more wild, with a pleasant cut in the mid palate that went very nicely with pork. Dark color with little age showing. It will develop bit more for a few years, but but the projected 2017-2055 drinking dates a bit silly. This is not DRC or Lafite.
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6/30/2017 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 91 Points
Such an interesting wine. Cab Sauv, Cinsault and Carignan. A wild blend or black and red fruits, with a very nice acidity. Some mineral elements as well. The wine is smooth, but will likely be in prime form for up to another decade.
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5/18/2017 - Henman Likes this wine: 93 Points
From a 375ml bottle. The cork was almost completely stained upon popping. Aired shortly in the bottle (30-45 min). Awesome nose of leather, barnyard, a whiff of spicy oak and ripe red fruit. Medium bodied, supple and smooth with decent tannic bite, lots of red fruit left with good acidity and subtle leathery notes. Still rather fresh on the palate. Incredibly delicious! Has to be in a perfect spot right now.
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5/12/2017 - CondorKhan wrote: 91 Points
Chateau Musar Tasting: Also funky but in a slightly different way: Bretty nose, very similar to a Belgian ale like Orval. Has some piney, herbal notes that are not present in the other wines. Nice soft tannins on the finish.
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4/16/2017 - PJRONeill wrote: 92 Points
Drinking really well out of half-bottle, red and black fruits, sandalwood, plenty of savory notes on the palate, good line and length. Most enjoyable. Drink now.
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2/24/2017 - NoTrollingerPlease wrote: 91 Points
10 vintages of Chateau Musar (@Private location): *** Please see the general tasting story notes for more details ***
Glass: Riedel BDX Sommelier
Decanted for about 4+ hours.
Clear, medium+ garnet color. Clean, medium intense, developing nose. Dry, medium+ acidity, medium+/high tannin. Needs more time, not at its full peak. Still closed, so not much notes here. At the moment 91pts.
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2/19/2017 - Vstalam wrote: flawed
Downside of Musar, VA even after 2 hr decant. Nose of sherry/oxidation. Some traces of cherry/cinnamon, but potentially an off bottle.
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2/1/2017 - smphelps wrote: 91 Points
Pretty royal ruby. Juicy with structure but very round reserved tannins. Cherry, ripe red apple, plum, and blueberry. Fruity and open, full of life, slightly candied, young to the tongue. Seems to have plenty of life left.
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1/31/2017 - Vstalam Likes this wine: 94 Points
From 375ml. Hitting it's stride, really nice complexity of red fruit, spice, and hints of soy and cinnamon. Still holding onto some fruit, but long finish with a lot of the secondary flavors taking the lead. Will drink well for the medium-term, but in a nice place now.
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12/27/2016 - Linn wrote: 93 Points
the bottle says Decanting recommended and can only agreed. Upon opening very closed and almost tasting like fruit is fading and acidity taking the center stage. After 4 hrs in the decanter the wine opens up to a red cherry, licorice spicy and elegant wine that feels like just starting its drinking window. Overall impression is more on the Rhone side of Musar. Need to get more highly recommended
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12/21/2016 - ozyloy wrote: 92 Points
Decanted.
Clear, medium ruby.
On the nose: Red berries, soft cherries, earth, sweet spice, brett. Same distinct VA paint solvent as the previous bottle, but this time around the air time greatly helped. The VA notes receded (but never completely went away), and more complex floral and herbal notes emerged.
On the palate: Medium(+) acidity, medium(+) body. Medium(+) intensity of strawberry, red cherry, earth, and a hint of dark fruit. Medium(+) integrated tannins, medium(+) pleasant finish.
This wine punches above its weight. The chameleonic nose is engaging, and the body can hold its own against some other pricier old world wines. 92 pts tonight. Should be good for another 10 years or so.
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12/21/2016 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 92 Points
Tasted blind this time. Late night quick session at ES.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose medium+ intensity, extremely complex and kept throwing up new aromas each time it was sniffed over 1.5 hours. Slight VA. Other aromas of floral violets, earth, perfume, sweet biscuit, honey caramel, sandalwood, sweet spice, red cherry. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (13.5%), medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of sweet red cherries, sweet earth, licorice, peppery spices. Long finish.
Almost the same tasting note as the previous bottle drank non-blind. This bottle has slightly less VA and hardly any brett.
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12/13/2016 - ozyloy wrote: 91 Points
Popped and poured.
No notes taken - complex nose - ripe red cherries - distinct VA. Felt on the young side.
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12/13/2016 - Derek Darth Taster wrote: 92 Points
Mini Brunello Night (Extra Space): Pop and poured. Drank over 45 minutes.
Appearance is clear, medium intensity, ruby colour. Legs.
Nose is not clean, medium+ intensity, with aromas of VA, bretty earth, sweet red fruits, redcurrants. Developing.
On the palate, dry, high acidity, medium+ alcohol (13.5%), medium+ tannins, full body. Medium+ flavour intensity, with flavours of intensely sweet red cherries, redcurrant, synthetic strawberries, sweet earth, licorice, sweet peppery spices. Medium+ finish.
Now this wine is sure to spark many a debate, and it has its haters and its fans. For me, I don't really like the VA on the nose, but the palate is good. This bottle feels like it's still going strong for the next 5 years at least.
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12/9/2016 - Billigan wrote: 87 Points
Sadly, this wine seems on a steep downslope. The fruit was quite mature, a touch pruney, and largely overshadowed by the heavy dose of VA. Still enough of the exotic spices and general Musar strangeness to keep it interesting, but this is not one of the ageless classics from this producer.
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10/14/2016 - Lype wrote: flawed
Flawed, too bad.
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10/4/2016 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Tuesday Night Double Blind $60+ (Alpharetta, GA): See through crimson, paler rim; sweet red fruit, cranberry, autumnal, dried leaves, raisin, seaside, cedar; sweet fruit subsides to savory vegetal and ripe red fruit; very good, called early on Musar 99-01.
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9/17/2016 - shallIshantI Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another vertical tasting, this time with hot beef over mustard greens as a starter, lebanese lamb, then a cheese course. All wines opened 4 hours before the meal. A 2004 Verve Cliquot vs a 2008 Nyetimber to start.
2001 - 92. amazing fruit for a 15 year old wine
2003 - 91. both the 2003 and 2004 were musty on the nose at the beginning but this quickly dissipated. The 2003 was so smooth. A bit of wood (given that they use concrete vats)
2004 - 92 one of the definite stars of the evening. Think cherry sweetness
2005 - 91 still very good and some of our guests remembered this as their favourite. Probably maturing quicker than the other vintages
2007 - 92 we thought this was a '94 in the making. Both the '97 and '98 needed a bit longer
2008 - 92 really need to give this a few more years before we can judge. Lots of promise
There was no 2006 vintage and we gave the 2002 a miss given the 'spritz' we had from previous tastings
Oh, such a lovely time
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9/9/2016 - NiklasW wrote: 90 Points
Decanted for an hour. This is coming off as a fairly light-weight Musar, elegant red berries with a touch of smoke. The palate is also on the light side, with delicious red berries, good tannins and acidity. I'd say this is at its peak now, won't be getting better.
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8/22/2016 - KenPlace wrote: 92 Points
Excellent MUSAR, Good concentration and length. Very good bottle
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7/30/2016 - Kirk Grant wrote:
Color: lightly bricked red at the rim with a ruby core.
Smell: Tobacco, cement, dried red fruits, and dried flowers with the fruit notes dominating the nose more than anything else as all these scents seem to ebb and flow back and forth.
Taste: This seems more light on the palate than I recall. Notes of cherry, cola, kumquat, and a hint of cedar comes through.
Overall: This was decanted & refrigerated for about 12 hours. This bottle was imported by Vineyard Road Inc. instead of Broadbent who has been the only importer until recently. While this is outstanding...there's something that seems a little advanced for a Musar to my recollection of the last time I had this. Light-medium body, high acidity, med+ fruit, with a medium length finish. Excellent...but not quite as good as the Broadbent bottles I've had. It may be important to pay attention to the importer with a wine like Musar. Given that Broadbent has had such a long relationship with Musar...or this may just be an off bottle.
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7/18/2016 - manonthemoon wrote: 93 Points
Had at the beach with family.
Notes from day 2.
N cherry, clove, leather, earth, cinammon.
P black cherry, currant, tobbaco, dusty earth, spice
F long in length, solid structure and mouthfeel
Overall a really clean example of Musar, really nice bottle.
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7/10/2016 - CamWheeler wrote: 89 Points
Post Lake's Dinner; 7/9/2016-7/10/2016 (Muse): Graphite, cherry, ash, blackcurrant and cranberry - quite perfumed nose. Good acidity and length, this is quite clean overall and while it is solid, it didn't feel like a classic Musar.
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6/19/2016 - straight outta iowa Likes this wine: 94 Points
Sourced from Flickingers, opened one hour prior, and served with grilled kufta, this bottle was everything I have come to expect from Musar. Beautiful nose, perfect balance, nice length. Lovely complement to the food. That delightful sweet/savoury pendulum. Finally -- depending on your POV, this is either a compliment or a criticism -- this was decidedly non-barnyard, un-funky. A quite refined Musar that way. Drinking so well now, this is still likely to have a very long life.
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6/12/2016 - SimonK Likes this wine: 90 Points
N: Eisen, Blut, Himbeere, kräuter
G: würzig, holunder, eisen, kräuterwürze, salbei
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6/5/2016 - phil the agony wrote: 93 Points
Il y a des épices là-dedans mon ami.Le livre Plenty au complet dans un vin.Moi qui adore son auteur !
Des notes de cumin/fenougrec , fruits rouges sêchés, canneberges et framboises.Un peu de plastique brûlé au départ mais le tout
s'estompe rapidement.Limpide et facile à boire.
17.5/20 et à garder encore quelques années !
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5/28/2016 - forceberry wrote: 86 Points
Quite translucent, mature pomegranate color with some orange bricking and almost clear rim. A bit restrained nose that is rather dry and savory yet showing quite much sunny character in the form of wizened cherry, some dried date and hints of raisin. Underneath, very light bretty funk and a touch of VA that seems more unpleasant and chemical than the normal Musar volatility more akin to sweeter balsamico notes. Dry, dense and moderately full-bodied palate with a but muted flavors of dark pruney fruit, ripe fig, some raisin and a hint of dates. Quite pronounced, grainy tannins and moderately high acidity, but counterpointed with such concentration that the wine comes across as quite supple and smooth. Juicy, but a bit short finish with flavors of sweet raisin, peppery spice, some plummy fruit and a bit of tannic astringency.
Well, this is definitely a Musar, but quite clumsy and underwhelming at that. The wine seems very awkward and backward with rather dry, angular character and still very sunny, pruney fruit. Good structure, but in this wine it gives the wine more robust roughness than actual sense of structure and balance. Not quite representative of the vintage, and it fared rather poorly in a Musar vertical of 1994-2008. Probably an off bottle or suffered at some point from poor cellaring conditions.
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5/24/2016 - andtheodor wrote: 91 Points
Sometimes Musar can just be so right, and tonight with lamb pie topped with cornbread and pickled onions was one of those times. Warm, enveloping, rich, spicy, ripe and singular.
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5/18/2016 - Ilker Ozdemir Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wet earth,licorice,fenugreek,dry red berries,barnyard are on the nose.Palate is very silky and fresh.Has slightly sweetness...Medium plus finish with fine tannins and fresh acidity...Drink now-2020...
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3/20/2016 - ashikoh wrote: 88 Points
Ruby red with tawny rim. A little bit of Bretty barnyard funk on the nose which blows off after awhile. Dried red fruit and spice with soft tannins and firm acidity.
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3/4/2016 - Nicholas81 wrote: 93 Points
Fantastic nose quite alike to an aged 90s Bordeaux. With cassis, cedar, sous bois, earth, leather, strawberry, spices and cherry. The palate was very Rhone-esque though. With bright cherries and spices. The texture was very velvety and filled with subtle nuances of fruit, spice and wood. Very different in character from the '99 Musar but equally exotic in a style that can be gotten only from this winery. A steal at current prices. Especially for the quality of the wine. Much more open than the previous '01 Musar tried a few years ago. Ready for consumption. Not decanted. Slow ox for about an hour.
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3/2/2016 - wgmccallum Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cloudy ruby with garnet at the edges. On the nose, layers of blackberry, menthol, cumin, with a whisper of oak. Not complex on the palate but balanced and with a pure expression of juice, slightly stewed, commensurate acid, tannins integrated and rolling out smoothly at the end. It has the clarity and balance that comes with age. 50 + 16 + 17 + 9.
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2/27/2016 - ccn wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 30 minutes. Generally well made and balanced. Open with moderate complexity and length. A somewhat cloying sweetness that I often find in Musar. This may improve over 5-10 years and could warrant 90-91.
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2/12/2016 - RockinCabs wrote: 92 Points
Nose: Dark berries, Herbs, Rose Petal/Floral note, Earth and a smoke/caramel note. Slight bit of VA, but overall quite elegant. Palate: Layered but very soft and resolved on the palate. Dense cushy feel with Plum, Black Cherry, Framboise and then many different herb notes. Finish: Moderate length with some acid, but mostly velvety fruit, char and licorice.
Agree with others on the Barbaresco/Rhone hypothetical blend.
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1/28/2016 - forceberry wrote: 93 Points
Rather translucent dark cherry color with some orange bricking towards the almost clear rim. Lovely and attractive nose, with lovely depth and complexity - although the volatile aromas so typical of Musar seem to be more pungent, chemical and glue-like instead of those sweeter, nuanced balsamico notes more typical of the house. Modestly developed aromas of savory dark berries, tart red berries, sunny dark fruit, some dark cherry, a little earthy sous-bois and a hint of dried, dusty leather. In the mouth the wine is a lot sweeter, rich and suave than the nose suggests, with a supple, full body. Ripe, complex and dark-toned flavors of plummy fruit, aromatic spice, some fig, a little cherry, hints of leathery brett and a touch of paint thinner VA - intermingled with juicy, meaty notes. Moderately grippy, firm, dusty tannins. Rich, quite robust and slightly grippy finish with savory flavors of ripe, dark-toned fruit, sour cherry, bitterness, some leather, a little salty acetaldehyde tang and a slightest touch of herbal greenness.
A delightful and surprisingly imposing, even brooding, vintage of Musar with surprisingly powerful structure and lots of depth and complexity but very little of that bretty barnyard funk. Overall the 2001 does not seem as elegant and sophisticated as some vintages (some might consider it a travesty calling a wine as wild and funky as Musar as "sophisticated" or "elegant") with its roughness, occasionally slightly glue-like and more off-putting than attractive VA characteristics and slight greenness, but it still manages to hit many of my sweet spots with its combination of mature nuances and powerful, grippy character. Starting to show some more developed notes, but the structure seems quite unresolved even after 15 years - this is definitely a keeper. Tasty stuff now with right food, but a wine to be aged a lot more if enjoyed on its own. Very recommended.
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1/2/2016 - mxpbuy Likes this wine: 90 Points
My first Lebanonese wine and I liked it and don't know anything about it. I hits me as being a heavy right bank blend with Cab Franc dominating. Red fruits, some veggies and herbs, very smooth and a good balance of acidity.
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12/8/2015 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 95 Points
Italian Wine Class, and a Musar! (SF Wine Center): 2001 Chateau Musar
Perfectly integrated, well-ahead of the 1999 (still disjointed a few months ago). Supple, not powerful. Just an absolute pleasure.
Red cherries, dried strawberries, rye, subdued tamari with slight balsamic prickle, browned liquorice. This isn't arresting as the '95, but rather it's a quieter, equally thoughtful companion. Effortlessly transportive. With it's constant shifting and ease, it makes me think of friendships. Of the people I've met and the conversations I've loved. Of my friend, Tim, who shared the bottle with me. Of friendships born out of music, climbing, work, school, wine - friendships that transcended the genre in which they emerged.
I wouldn't change anything about this wine.
Score: Around 9.5
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11/4/2015 - yofog wrote:
Leather, rust, cherry, rose, wet wood, soil, no brett really. A spot on Musar with great balance and length. Should be glorious.
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10/5/2015 - scott w Likes this wine: 92 Points
Little to no brett on the nose, raspberry/cherry and a bit of earth, acid is medium to strong with balanced tannin. Drank very young, long life ahead imho. Very nice bottle
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10/5/2015 - Edouard84 Likes this wine: 91 Points
I'd say typical Musar like previous notes, but this is my first old Musar :)
I've tasted the 2005 vintage and indeed you can identify a style in common in both wines. Though the 2001 vintage was more evolved, with some tobacco and smoky notes, it kept the finesse, freshness and spices while being a solid full-bodied wine.
Pairs well with spicy food but a bit too much on its own.
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6/23/2015 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Terroni with Marc Hochar: Cherry tart, dried herbs, complex; pale ruby with slight signs of rust; good higher acidity in the back, moderate body, slick mouthfeel with dry fine tannins, lovely dried rose petals, balanced, "classic", like a Pinot Noir x Barbaresco in a sense. Cooler year than '07, shows more complexity and less alc. as well than '07.
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4/18/2015 - Barry G Likes this wine: 91 Points
Good bretty character on the nose, rich and heady.
I'm not a massive fan of brett but this was integrated rather than dominant. Quite pale in the glass belying the intensity of fruit. Plenty of life in this - a good example.
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4/17/2015 - Umay Ceviker wrote: 86 Points
Time has not treated this particular bottle well. Quite a change since my last experience with the 2001 three years ago.
Pale garnet in colour. Very distinct nose with dried red berries along with blood and iodine. Slender with faint berry aromas and feathery tannins. The finish is bright yet not unforgettable.
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3/5/2015 - pavel_p Likes this wine: 90 Points
My first encounter with Chateau Musar. Decanted half of bottle for about 15 min and drank over the following 2h. A bricking and translucent red. Initially plenty of sweet stewed fruit and vegetable. Later the wine losses the rather flabby sweetness and becomes much more herbal and earthy. Fine to medium tannins. and medium minus finish. Based on this bottle and vintage am puzzled why Bordeaux is often mentioned with Chateau Musar as this is drinking much more like a hypothethical blend of a Northern Rhone from a cooler vintage with Nebbiolo and a traditional Brunello (with much softer tannins than the later two wines though).
Will see how the rest of the bottle drinks on day 2. So far a nice wine but not impressive enough to seek out going forward
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3/3/2015 - Rezy13 wrote: 90 Points
Tuesday Night Double Blind $50+ (Bin 75): Cloudy crimson, orange rim; nutty, autumnal, orange oil, mahogany, leather, sour cherry; musky cherry, silky, texture, a little disjointed but tasty; very similar to Quintarelli Valpo; was on Musar from the color alone.
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1/27/2015 - Burgnick wrote: 87 Points
Tasted side by side with '04 musar. It was my first time tasting this maker. It is a very unique wine..the closest thing it resembled was an old rioja. Both vintages have high acidity, which make these wines lovely when they are old. The nose was very plummy and secondary with noticeable oak. The palate had red berries, cherry licore and plums. 2001 showed more finesss while 2004 had more strengths. Without tasting old Muscar, it is hard for me to tell if this will turn into something amazing. All I can say is that it is an interesting wine at present stage, but ppl usually either love it or hate it. I personally incline slightly to the love side. But the wine did not have the depth and power for me to give a higher rating.
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1/25/2015 - Kirk Grant wrote:
19 Vintages of Musar Rouge; 1/25/2015-1/26/2015 (Clark Point House in Southwest Harbor, Maine): Color: Ruby core with a slight tawny/clear meniscus.
Smell: Red fruits, cement, clove, and earth.
Taste: Red fruits, dried red fruits, and clove.
Overall: Given the youth of this wine, it's showing well and very "typical Musar" on the nose and palate displaying elegance, poise, and promise for a long future. light-med body, high acidity, med tannin vibrant fruit and a building finish that whispers of pending greatness. In honor of Bart Broadbent who made tasting the '84 Rouge possible I'll use the five * system. (***/**)
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1/22/2015 - tendring Likes this wine: 89 Points
Wine Education Service - Château Musar (LSE): Light tawny and translucent.
Mature nose, animal development and dates.
Fruity attack, very attractive, balanced, sweet in the mid palate, long.
NOTE: This was a two bottle tasting and the second bottle was much less attractive; I would have scored it 84.
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1/19/2015 - Yorgos wrote: 89 Points
Medium clear ruby with garnet hues. Sweet nose with candied red fruit, medicinal notes, some spice barnyard. Velvety texture. Very good balance albeit a bit blunt relative to the rest.
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1/2/2015 - ThMeyer Likes this wine: 92 Points
Awesome - loved it. Complex, fruit stew, acidity, red fruits, oriental spices. A great food as well as meditation wine.
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12/20/2014 - richiemagnier wrote: flawed
Uh oh, I've just become a victim of Musar's infamous bottle variation. Time and air didn't do too much for the wine which, though not 'flawed' so to speak, was nevertheless flat and unexciting. Here's hoping the next bottle will be better...
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12/15/2014 - mmh wrote: 92 Points
As usual, Musar provides a very interesting drinking experience. The wine keeps changing over the evening, a bit volatile in the beginning but after a few hours it was very balanced and quite elegant. Interestingly, i am getting some nebbiolo vibes (also got that with a 2002 once) with licorice, tar, red berries and a high acidity. Great!
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12/1/2014 - Seth Rosenberg Likes this wine: 93 Points
Musar Mini-vertical at Jules' place (Hoboken, NJ.): This is pretty clearly the best wine of the night. More primary on the nose, with great strawberry and cherry, marzipan. This is candied, bright and exotic - it is a depth of flavor on the nose that the previous 3 didn't. The palate is similar - excellent and sweet with dark fruits, some funk, mushroom, spice, horse. This is exciting, exotic and mostly balanced. There is a touch of heat on the finish along with cherry, mineral and spice. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 5.5/6, Finish - 5/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1-1.5/2 = 16.5-17/20.
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10/20/2014 - Ivan Ma wrote: 90 Points
My last 2001. Bottle breath 5 hours. Very traditional Bordeaux cab blend. Different from those I had before, this 01 has developed well. Great smoke and gamey nose. Great structure with complex palate with fresh red cherry, gamey, mint and hints of olive. Quite elegant.
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9/18/2014 - Man in Black wrote:
The wine is clear and bright with a pale tawny colour and presence of dense legs. The nose is clean and developing, showing medium(+) intensity aromas of baked plums, cherries in liqueur, anise, cedar, tobacco, nail varnish remover and hints of leather. The wine is dry in the mouth with a medium acidity. It has medium(+) fine-grained tannins and a high alcohol. It has a medium(+) body and medium(+) intensity aromas of baked plums, cherries in liqueur, anise, cedar, tobacco, nail varnish remover and hints of leather. The finish is medium(+).
It is a very good quality wine with a nice fruit concentration and finish, and some degree of complexity provided by oak ageing and maturity notes. However it should be even longer, even more concentrated and even more complex to be considered outstanding. Can drink now, but it has enough tannic structure and flavour concentration to develop a bit more of tertiary aromas over the next 3-5 years.
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9/14/2014 - Alex H wrote: 90 Points
Leathery beefy savory stock with mouthwatering plums. This taste like a good soupy concoction of pauillac flavours dashed with exotic spice.
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8/27/2014 - Ben H. Likes this wine:
From magnum. Elegant, very drinkable, surprisingly light. Fresh-tasting with some sweetness and vanilla as well. Woodsy smells. It showed best after about 2 hours in the decanter and didn't fade much after that.
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8/21/2014 - swaap wrote: 91 Points
Verticale Musar (Restaurant al Sad, Choueir): Robe rubis claire a reflets tuilés.
Nez complexe sur le kirsch, le foin et les épices, signature typique des Musar.
Tanin fondus, belle acidité.
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8/6/2014 - Nicholas81 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour. Color was garnet. Pinot like. On the nose, some sous bois, spices and barnyard aromas. Palate had dense sweet lingering red fruits, berries and spices. Medium acidity and short to medium finish. The wine still had some slight heat on entry. Good for drinking in the present or cellering for more years.
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8/6/2014 - Stefanos T. Likes this wine: 91 Points
Very pale garnet color.
Nose has a healthy dose of barnyard aromas and volatile acidity on an earhty, vegetal and spicy background while there is some cherry and plummy fruit as well. So, quite complex with notes of maturity but still retaining a surprising freshness of fruit. After some time in the glass though the wine oxidizes.
Palate is medium bodied with fluid texture, imperceptible tannins, medium acidity, flavorful and with decent finish.
This wine has its moments and when you're in the mood for it, it's unbeatable. Rusticity at its best.
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8/4/2014 - vespasian wrote: 85 Points
Quite a broad orange fade as a rim; classically vegetal Musar nose, fruit mingled with nail varnish. Pretty decent palate, flavoursome but for Musar lovers only. Dry funky finish, old stained wood.
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7/26/2014 - rsbeck wrote: 94 Points
Popped, breathed in bottle 60 minutes, consumed over next two hours. This has developed positively over the past year, adding weight and revealing nuance. Seamless, complex, balanced, fascinating with a lengthy, succulent, expanding finish. Unique and delicious.
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7/5/2014 - Wali183 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Helles, transparentes rot. Wunderbare, elegante Aromen nach dunklen Beeren, Erde, Tabak, Leder, burgundisch in der Anmutung, schöne Säure, wirkt insgesamt ein klein wenig gezehrt. Dennoch großer Wein.
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7/3/2014 - Robert Pavlovich Likes this wine:
After a trio of 2003 Bordeaux, this was a refreshing surprise. The nose on this wine is seductive and very distinct with a fresh mix of eucalyptus, menthol, lots of earthiness, while the fruit is mostly absent.
The palate is lean to medium in body, carried by tart dark red plums, with some prune and spice in the background. Has excellent freshness. Evaporates toward the back with a short finish, but the nose/entry/mid palate are excellent.
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6/8/2014 - Billigan Likes this wine: 93 Points
My last bottle, and it just sang beautifully. High-toned fruits, spice bonanza bouquet, and very little VA. Exotic, sweet but balanced. Undeniably Musar, both in terms of its aromas/flavors and just the smile it brings to my face when drinking it. At peak.
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5/2/2014 - prof b wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for two hours, tasting throughout. This is a gorgeous wine brimming with earthy aromas, sweet cherry, raspberry, pomegranite, and black pepper. The same fruits come through on the palate, though the pepper is more subtle while the sweeter fruits come forward. Its a well balanced wine that lingers on the palate. This wine is so fun to drink that I found it tough to slow down and take notes.
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4/15/2014 - AMC Eagle wrote: 93 Points
Ruby brick in colour and is getting lighter at the rim. Has a nice nose of pomegranates, raspberries, some tobacco, and some earthy plums. Red cherries, plums, tobacco, and some spiciness on the palate. This to me is drinking really well right now and has some nice round earthy body to it.
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3/25/2014 - Billigan Likes this wine: 90 Points
Similar to my previous bottle. What's striking is how ready this feels; especially given most Musars I've had feel like they could last for ages.
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2/18/2014 - Noeyedeer wrote: 92 Points
- Ruby color. It's in total harmony with a medium/full body. Round texture with a long finish - Absolutely first class. Bursting with cherry/berry flavour and exceptionally well balanced and rounded. This bottle was decanted 3 hours prior to consumption. I suspect this is now at its peak (and may remain so for several years yet).
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1/30/2014 - hadwin Likes this wine: 88 Points
WES - Château Musar Vertical (LSE Holborn): Medium to low intensity. Colour change at the rim. Slight cloudiness. Not much volatility, soft perfume with sweet summer pud fruits. Smooth start, good acidity, good length with a slightly bitter finish.
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1/30/2014 - tendring wrote: 88 Points
Wine Education Service - Château Musar (LSE): Translucent with an orange brown rim.
Some sweetness on the nose, stewed prunes and figs.
Sweet with high acidity, softish tannins, refreshing but a bit austere, might improve.
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1/21/2014 - StainedGlass Likes this wine: 91 Points
I've have several different vintages, and this 2001 Musar does not disappoint. It tastes like an older Burgundy and is drinking well now. The classic funky barnyard nose is there, with the uniquely sweet tannins typical of Musar. Dried, sweet red cherry compote; barnyard; a bit of fennel. A great value given all the layers and flavors that make this wine so interesting.
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1/18/2014 - GuBe wrote: 91 Points
Loftað í góðan klukkutíma. Rúsínuangan, brenndur sykur. Tað, kúrenur. Silkimjúkt. Afspyrnugott með confit de canard.
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1/5/2014 - SoundinBetween wrote: 91 Points
Excellent. Popped and poured from 375 and this needed very little air before setting off. Dark cherries and pomegranate on the very lively nose. Wine is excellently structured and balanced, more elegant and Burgundian as others have said. It's absolutely delicious and I can't wait to try other vintages based on this bottle.
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1/5/2014 - Mascarello59 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted and drank over two hours, faded after 3-4h. Nose of red currants, spices, pomegranate, plums and a touch of barnyard. A well balanced wine where the acidity and fruit takes hold over the soft well integrated tannins. To me, this wine reminds me more of a Burgundy as the typical Cab elements are missing. Drinking beautifully now but should last for longer. Love this wine, elegant and excellent for the price point. 92-93p
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1/4/2014 - kfinsrud wrote: 89 Points
Decanted. First hour afterwards showed much VA. Needed another 3 hours to open up. Fruity and clean nose against dark berries. Structured and balanced in the mouth. Decent length. Overall slightly dissappointing, perhaps I expected too much? Will hold several years. Great with venision.
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12/19/2013 - Racer117 Likes this wine: 91 Points
My first time trying this wine. I also had '00 and '05 along with a blanc and a rose and I liked this '01 the most though all were very tasty.
I'd easily and understandably guess Bordeaux. Plenty of funkiness in this along with mixed berry, prominent earthiness, and plum. Elegant and enjoyable. Thanks to Dave W. for sharing.
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12/8/2013 - Gooka wrote: 89 Points
This is an interesting and elegant wine. I think cabernet takes the main role. Bit too much brett to my taste to cover sweet fruit.
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12/6/2013 - Billigan wrote: 89 Points
Similar to prior notes, except this time the Brett was a bit too horsey and the VA more pronounced, which in turn crowded out the usual high-toned aromatics and sweet, silky palate. Still a delicious and elegant cabernet blend, but just not showing its best on this occasion.
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11/29/2013 - NiklasW wrote: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour. This came across as an elegant Musar, it had a slight touch of VA, some barnyard, very refined and excellent.
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11/15/2013 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Friday Night Double Blind Tasting $40+ (Bin 75): Translucent red crimson with orange rim; chestnut, ripe red fruit, orange, fat and rich, Italian nose; ripe and rich on the palate, good cherry and orange, viscous, long finish, great acid, very balanced; called Quintarelli Valpo like I usually do, duh.
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11/5/2013 - blanquito wrote: 92 Points
From half-bottle, followed over 4 hours... Loads of character here, filled with scents of a time long past... cinnamon, clove, sour orange, mulling spices, dusty earth, frankincense, cranberry, tart cherry, a bit of VA. This is quite sweet, giving it a Rhonish profile, and it expands across the palette with terrific brightness, chewy glycerin and ample yet suave tannins. More depth than a recent bottle of the lovely 1998 Musar. Drinking really well now, I dig this. Will likely improve. 92-93 pts.
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11/2/2013 - shallIshantI Likes this wine: 92 Points
Another vertical tasting 18 months from the last one.
1999 - we thought this was at its peak last year. It is still going strong. As night went on, it became sweet and honeyed. There is plenty of punch. Apparently that is supposed to be the characteristic of Musars. Instead of peaking and then declining, they stay at that peak for years. Score 93
2000 - Rich nose. Slightly lighter on the palate. More wood. Score 91
2001 - favourite for 2 of the guests. Lovely fruit. Still lots of body for a 12yr old wine. Score 92
2002 - again that spritz and bite. Phenolic - even on the cork. What is it with the '02. Least favourite of the lot
2003 - Lots of blackcurrants but lighter compared with the others. Score 91
2004 - Wow. Medicinal lozenges. Think Vicks vapour rub. This will age very well. Score 92
2005 - noticeably more purple at the edges. Still has youth. Again medicinal but good clean fruit. Yummy. This has certainly matured in the last 18 months and drinking well now. Interesting how it has changed in that time. Score 91
We had beef in ale as the main course and then Gruyere de Compte (another vertical of 18, 21 ans 24 months) for the cheese course. The Musars went perfectly. All bottles opened 9 hours before starting the meal.
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10/20/2013 - Darren747 Likes this wine: 88 Points
6 hours decant. Clean fruit and oak nose. Plum, spice. Good balance. Mid weight tannins with pepper spice and tobacco. Approachable now.
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8/21/2013 - rsbeck wrote: 93 Points
Sort of a hypothetical blend of Bordeaux and Rhone with the elegance of Burgundy. Classic Cabernet flavors, but with refreshing delicacy and acidity. Cassis, chocolate and tobacco shop along with leather and truffle. Intense yet weightless. Lingering succulent finish. Beautiful with steak tartar.
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8/10/2013 - citizen1 wrote: 91 Points
Loved it
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7/20/2013 - manonthemoon wrote: 92 Points
Consistent with prior notes, really good bottle of wine that is starting to show nice secondary notes.
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6/12/2013 - Ivan Ma wrote: 90 Points
My second time on tasting Chateau Musar 2001. Similar to the previous tasting experience which in one and a half years ago.
Extremely high acidity and strong earthy taste for the first hour. The wine seemed to become more 'ready' for the next couple hours. Garnet in color. Very complex on nose with baked fruits, raspberry, cigar box, flowers and cassis. Good concentration along with balanced acidity and velvet tannin. It provided intense flavors of raspberry, cherry, gamey, olives and medium-short finish with lead pencil on palate. Brilliant wine at this price. But before opening this wine, please make sure you have at least two hours to open it up.
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6/3/2013 - Noeyedeer wrote: 90 Points
Spot-on! Spicy-liquorice flavours and nicely balanced. I'm glad I've got more bottles of this
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5/14/2013 - Billigan Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another absolutely beguiling and delicious Musar. Like a stroll through the spice market on the nose, with a silky elegance on the palate, and that sweet-but-not-cloying finish that I've loved in other vintages as well. Is really ready to drink now, but it showed no signs of flagging or fading.
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5/10/2013 - christhewino Likes this wine: 90 Points
Aging beautifully, still has fresh aromas but it is smoother in the mouth.
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5/4/2013 - Rupert wrote:
Just the wine to accompany those Jerusalem cookbook dishes, this was classic Musar, broad and exotically spiced, not funky. Both bottles consistent
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4/27/2013 - Vintomas wrote: 90 Points
Ripe red berries, almond?, animal notes, leather, slightly warm impression on the nose. Palate with good concentration, ripe red berries, noticeable mineral, good acidity, medium tannin. Classical style with "southern France" hints, good balance.
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4/27/2013 - HenrikJ Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lovely red fruits and some brett, truffles and autumn forest hints. Balanced flavour with some banana candy and stable. Different and very tasty.
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4/13/2013 - dowyong wrote: 90 Points
Been meaning to try this for a while having read a number of reviews. It did not disappoint. Lighter, aged colour. Notes of spice, earth and casiss on the nose. Red fruits, great balanced wine; acid and fine tannins. Approachable and made in an old world style. Good length. Could go a few more years.
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4/6/2013 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Vibrant, perfumy, lovely red fruits, spice, very well balanced; concentrated and still young fruit. Needs 5-10 more years, and should be decanted.
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3/30/2013 - peternelson wrote: 88 Points
Chateau Musar Wine Dinner (Sarah and Andre's): This had light bricking showing signs of possible premature aging--there was some fresh looking cork seepage; dried cherry, sour cherry, slight carmelized note, wet earth, and a touch maderized but not off-putting. We'll re-try this bottle later to compare condition. Flawed but agreeable.
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3/19/2013 - BillBell73 wrote: 93 Points
Light, aged, coppery red. No tannin, sharp acid and dusty cherry fruit plus a very subtle, funky aged character. Like previous tasters I was reminded of an aged Quintarelli, it's an uncanny resemblance, and this wine is a better value.
Lives up to its reputation fully.
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2/12/2013 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Light, aged color almost see through copper color; nose of perfumy red fruit, aged soy note which was hardly noticeable (I am really sensitive) but did not show on the palate, Italian-esque, medicinal note, cherry, orange tanginess, reminds me of Veneto (Quintarelli)- but I learned my lesson from the last bottle and knew this was Musar- I nailed it this time.
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1/25/2013 - Rezy13 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Looked aged with color all the way to the core. Very sweet, tangy, red fruit, cinnamon, and cough syrup. Ripe and texturally rich with a viscous mouthfeel. Reminded me of a Quintarelli, but lacked the VA note. Steve nailed it.
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1/12/2013 - manonthemoon wrote: 92 Points
Notes from day 2.
Dark red in color.
Nose of cherry, clove, high quality leather, tobbaco, funk, earth, cinammon.
Palate of black cherry, leather, tobbaco, funk, earth, spice.
The finish was long in length, good acidity and structure as well as a really nice mouthfeel.
Overall the wine was really starting to show its stuff tonight as opposed to yesterday.
Hold or drink: 50+5+13+17+7
4
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12/31/2012 - Rich S Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for around 1 hour. Medium garnet color. Slightly earthy, barnyard aromas on the nose along with red fruits and high minerality. Mostly tart red fruits on the palate with cranberry and dried cherries coming through. Really nice acidity with plenty of fine tannins but definitely drinkable at this point. Juicy mouthfeel with a nice finish. The wine went really well with food too. I will let my last bottle sit for another couple of years to see where it goes in terms of complexity.
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12/30/2012 - vijayk416 wrote: 87 Points
Third try, less barnyard/funk than previous two. Will try second half on day 2.
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12/21/2012 - chbeaumont wrote: 89 Points
Pale; hickory woodsmoke, thwack VA of dominates; smooth, supple, 'sweet' fruit. Drinking well but piquant edge on finish. Classic Musar!
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12/6/2012 - Rive Likes this wine: 92 Points
Better than last bottle I drank.
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11/19/2012 - MedocMad wrote: 92 Points
Super wine lovely balance great length !!!!! Yum
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11/14/2012 - uhclem wrote: 90 Points
Very enjoyable quaff! More approachable than I anticipated. Will look for more...
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11/10/2012 - Fatty Cat wrote: 92 Points
Early Nov 2012: clear rubin red color with brown reflexes; strawberry, raspberry and oriental bazar (cinnamon, clove, pepper, cumin) plus sandal wood; medium body; fruity fresh acid on the palate; round texture; long tanninic finish.
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10/12/2012 - h8oopus wrote: 91 Points
such an interesting wine. Interesting nose. Sherry like after first taste, but after 1 hour decant flavors of dried strawberries, cigar box, and olives. Long on the tongue on the open and mid palate. Shorter finish, but smooth tannins. Nice!
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9/30/2012 - ticktock wrote: 90 Points
Not as esoteric as expected. Lots of fruit with underlying cab notes. Somehow it came off as candylike. Maybe volatile acidity. I am interested in another vintage but so far Musar is not as impressive as I expected.
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9/23/2012 - Colima74 wrote: 90 Points
This bottle is showing some age. Light in color with some browning. Light mouthfeel that was more like Genache to me. After a couple of hours, this was heading downhill. My first bottle 2 years ago was better and I thought it had the stuffing to age. Maybe this is an off bottle.
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7/19/2012 - moonmountain wrote: flawed
Corked
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7/3/2012 - rexmerlot wrote: 90 Points
Clear garnet in colour. Clean nose of red fruit, spice, and game. Dry, med acidity, med body, smooth tannins, strawberry, spice, and cherry on palate. nice finish. Had wine with donair, and kebabs, and if was perfect. Second night this wine was even better. tannins were smoothed out even more, and even more secondary flavours showed through.
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6/17/2012 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Coi (Coi, San Francisco): Blend of cab sauv, carignon, and cinsault. Lovely nose of spice, raspberry, strawberry, cinnamon/sweet spice; full bodied, medium tannins, red and black fruits, lovely; medium length finish. Excellent, unique. 92-93
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6/10/2012 - shallIshantI wrote: 91 Points
Vertical tasting – 7 years of Musar from 1999 to 2005
2005 – most tannic one. Noticeably younger. Very good year, smooth, but needs longer in bottle. Scores range 85-91
2004 – still has a little bite on the tip of the tongue. Tastes younger than its age. Fruit is nice and clean. Mustier. Nose is dull. Hot year. Punchy. Scores range 87-90
2003 – lovely and smooth from the word go. Silky but more lightweight compared to the others. Scores range 82-92
2002 – there was a sharp spritz on the bottle, still there hours after opening. Roughest of the lot and not nearly as good as my previous experience of this year. Maybe just a rogue bottle.
2001 – if tasted blind, you could be forgiven for thinking this was a grand vin claret. The Cabernet dominates this year. Another hot year. Almost sherry like. Not full or punchy though. A few more years to go. Well liked. Scores range 90-92
2000 – bubblegum sweet yet earthy. Distinct from the others. Nice, clear, young and fruity for a 12year old wine. The 2000 grew on us as the night went on. This has reached the point when it can be enjoyed. Scores range 90-92
1999 – this is at its peak now and showing its aristocracy. Drink up. Scores range 90-93
We tried the 2003, 2004 and 2005 with the starter (shredded duck) and then added the 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 for the main (Roman lamb). All bottles opened 6 hours prior to tasting. The cork for the 2000 was coloured all the way up but the wines were all at the same level in the necks.
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6/3/2012 - peternelson wrote: 92 Points
Cloudy rusty brick red; sweet cherry; spicy, savory like a barn and bacon sandwich; perfumy, aromatic; sweet and savory mouth, with a long and tangy finish. Concentrated, wonderful and interesting!
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5/30/2012 - asukki wrote: 93 Points
Chateau Musar 2001 is drinking beautifully right now. The wine has developed really well showing those developed maturation elements which entice you to open any bottles left right now - however the wine has a lot of promise for even longer maturation. And what a price - quality ratio.
What a nose. Rich and matured, full of cherry cola mixed with really ripe plum, in addition to leather and cigarbox (secondary notes from longer maturation), black pepper and some burned rubber -> giving a feeling of a mature 1970s nebbiolo.
The wine is in very good balance where big tannins have almost entirely been integrated, the mouthfeel is initially silky however the strong acidity runs over the silky feeling on the mid-palate, leading to a long finish full of dark fruits and nicely mixed with the acidity of the wine. Fruit has not dried yet thus indicating potential for further, even long cellaring. The components are there - sweet alcohol, tannins and fruit content as well as the great acidity. It is a big wine, one I could enjoy almost for the rest of my life (save for some pinot noir and nebbiolo).
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5/29/2012 - RayOB wrote: 89 Points
Needs to be decanted for a couple of hours for the nose to develop and some of the funky notes to fade. Nice complex mouth feel with a medium length. Still has legs to last a while longer.
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4/13/2012 - Rupert wrote: 91 Points
Musarathon (Strictly Rhythm, London): After the 99, this was quieter, but showing a lot of the same character, rich and grippy, with a good acid backbone
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4/13/2012 - cooberp wrote: 88 Points
Musarathon (Strictly Rhythm, London): Very similar profile to the '99 of sweet red berries and cinnamon. But more of the '95's sickly syrupiness and less of the '99's bright acidity leave a less balanced wine.
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4/9/2012 - DFitz Likes this wine: 88 Points
Decanted 3 hours & drank with a leg of hogget;deep garnet colour with tastes of toasted berries & rasberry jam, soft tannins and a lovely long finish.
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3/31/2012 - Umay Ceviker wrote: 92 Points
Pale brick in colour with shades of rose at the rim. Initial notes of barnyard are followed by strawberry marmelade, sweet spices and faint notes of tobacco. Elegant and silky with strong acidity and a long, minerally driven finish.
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3/15/2012 - Pebben wrote: 90 Points
Popped and poured. My last note still applies - great for mid week contemplation - delicious and sympathetically priced.
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2/5/2012 - Kris G wrote: 91 Points
needed some time in the glass to come open
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1/29/2012 - gunpwdr wrote: 79 Points
Decanted 6 hours the day prior then re-bottled and opened 18 hours later. Nose: Raisins, very port-like overall and not giving up much else. Palate: Smoke, sappy, spiced cherries, currants on the attack. Lively tannins, raisins, and cherries on the mid-palate. Currants and barnyard linger on the finish.
First foray into the Musar line and it's definitely a mixed bag for me. While there is good balance and structure, the wine is a Frankenstein of flavors for me. I totally see where the Bordeaux meets Burgundy comparisons come from, but there is also a very raisiny, Amarone meets port thing going on that props up the mid-palate. The barnyard and metallicness was extremely overpowering on day 1 when I took a tiny sip and while it did mostly blow off, it did partly frame the overall palate on day 2. A conversation piece sort of wine for me, unless this is simply an off vintage.
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1/23/2012 - cubswinws wrote: 94 Points
Drank at Terra in Santa Fe. Absolutely great food and experience. First time to have this wine. Some have described
this as a hypothetical blend of Bordeaux and Burgundy. I can definitely see that. The nose is almost Rhonish and the
complexity reminds me of cabernet but the stylishness of a great pinot. A remarkable wine.
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12/27/2011 - ACS Driffield wrote:
Just slightly disappointing - easy going, rather sweet, and certainly a very good wine, but lacking the wildness and interest I had hoped for.
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12/27/2011 - petec-s wrote: 91 Points
Brownish red, very open bouquet, very deep and complex, perfumed/ great textural mouthfeel/ stunning wine/13.5%
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12/18/2011 - Dids wrote: 90 Points
Initially Burgundian on the nose floral strawberries light spices, then it gains weight. Sweet red cherries, raspberries, clove, rose petals. Cracking nose Just the odd whiff of horse sweat. Wild juicy strawberries in the mouth, some oak present, and a lovely spicy finish that goes on and on. Well balanced acidity and fine integrated tannin.... I 'm becoming a moosehead and this is only my second one!
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12/13/2011 - ggb wrote: 93 Points
Un beau Musar, avec un fruit très défini, la vin ne cesse de s'améliorer à l'aération. Joli!
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12/11/2011 - RayOB wrote: 90 Points
Drank at Parlour
Nice complex mouth with notes of red berries and tobacco. Good length and a smooth finish.
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11/26/2011 - ikileo wrote:
Chateau Musar Vertical: Double decanted 5 hours prior
Nose: Similar to the '00 but tighter on the nose. A light creamy aspect and beef stew
Taste: Softer on the palate, rounded and creamier than the older vintages in the tasting. Some spices and fine tannins on the finish. Mid-palate was a little bit hollow. Not as much acid compared to the rest.
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11/14/2011 - azahoner wrote: 89 Points
It shows a nice evoluated hue, brownish rim, opaque and not completely clean. On the nose, wet soil, moss, tobacco and compote frui...everything on the terciary side. The palate is quite good, complex, round and has a nice finish too. Overall, I do prefer 2002 vintage over this one.
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11/12/2011 - glaze3 wrote:
Red fruit, damp earth, tobacco and clove palate. Drinks great with about an hour of air. Not at all as funky as other vintages I've had and highly recommended.
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11/5/2011 - tooch wrote: 91 Points
Las Vegas Locals Dinner at Lotus of Siam (Lotus of Siam - Las vegas, NV): Bought off the list at Lotus of Siam and was decanted as soon as I got to the restaurant. In retrospect, I should have asked them to start decanting it around lunchtime. At first this wasn't interested in showing us much. By the end of dinner, it had blossomed into a beautiful wine. The nose had the expected Musar-funk to it combined with beautiful red fruit, subtle tobacco and spices. After some air, the palate had incredibly elegant red fruit with minerals, leather and tobacco. Should be a great Musar with time...definitely decant this if you're planning on drinking it soon.
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10/17/2011 - tendring Likes this wine: 90 Points
Wine Education Service - Château Musar (LSE): Slight age.
Very meaty nose with fruit, spice and oak.
Fruity, tobacco, excellent balance, lean and mean, fruity mid palate, serious, elegant, spicy, reasonable length.
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10/15/2011 - NiklasW wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured into a decanter, a taste taken off immediately. Straight from the pop this is a complex wine, with bright red berries, barnyard, VA, sweet lilac on the nose. The palate is elegant, with a sweet aspect to it, red berries, good tannins, very delicious. I had this over a year ago last, this time it is showing much better. Really excellent, very Musar.
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10/8/2011 - manonthemoon wrote: 92 Points
Notes from day 2.
Red to a little bricking going on.
Nose of black cherry, clove, funk, little earth, some mint/herb going on.
Palate of black cherry, black licorice, cinnamon, spice, tobacco, funky earth.
The finish was above average in length and good balance with tannins and acidity still in check.
Overall this is an excellent wine that I am glad to have a few more bottles of, will only get better.
Hold or drink: 50+5+12+17+8
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9/24/2011 - Kirk Grant wrote: 92 Points
Color: Brick Ruby
Smell: There is something that reminds me of the oil stained cement floors in my grandfather's workshop. Floral notes that offer hints of cedar, cinnamon, clove, and all spice with dried red fruits linger lightly in the nose.
Taste: Wild strawberry jam, cranberries, kumkuat, and kiwi with bing cherry gliding across the palate.
Overall: Medium body, high acidity, and medium + fruit lead me to believe this could eventually become a GREAT Musar. However, right now it's stuck at the outstanding quality and needs more time in bottle to settle...I will be buying more.
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9/12/2011 - pwarms wrote:
Winery Tasting Note :
2001 was a most unusual year – although it began normally with some quite rainy and cold days, by mid February the climate changed to much warmer weather with almost no rain or snow at all. From March until August there was only 23mm of precipitation – therefore the total for the year was dramatically less than normal and the water table was significantly lowered. After a regular flowering in the spring, July and August were exceptionally hot. This was the fourth year in a row of very little rainfall causing the vines to tire. Cinsault vines were the most affected, especially those grown on limestone soils. The Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan grapes, with their thicker, firmer skins were more protected from the sun and showed excellent concentration. The Cinsault was still fragrant and fruity but lost some of its colour; the Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan were, however, rich, powerful and fruity with smoky, leathery aromas and deep violet colour.
The harvest began on the 3rd September – one of the earliest start dates on record. The overall crop was reduced by 15% but the grapes were healthy and ripe, not overly tannic or acidic. Fermentation progressed steadily and the malolactic followed easily and naturally as it did in 2000.
This vintage is marked by the domination of the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Carignan over the Cinsault. The wine was fermented in cement vats, aged in French Nevers oak barrels for one year and bottled in the summer of 2004.
Scarlet in colour with terracotta tones at the rim, it has a complex nose of cigar box spice, warm leather, baked fruits, ripe morello cherries and blackcurrants.
The palate has intense flavours of red cherries, dark chocolate, olives, figs and velvet smooth tannins on the very long finish.
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7/16/2011 - Billigan wrote: 91 Points
Lovely aromatics of strawberries, herbs, and spices, followed by a smooth, sweet cherry on the palate with a little cocoa thrown in too. Soft tannins and very easy drinking, but perhaps a tad too sweet for my liking. More like a CdP/Bordeaux hybrid than I'd expected, but altogether very enjoyable and paired pretty well with my short rib.
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7/4/2011 - Pebben wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for an hour before tasting. Medium ruby core, orange rim. Port-like nose with hints of strawberries, raisins, leather and spices – very distinctly Musar. Sweet fruit and spices dominate the palate. Nice viscosity and smooth, velvety tannins. Good concentration and length. High marks on the “delicious scale”, but lacks a little acidity to balance out the sweetness when paired with food.
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6/19/2011 - mmh wrote: 91 Points
Really complex and good. Great balance. Spicy, rustic and maturing, yet very fresh and surprisingly elegant.
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5/23/2011 - SasserJP wrote: 96 Points
Great nose of venison, black pepper, cocoa, dark cherry, and cinnamon. Amazing length on the wine, with huge notes of red fruit, black cherry, leather, spices, gamey meats. Weight is great with food and great acid on the finish.
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5/13/2011 - MindMuse wrote: 90 Points
First Musar. Hazy light red with some oranging rim. Nose is something like day old cherry turnover drizzled with acetone and garnished with lavender. That's the best I've got right now. Very, very lithe on the palate. Plenty of acidity without being edgy. Barest of tannins remaining. Again something like baked cherry, berry, and plum fruit, but not strong or fresh, more like cold leftovers of such. Sweetish but not sugary. Rather a persistent finish. Certainly intriguing, and I will count myself as a fan, but the wife was not in the camp. Would like to try one from a stronger vintage.
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5/5/2011 - kingkanu wrote:
Decanted for nearly 1 hr, ripe and spicy and sensual nose, some leather, spice and good med dark fruit flavours, almost Rioja like in the balance of elegance and power, would like a lot more time
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4/25/2011 - Simon Øien wrote: 89 Points
Surprisingly light in color - opaque brick red. Decanted for half an hour. Subtle and restrained, not much on the nose other than a slighty dusty, earthy note. Very elegant, reminiscent of a Médoc with well integrated oak, but spicier. Earthy, dusty, plums, sour cherries, some tobacco, leather and licorice. Beautiful. Funky, meaty notes coming through..? Not very tannic, thinking it shouldn't age much longer. Finish not as long as I'd hoped. Second day - not as good. Too acidic, lacking in flavours other than a weird, meaty one, especially the last drop of the bottle. Wouldn't want to cellar this any longer. My first Musar, hoping that my 2002 will better. The 2001 is still very interesting, though.
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4/23/2011 - quickben wrote: 92 Points
From magnum - decanted for 2 hours. Developing some brick colouring. Very fragrant and then lots of flavour - some berry flavours that have evolved nicely. Length is good - allayed all my fears after a magnum from same batch had been flawed
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4/21/2011 - Bearbus wrote:
ripe Victoria plum with the floral aspect (esp of day 2), cedar/wood, some spice, some acetone/ethyl acetate; some astringency, smooth palate without being offensive or boring, very enjoyable
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4/2/2011 - bordeaux4wino Likes this wine: 87 Points
As elegant as Serge Hochar himself, the man behind Château Musar, this blend of cabernet sauvignon, carignan and cinsault is lithe yet firm. The fruit feels autumnal, in shades of rust red and ocher spice, and is saturated with a spicy, foresty fragrance. It's delicious now, ready for game birds scented with juniper berries, and should live on for another decade. I had read a lot about this wine and I'm glad I didn't sit on this much longer. When I first poured this wine, I thought it was gone. The color was a bit brownish, with thin opacity, and I certainly thought I got that acetic acid smell off the nose. However, after it was open for a bit, it seemed to come around. For a wine that purports to be in a Bordeaux-style, the weight of this wine was very thin in the mouth...more like a Beaujolais or maybe a Carneros Pinot. If it was a Bordeaux wine, it was definitely a right bank wine. It tasted more of merlot or cab franc than cab Sauvignon. You really must drink this now though!
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2/16/2011 - Brian Kennedy Likes this wine: 92 Points
surprise of the night. seemed quite a bit older than the 99s that i have had. light at the rim. savage nose - lots of earth, musk, yet fruit with a touch of sweetness. good balance but agree with other reviewers in wondering how much time this one has left. will drink these up over the next few years and hold the 99s. just love this style of wine. went great with roasted bone in leg of lamb.
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2/10/2011 - Rollerball wrote: 92 Points
Backbone is softening and this is beautiful. Approaching plateau. I'm told the winemaker varies the blend of Bordeaux and Southern Rhone varietals each vintage but the 2001 drinks more like a cool vintage cdp with a roast cherry twist and savory black llicorice notes sprinkled into the balanced enjoyable red-berry profile. RN74
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1/31/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote: 88 Points
A definite rim developing - slightly earthy, classic Musar style - raisins and sweet plums. Long sweet length, perhaps too sweet and acidic. Much shorter life length here, perhaps only 3-4 years, a transparent wine with less complexity.
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1/20/2011 - drwine2001 wrote:
Mini-Vertical: Chateau Musar (Arlequin Wines, San Francisco): Garnet color, pretty advanced for 10 year old wine. This reeks of VA and has a very Italianate profile in this respect. Faded red fruit, lighter to the point of feeling skinny, and a funny chemical component that has me wondering if this is flawed or just an extreme expression of this wine. Whatever the case, a disappointing way to start the series of reds.
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12/18/2010 - drfischer wrote: 89 Points
This was a tasting of Chateau Musar red from 89, 99 and 01. 01 was still too young and should remain in the cellar for two more years. The 99 was perfect and the 89 already was a little bit old (and also lost part of its taste after staying open for some time.
Also in the tasting was a bottle of Hochar red 2000 (the second wine from Musar). Compared to the Musar the taste was a little bit light
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12/9/2010 - Herschel Krustofski Likes this wine: 92 Points
Good match for the lamb.
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12/7/2010 - mwanasheria wrote: 89 Points
Red fruit, licorice, cedar. Really good.
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12/5/2010 - mmh wrote: 91 Points
Outstanding as always.
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10/31/2010 - heythatslife wrote: 92 Points
Drinking well despite, I'm told, being young for a Musar. This wine really hits a sweet spot for me; the proportion of the fruit, comprised of black cherry and red berries, is perfect against the spices, the tobacco, and the floral components, all framed by a good amount of acidity. More licorice and fresh dates toward the end. First Musar for me, and certainly will not be the last. Not much funk at this point, though, which I gather makes this vintage somewhat atypical in that regard.
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10/24/2010 - naina8 wrote:
Ripe, fairly fruity for Musar. Drinking nicely now - - less ageworthy than the 99...
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10/3/2010 - FineWinePig wrote: 80 Points
Not quite sure if I get this wine! Interesting and not expensive relatively, but I found it a bit thin and reedy
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9/19/2010 - chbeaumont Likes this wine: 90 Points
Brick red; understated (for Musar) hickory woodsmoke, whiff of VA blew off quickly though remained high toned; smooth, supple, though with tell tale piquant note, velvety 'sweet' fruit. Forward, this is in a good place right now. Positive, extended finish Goodness now how long this will age.
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8/28/2010 - manonthemoon wrote: 91 Points
Notes from day 2. Dark red to purple in color. Nose of black cherry, black licorice, cinnamon and spice. Palate of black cherry, black plum, cinnamon, red cherry, currant, spice, little earth & funky meatiness, and tannin on the tail end. The finish is above average in length and the balance is good but more forward than the 99. Hold. 50+5+12+16+8
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8/20/2010 - LWI wrote: 90 Points
Bordeaux North to South (My house): From magnum. Dark fruit, some figs and prunes, however still more Bordeaux like than many other Musars. Long and powerful. No volatile acidity.
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8/18/2010 - Biggsy wrote: 90 Points
Light ruby red with a touch of the classic Musar "stink", leather and cedar wood. Started slightly funky and woody with a hint of tomato ketchup, but blossomed in the glass with a lovely supple texture and sweet, rich baked red fruits.
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8/5/2010 - salil wrote: 93 Points
My first taste of Musar, and if this is anything to go by, I need some of this in my cellar! This is awesome stuff; a kaleidoscope of flavour with all sorts of wild floral, earthy and funky elements over fresh red fruits and touches of olive and fig. Very finessed and elegant, medium weight in the mouth with really bright acidity keeping it fresh and precise. Yum.
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7/25/2010 - Strikermax wrote: 91 Points
Lichtrood van kleur, als een Bourgogne. Kruidige en fruitige geur, ook wat stalgeur. Kruidig van smaak, vleeskersen, truffel, eikenhout, wat zoet-zuur. Middellange afdronk.
Nu perfect op dronk, ik denk niet dat deze wijn de komende jaren nog zal gaan verbeteren. Maar waarom ook langer wachten?
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6/18/2010 - Colima74 wrote: 92 Points
Lightish in color, looking more like a Gamay than anything. Spicy nose. Nice tart red fruit on palate with all kinds of other flavors spilling onto one's taste buds. This has years and years on it, but it is very good to drink right now too.
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5/20/2010 - tendring Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wine Education Service - Château Musar - 80th Anniversary Tasting (Imperial College): An intreesting and complex nose. It starts with animal, tobacco and spice (cinnamon) notes and then becomes quite fruity.
The taste is very fruity and youthful, much sweeter that the 2002, fairly obvious tannins, excellent balance, needs a few more years but it's drinking well now.
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5/13/2010 - DrFeelgood wrote: 90 Points
Medium body, spicy, barnyard. Excellent in combination with traditionan lebanese cuisine.
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4/11/2010 - Jaynaisbitt wrote: 88 Points
Golden hue similiar to middle aged left banker, but earthy shroud to red fruit flavours. Still thin with high acids.
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2/28/2010 - JonathanFlavell wrote:
(Very retrospective note so no score) Decanted - beautiful dark red colour. Lovely fruity smell initially and delightful to taste. With each mouthful continued to develop and get better and better. Last glass was stunning. Great now and tastes as if it will continue to improve for longer.
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2/21/2010 - Jaynaisbitt wrote: 84 Points
Musty tannic notes needs further aging and double decanting to release medoc flavours.
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1/26/2010 - NiklasW wrote: 88 Points
First taste of the 2001 vintage. Decanted for about an hour, not much sediment in this bottle and no VA. Had with dinner (duck breast and wild mushroom risotto) with a guest so no formal notes made. This was very much about fruit, red fruits, sweet, some tannins, just a hint of leather. This did not make as much of an impression on me as previous vintages have, there is some oomph missing here. Still, very good and I'm glad I popped it. 50+5+10+15+8=88
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1/23/2010 - quickben wrote: 90 Points
was worried with the mould on the cord but a quick taste relieved my worries - double decanted and left for 30 minutes. On the nose and taste it was quite fruit forward but with spicy notes as well - acidity well balanced too and good length
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12/15/2009 - BailliSacks wrote: 92 Points
Better than the last. Gorgeous mascerated strawberry, very soft and silky and light of body.
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11/29/2009 - BailliSacks wrote: 90 Points
Cork was extruded (I hadn't noticed this in the store), so I popped this one right away. No apparent flaws. This is a lighter softer Musar, reminded me more of a Burg than a Bordeaux. Evolved nicely over two days, gaining weight and smoothing out. Quite a bargain.
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11/13/2009 - amgryger wrote:
IMedium garnet with a bit of bricking around the edges and a little bit cloudy. There is more sediment here than I expected and I was admittedly a bit sloppy pouring it out into the decanter. Some bright cherry on the nose mixed up with fig, balsamic, savory/earthy tones and a bit of brett. It's also showing some VA and I haven't been able to decided how I feel about that yet. Medium bodied, medium tannins, medium acid. Finishes up with earthy tones that stick around for a while. After a while in the decanter the fruit on the palate has become bigger, rounder, and softer, showing a little bit of currant. Pencil lead develops on the midpalate through the finish.
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10/20/2009 - asgerG wrote: 89 Points
Surprisingly mature allready. Much like a 15 years old racy wine. Style is a mix between Bordeaux and Burgundy - very good. BUT a little too much volatile acids (this has been more or less a problem in the previous bottles I have tasted in recent years, not only from this vintage). Drink now!
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10/9/2009 - BillB656 wrote:
Lots of bright fruit that was more syrah in aroma to me than cab, earthy, cow farm but not poopy. The flavor was deeelicious. Lots of sweet blackberry, dark cherries, and spice but with an elegantly light mouthfeel. With dinner (grilled med rare ribeye sliced over a greekish salad) there is a whole new dimension in a mix of olives and fennel fronds with the fruit. The acid is wonderfully present but not overly assertive. The tannic structure is silky and inviting. The finish just goes on for minutes..fruit, spice, more fruit, beet juice, some bitters, more spice. Wonderful stuff. Caveat: this is my first bottle of Musar red so I have no basis for comparison on how Musar-y this really is. All I can say is that it won't be my last bottle of Musar.
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10/3/2009 - LWI wrote: flawed
Muddy color, a lot of volatile acitidy. Some dried fruit, moderate lenght. In the benefit of doubt, this may have been an imperfect bottle. However, it may also be a result og the bottle variation often seen in Musar.
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9/26/2009 - Janscha wrote: 91 Points
Viltvin
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9/23/2009 - Philippe_C wrote: 91 Points
Nose of ripe red cherries, a lot of Volatile acidity, zeste d'orange, pain d'épices... already quite evolved and ripe for a young Musar
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9/10/2009 - Murrayb wrote: 87 Points
very cloudy and slightly bitter. got better as it breathed but I dont think this wine is ready yet
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8/28/2009 - chbeaumont wrote: 87 Points
Pale; classic leather & hickory, baked fruit, whiff of VA; piquant, spiky fruit, 'sweet', multi-layered, this is not in a good phase, currently; extended length.
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8/11/2009 - Rupert wrote: 91 Points
Ah, that heady Musar fragrance of spices and stewed plums, little if any V/A, quite clean in fact, on the palate a cardboardy entry, but then glorious plummy fruit lifted by a medicinal tone, high acidity. Terrific.
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8/9/2009 - Greybeard wrote: 88 Points
This was decanted and left for about an hour before the first pour. The colour was stunning, burnt amber/brick but straight away I got a strong VA nose with lot of manure/poop. It was smooth in the mouth, but slightly disjointed and a little disappointing. I knew Musar's evolve so I left the rest for the next day and moved onto a stunningly good South African Tawny port.
Next day and the benefits of an overnight decant were there. There was still some VA/acetone on the nose, although it's not as strong as before and there's a spicy, slightly sweet aspect which makes me think of a fortified wine plus the smell of "age' - not quite chocolate/cedar/spice/leather, but teasing hints of suchlike. As before smooth in the mouth with fine tannins, there's a strong acidity and a slightly bitter finish and some heat on the back of the throat. There's definately some raisins in there, subtle secondary flavours and some cherry on the finish - this is a lean, rather elegant wine but the bias to VA and acidity keep it from greatness. 88-89pts.
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7/9/2009 - quickben wrote: 91 Points
complex, long and balanced
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7/4/2009 - Rupert wrote: 92 Points
Yeah, it's a bit volatile, and there's that exotic Moroccan bazaar whiff, but on the palate, this is so thick, sweet, deep and nuanced, and long too - yet another utterly wonderful Musar experience
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6/30/2009 - Andrew Beckett wrote: 93 Points
manages to seemlessly blend Bordeaux finesse with new world punchiness. wonderful
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6/12/2009 - christhewino wrote: 89 Points
Pepper and spices on the nose with a palate of chocolate, spice and blackcurrant.
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4/29/2009 - wadda wrote: 87 Points
First time I've tasted Musar. Colour is coppering at the edge of the glass, quite a manure like nose for me. Medium bodied, but interesting, spicy, with some red fruit.
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4/25/2009 - Rupert wrote: 91 Points
Fine herby fragrance, lush sweet fruit on the palate, layers of flavour and nuance, very lovely
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2/7/2009 - Nacke wrote: 90 Points
It took about 2 hours in a glas before the whole complexity was shown. Very nice nose with alot of red current, the taste was very nice balanced. I will buy a case for the cellar.
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1/27/2009 - vespasian wrote: 86 Points
Slight fade at the rim. Spicy treacle notes. Quite lifted. Medium bodied and quite ripe fruits on palate. Balsamic hints. Good length. Probably will improve with bottle age.
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11/15/2008 - Rupert wrote: 90 Points
Big and ripe for a Musar, the usual exotic spicy fruit, fruit cake richness, not too pongy - delicious
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11/5/2008 - SAND wrote:
Chateau Musar-smaking i regi av Aperitif (Gamle Logen, Oslo): Farge: Middels dyprød, litt brunrød mot kanten.
Duft: Fat, litt lær, sursøt bærfrukt, mot bringebær, parfymert, så kommer fat og lær.
Smak: Mye syre, moden bærfrukt, tanniner, elegant. Litt ung, men fullt drikkbar. Denne vil tjene på noen få års lagring og fortsette å utvikle seg i mange år.
Laget på 1/3 Cabernet Sauvignon, 1/3 Cinsault, 1/3 Carignan, Grenache og Mourvedre.
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4/21/2008 - tendring wrote: 82 Points
Rusty and quite light.
Pleasant simple fruity nose.
Luscious, quite jammy, smooth, good acidity, easy drinking, good length.
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