Cork was a mess, fill just at neck. Had low expectations.
Colour- pale ruby, like old burgundy.
Nose initially a bit muted. Does this really need a decant? Decided not to as I was scared of fragility. It really did develop with each glass drank slowly over 2 hours. The high proportion cinsault really showing some strawberry red fruit, more so than expected for a wine this age. Lots of tertiary, leather, almonds and leaves. Wine showed freshness and no signs of fading. I have two more bottles which look in better condition than this one and I'll be in no rush to drink those.
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Bottle in perfect condition, filled into the neck, cork intact. I poured the wine into a small decanter and followed its development for about four hours. Medium garnet colour, light orange towards the rim, some sediment. The wine was tight upon opening, but opened up with aeration and showed best after about 90 minutes in the small decanter: Red fruit, red cherry, mixed berries, blood, gamy notes, spices, tobacco, balsamic notes, light tea, and some VA, with fresh acidity, round, well-integrated tannin, and very good length. Medium-bodied, smooth, balanced, and harmonious, with good energy and good concentration. Fresher, tighter, more structured than the sweet, broad inviting 2000. After two hours, the wine started to develop a more mature, even smoother, very integrated profile. A glass I kept for day two was consistent with my last glass on day one. Drink or hold.
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Another excellent bottle. Pulled cork in one piece with an ah-so. Left in decanter for 8 hours. Well, this was the plan. Started drinking after 7 hours. It then showed very good, mature notes with present acidity and dried fruit profile, cranberry, raisins, dried herbs, figs, stoney minerals. Then, after another hour the wine gained more depth and profoundness and came well together. So impressive! 8 hours at least, it is for me.
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Totally agree with everyone who believes this is "beautifully declining" at its current age. The flavors are GREAT at the moment (especially the palate).
Red plums, roasted wild game, olive tapanade and a hint of mustiness on the nose. Medium + intensity of aromas. Smells quite nice; though a tad old (which it is!). The palate is much more lively, showing flavors of ripe black cherries, ripe red plums, balsamic, orange peel, green tobacco and smokey bacon. Absolute explosion of flavors - with a high intensity thereof. Finishes with blood and iron, and lasts around 45 seconds.
Structurally, it feels pretty old. Medium body with medium acid and low, almost no tannin. Guessing this peaked about 4 years ago - where it would probably rate a 95 or 96. Drink now and enjoy the beautiful flavors if you happen to have any.
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Brick red with transparent rim. Out of the bottle this wine sang with aged notes of balsamic, Forest floor, cedar, black cherry cola. Nice acid and length. Got a little flat with time but drinking really well right now. Crusted rack of lamb paired perfectly Easter 2024
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Transparent, both literally and figuratively. Beautiful ruby color with very little browning around the rim. Looked astonishing young for going on 26 years.
Slight VA and Bret on the nose, but settled with time. Tart blackberries, sweet dried cherries, bitter chocolate, olive, licorice, and aniseed. Incredibly youthful, vibrant, complex and balanced.
Not much to suggest additional aging in my opinion. On the decline, but what a beautiful and slow decline it has been so far.
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Valentine’s Day with lamb at home. Lovely and opened up over a couple of hours to get better. Acidity was highish, fruit was intact, at first it was a bit pruning but then got just complex.
Fun wine
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With a fine meal, mostly seafood, at a lovely restaurant in Key West FL. Amazing how this wine complimented raw oysters, conch carpaccio, salad and a lovely snapper filet.
Previous tasting notes describe the experience well. In our case, the cork gave way in the middle but the server ably extracted the bottom portion intact. We sat for most of the evening with the owner who is an old friend and thereby met all of the customers nearby.
No longer a wine review, one woman on her way out laid a gushing love bomb on my fiancé and I, appreciating our chemistry. Another table took a selfie with us, perhaps thinking we were celebrities. All in all, a great night with a great bottle of wine !!
Piemonte et al (Winechester): Served blind. Don't think it's piemonte but more southern perhaps? When revealed - kinda wild because we'd actually been discussing 98 Musar over dinner...anyway - probably my second favourite red, this is just a great Musar vintage.
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Dinner at Home: Stood up for months and decanted off 1-2oz fine sediment. Medium ruby with some bricking (age-appropriate); high intensity aromatics, cedar, cigar smoke, roasted red pepper, some red fruits, some roses; palate is medium bodied, tannins fully integrated, balanced 13.5% alcohol, a lovely slight sweetness of fruit on the palate while being dry, red fruited, strawberry, some soy/balsamic notes; medium-long finish. Musar with age is always special, and this bottle delivers. This is showing early maturity, but likely has 5-10 years ahead of it. 93
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Nose: perfumed oak, cedar, mahogany, sandalwood, savoury spices, forest floor, leather bound books, just deep complex, and rich, smells like old money, perfumed leather, red flowers
Palate: blackberries, black cherries, rich perfumed wood, mushrooms, forest floor, capsicum, pencil shavings, savoury, black pepper, white pepper, earthy, rose, red flowers, leather, tobacco
Finish: soft, long, rich, spicy, complex
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From a half bottle again. Tasted on Christmas Day with a flight of each year from 1998 to 2003. As good as ever with the same pale colour, attractive nose, complex fruit, and spicy complexity on the end palate. Just a hint of excess acidity on the end palate 6+h after opening but this soon cleared in the glass leaving a very enjoyable, beautifully balanced wine.
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No decant. Opened the bottle and left it for 2.5 hours. First glass at opening - Soft mouth feel. Good floral and fruit aroma. Tastes of cherry, orange peel, tobacco, and raisin. 2.5 hours in, the wine really opened up and the structure of the wine completely changed. The softness and acidic feel was replaced with a bolder and fruitier depth. This is a drink now wine. I would not age any further. There’s nothing left to gain.
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Decanted for about 5 hours. Very perfumed, intense nose with oranges, christmas spices and balsamic notes. On the palate lovely sweet fruit, exuberantly flavorful, still high, bright acidity cutting through the sweetness. Lots of fine grained tannins. Very long. Opened up further over the course of the evening. Another near perfect bottle. 19/20
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This was extremely lovely. Medium garnet. Red fruits, cedar, hints of tobacco. Great mouthfeel, good acid, good length. An enjoyable wine that drank well over two days. What a value!
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Tasted at home with friends, one of three reds, all 1998 vintage. To accompany slow cooked beef cheeks.
Remembering what the great Serge Hochar used to say, I opened and decanted 3 hours before drinking.
Some colour ageing, though the wine appeared fresh. Full and rich. Fruit cakes, leather. Like drinking Christmas pudding. Still improving 5 hours from opening.
This was my last bottle of this vintage and it showed beautifully. There is a hint of brett, but it was just right last night - adding complexity and by no means getting too in the way of the magic. The palate, as always, was so rich and long. This bottle could easily have gone another 25 years.
Nearly 2 years on from my last TN on this wine, this evening a bottle which, due to poor planning, was decanted (removing a little sediment) only 2.5 hours before drinking (with pizzas!).
The fill was low-mid neck. The cork was solid but I used a pseudo-Durand just in case. The colour was still a fairly bright ruby, although the wine is quite translucent.
The nose is classic Musar: fruit, acetone, but very little of the barnyard that often appears. These follow to the palate, which is a fruity, but a little delicate, and which quickly forms a tannic note which persists on the finish along with just a hint of violets.
Unlike some of the bottles I drank a couple of years ago this one doesn't yet seem to have developed any tertiary flavours, and the acidity is really rather light.
So, although it was still an excellent wine, this wasn't my favourite 1998. I suspect this one could have done with more time in the bottle or a much longer decant to show at its best. This was my last for the moment, but they are still available here in Hong Kong for ~US$45-50, so maybe I will pick up one or two more to follow the development further.
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Top shoulder. Cork soaked on one side, some seepage. Decanted for four hours in the morning, poured over dinner. Medium garnet colour, some sediment. Red fruit, cherry, mixed berries, plum, cedar, tobacco, gamy notes, nuts, almond, dark chocolate, spices, balsamic notes, and some VA, with great acidity. Great complexity. The tannin is completely resolved. Very smoothly textured, and well balanced. Drinks very well. In a good place. Not quite as striking on day two. Could be reaching a tipping point, and why wait? I would drink now.
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Opened to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Undrinkable. Properly stored since purchase. Second undrinkable bottle of a four pack I purchased years back.
This bottle (750 ml) had a lot of brett, which made it less enjoyable compared to prior bottles, but it was still eminently drinkable and very enjoyable. The fruit concentration, persistence, depth and complexity of the wine are outstanding.
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Leicht bräunlich. Sieht und riecht jünger als 25 Jahre Reifezeit. Am Gaumen dann anders. Etwas Leder und Torf ist noch vorhanden. Für mich im Taste etwas zu alt, ich vermisse die Tiefe und etwas mehr Aromen im Fächer. Einen 98er würde ich heute nicht nochmal kaufen.
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Very perfumed with a dried potpourri of red and purple fruits, with VA to provide lift. It’s funny, I often find VA very off-putting when I encounter it (usually in old Barolo), but somehow it works so well with Musar. Dried red fruit profile has a delicious sweetness that leaps from the glass. Cranberries, pomegranates when first opened gaining weight and turning into ripe strawberries and spiced cherries with air. Gorgeous secondary and tertiary elements accentuate the fruit and floral profile: meat, licorice, tea, smoke, cedar, and spices. Long spicy finish. This ‘98 was right up there with the epic ‘99s I’ve had over the years.
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Tasted side by side with the 2005 vintage (from 75cl rather than one of our 37.5cl bottles. Quite pale and aged looking. Vg quite dry at first but with very good fruit and balance. Not as smooth as the 2005 at first but rich and juicy as it opened. Lovely after some time in the glass. Strawberries developed. It improved with time becoming richer with cherry fruit to accompany the strawberry. Sweet richness on the palate which offered some spicy fruitcake flavours. Amazingly youthful. A great relief to enjoy a good bottle after some of the variation we have experienced with this vintage.
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Durand much needed. Brownish-red color. Decanted for 1 hour and enjoyed over 4 hours. Fresh, silky body with notes of autumn leaves, light cherry, mint, spice, and tea with long dry finish.
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From 75cl, crapppy cork succesfully removed with ah-so, decanted 4 hours. As noted here on 22.07.2023, but even more vibrant, acidic, alive. Perfect pairing with Imam Bayaldi and WOTN. 93P
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Decanted and kept in fridge for five days! Absolutely fabulous wine. After that harsh handling it still appears complex, well balanced, fully mature, tannins resolved, elegant. Like a cross over between Bordeaux and Vosne. Bravo
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It always makes my day to find long-aged Musar on a restaurant wine list. Musar invariably stands out for both maturity and value, as it did last night. This bottle delivered. Tart flavors and ruby red fruit combined to form a lovely elegance. Musar's practice of releasing fully mature bottles at prices that don't seem to reflect the years of storage cost is a wonderful gift to the world's wine lovers. I thank and praise them!
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Again in bloom after a more or less exact 8 hour decant. Before a mix between astringency and brett. Not as good as other bottles, which showed more depth and complexity. There seems to be some bottle variation. Impressive, that it opened up after the decant anyhow and very delicious nonetheless
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Brought this bottle to a Musar dinner which included the '95, '97 - '05, and '16 rouge.
This bottle was double decanted for sediment around two hours before it was served. This showed its age a bit more than the other reds we had with some port-like aromas.
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An amazing wine at a sweet spot in its drinking window.
Quite a bit of sediment in the bottle, required decanting (which the nice folks at CM were kind enough to remind us of in bold letters on the back).
Tawny in color. Complex and developed nose of cedar, cigar box, rosehips, yellow plums, prunes, some dried rose petals, and mushrooms. Velvety texture with a full body and perfectly balanced acidity. Long fine and worn down tannins in the finish.
I seem to be giving it stronger merits than others here. My bottle was served with leg of lamb, creamy mushroom and a cheesy potato gratin which in combination was just wonderful.
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In a perfect drinking window, short decant reveals lovely pure purple fruits, and just a bit undergrowth, cured meats, leather and the slightest hint of barnyard to add complexity, but largely still fresh, silky smooth and a real treat.
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Smooth, mellow, understated, medium finish; after 25 years of cellaring it has shed the tannic bite of its youth. It stands on its own so nobly that an entire glass can be enjoyed on its own between courses with no food.
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Tannins have stripped away and have revealed a delicious wine with a great blend of primary and tertiary flavors, a decently long finish… only needs 30 min of air to lose the long nap funk. This is so good, on its own or with food, refreshing enough with a decant for sediments that it’s even a nice summer wine. Spectacular. Only would’ve been better with a bit more tannic grip, but it’s 25 yrs old, how can I hold that against it
From 75cl, good cork (successfully extracted using a normal corkscrew, despite the producer's dire warnings), decanted 4 hours, improved in glass until final drop. Very pale red-brick/orange colour. Initially high-octane-sh**/barnyard smell settled down a bit after decanting. Intense, healthy sweetness on the entry; gentle acidic gain on the mid-palate, high concentration, serious stuffing; the finish tates like heavenly strawberry jam, but in a good way. This outstanding bottle was packed solid, and might well have lasted another 25 years if we hadn't consumed it this evening. 92P
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Much as my Oct '22 note. The sheer richness and viscosity of this Musar demands contrasting plain meat accompaniment. No rush - now till 2028 at least.
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Half bottle. Perfect cork. VA on opening (as usual) but the wine improved in the glass over a couple of hours. Tasting notes are pretty much as for our better bottles of this vintage reviewed earlier. It did improve further over a few hours more so I have added a point. Interesting but not quite up to the usual standard. Drink up.
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Soaked through cork. Corked smelled horrid but a decanted bottle smelled wonderful. A borderline floral nose, a more acidic structure than I usually perceive with Musar. This was lovely - not sure if I’d have it as Musar blind but if it weren’t, I’m not sure what I’d imagine it was.
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After having recent success with two separate bottles of Chateau Musar 2000, I was feeling optimistic about the highly-touted '98.
Unfortunately, after releasing the cork which was half soaked through, the cuvee that poured out was almost a bright caramelly orange color, looking more like a tawny port than a red wine.
Nose actually had some very interesting character, indicative of a wine that must have been very good at some point, but alas - this bottle was a complete dud. I suspect poor storage, as I see reviews here talk about a lively and vibrant wine.
NR
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This wine is extremely transparent and light. Dark brown rim with a center of transparent red.
Immediately, this punches you in the face with lively, red ripe fruits. Cherry, cranberry, floral notes, and even an odd barnyard-like funk.
After some time in the decanter, this wine became much more friendly. On the palate, it shows cinnamon and leathery notes and continues with that young red fruit. This bottle didn't show a ton of black fruit, which I was expecting. But the red fruit just showed so pleasantly.
This bottle ended up in the whole package. Age, depth, complexity, youthfulness, and most importantly, a great price. I highly recommend it.
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Wifey’s having a long day of work, and I’m making lamb/Gorgonzola/caramelized onion burgers, and I thought - what the heck, let’s open a nice one. But I am enjoying this so much from the opening sips, wifey better get home quick or this one might not last until dinner. Consistent with my previous note, continuing to evolve with air. (Appreciate the previous reviewer’s tip to use a Bugundy glass!) May be a little lighter in body than I remembered, but to my palate, this is DElicious!!
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Very thin and highly acidic with aromas of barnyard and some sour (red) fruit. Definitely interesting but it felt a bit like hard work to finish the bottle as it just didn't drink very easily. Cannot say whether this id due to bottle variation or just the charachter of the wine.
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Quick impressions over a boozy lunch. Savoury nose, red fruits and cloves, autumnal. Midbodied, balanced and elegant with a fine acid spine, oak usage well judged.
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Pale garnet. On the nose this is fully mature but certainly not over the hill, with an obvious - and I guess one would say 'classic' - note of volatile acidity shading the aromas of dried sweet red cherries, sundried tomatoes, grilled herbs, tobacco, baked earth and spice. On the palate this is medium bodied but expansive with medium+ acidity, mostly resolved tannin, and a texture that is at once grippy and light. This has the feel of some hypothetical mix of Brunello, Burgundy and CdP, but it is tasty and certainly very Musar.
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Medium red color. Spicy nose. Not feral as some other bottles were reported to be. Multi-layered on the mid-palate, sweet fruit on the long finish. Glorious as expected, especially after it occurred to me to move it from a Bordeaux glass to a Burgundy bowl--huge difference. Was so much more complete in the 2nd glass.
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The vintage 1998 started off quite normally but the temperatures remained relatively cool until June. Quite typical, warm and dry summer. The blend is quite typical aka. one third of each Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, although the Cinsaut portion is slightly higher this vintage. 13,35% alcohol, 1-2 g/l residual sugar, 5,59 g/l acidity, pH 3,79 and 38 mg/l SO2. Decanted for six hours before tasting the wine.
Dark, luminous and moderately translucent brick-red color with a pale orange rim. The nose feels fragrant, somewhat volatile and a bit reticent with aromas of cherries and dried flowers, some lifted notes of medicinal ether and nail polish, a little bit of dried raspberry, light bretty notes of leather, a meaty hint of chorizo, a touch of strawberry and a whiff of dried figs. The wine feels rich, evolved and moderately volatile on the palate with a rather full body and quite rich flavors of ripe cherries, some nail polish, a little bit of dried figs, light bretty notes of leathery funk and Band-Aid, sweet hints of dark plums and blackcurrant jam and a sharp touch of acetic VA. The wine still retains quite a bit of structure with its rather high acidity and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is juicy, somewhat volatile and moderately tannic with a long aftertaste of balsamic VA and acetic sharpness, some lifted notes of medicinal ether, a little bit of dried figs, light bretty notes of leathery funk, a sweet hint of ripe black cherries and a touch of salinity.
This 1998 has been one of the more unreliable vintages of Musar, a winery known for their wide bottle variation. At its best, this vintage has been exceptional, but at its worst it has been excessively volatile and bretty, the more sauvage notes overwhelming all the finer nuances. This time this bottle wasn't as volatile and funky as it has been at its worst, but this was nevertheless a far cry from the bottles where this wine has been performing at its best. I'd say a well-kept bottle still has a lot of potential left in it for any further development, but it seems to be just pure luck whether the wine has only a tiny bit of funk and lift, just adding some nice, rustic complexity; or if the wine is getting too funky, volatile and acetic. While not a bad wine by any means, I still admit - knowing the greatness this vintage can achieve - this time our gamble didn't yield winning results. Priced more or less according to its quality at 39€, I guess.
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Tasted at La's Kitchen. Quite an aged bottle, considering the vintage. Now light-bodied like the Bordeaux or Syrah in the 1970s. There was a reductive bouquet at the first nose, which dissipated as an hour went. Although the structure had a coarseness, it rendered nice acidity and a sweet finish.
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Bottle in perfect condition, high level. Opened 2h30 before serving. Very fresh tertiary nose. Light and transparent colour. Very intense palate superbly balanced and stretching on a long finish. Great wine.
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My last of 6 half bottles, and this one showed the best of the bunch. I've also had 1 750 and have 2 750s left. The 750s are in great shape. I think it's wise to finish off your 375s if you are still sitting on some, but this one was a wonderful wine. I popped and poured it, the nose was outstanding, the color a bit translucent, the persistency was excellent and the fruit and flavors were fresh, weightless and delicious.
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Ex Château 2022. Filled into the neck, cork intact. Decanted for four hours in the morning, poured over dinner. Medium to light garnet colour, a little lighter in colour than expected, some sediment. Red fruit, red plum, cedar, tobacco, spices, gamy notes, and some VA. Finishes balsamic, and then turns gamy, cedary and smoky again on the aftertaste. All carried by great acidity. The tannin is fully resolved, and the wine is smoothly textured, with some old age sweetness. Drinks like a 60% Mourvèdre and 40% Grenache blend from a cool climate. Good concentration and complexity. In a great place! I have said it before, and it is still true: This is a captivating bottle of wine!
5hr decant which helped round everything out. Very tertiary, pronounced nose of dried fruit, leather, mushroom. Second day had lost a bit of oomph, but still pleasant. Any wine of this quality that can be bought for less than £40 at 25yrs old is ok with me!
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Decanted one hour before drinking. A lighter bottle than average, a bit lean. Dominant red fruits. Fresh. Builds more body over time, and after 5 hours the character has changed significantly
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Beautiful bottle. Broke a bit of the cork even with the Durand but managed to get it out without dropping any into the bottle. A bit of funk initially on the nose. Gorgeous color, clearly showing it’s age here, quite translucent. Luxardo cherries, overripe raspberries, tart currant, dried orange peel, wet tilled earth, leather/barnyard, mint, herbs and spices. 60+ second finish. Gorgeous structure and texture. Viscous mouthfeel despite the low alcohol and age, insanely well integrated tannins. Love this, want to buy more. I don’t get to drink a ton of wine with 25+ years of age but this is exactly the kind of ethereal experience I’m after even though it isn’t the most complex Musar I’ve had. There are no great wines, only great bottles. Given the known bottle variation issues here, this was a great one.
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We’ll balanced, lovely, mature. What a great winery. Aged Musar , when bottles are handled properly can stand up to and compete with some of the best Bordeaux.
Wow, 24 hours later- in an open wine glass for that length of time - solid as the 1st night, May have lost a bit of weight ,but still firing strong. Chateaux Musar is pretty amazing, and a benchmark.
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Decanted for 8 hours. All funk blew off and the wine was at first indeed rather tight as in premature tight. It soon after then opened up beautifully with notes of red and dark cherries, red currant, elderberry, cedar, wet stone, herbs and some iron in the long aftertaste. Very good balance and incredible complexity and persistence. This bottle was really singing. Excellent
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Cork completely soaked with stuff oozing out. 8 hrs decant. Perfection. Clear, fresh, unbelievable balance of everything. How do they do it? Years of joy.
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MNB Friends (and kiddos!) (Ashish's): Med minus ruby. explosive aromatic intensity! Strong tamari and perfumed blackberry. Brett. Well balanced on the palate. Dried orange cinnamon. Hint of the ethereal cassis note that will probably increase with years. Ashish commented that it's not the most complex Musar. I might describe it as...easily broken into components, each of which isn't that complex. But together they're delightfully and distinctively Musar. It maybe doesn't (yet?) have the depth and complexity of the '95 or '72, but I'm a fan!
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Dinner with Rajiv and Roger (Millbrae): Decanted off significant sediment after standing for a week. Pale ruby-garnet, shows its age; aromatic, roses, some smoke, red fruit, cherry, spices; palate is medium bodied, elegant medium-plus acidity, 13.5% alcohol but could easily pass for lower, superb combination of red fruit with soy/balsamic complexity, tannins silky and fully integrated; finish is medium-plus length. This seems consistent with my previous bottles: stellar balance, more than typical elegance, showing some tertiary complexity, ready to drink now. 92 6 hours in bottle: singing, superb balance of acidity and tertiary flavors. Lovely. 92-93 Day 2: Honestly the same as last night, perhaps a touch less aromatic but just as complex on the palate. Held up well, which is also consistent with my last bottle.
My previous notes hold true here. Decanting is still necessary to help the 1998 find its stride, but it seems to me that it's best days were a few years ago. Perhaps my recent frustration with multiple flawed bottles is influencing my rating too much. My companion for the evening is a Musar enthusiast and this was his first experience with the unique 1998 vintage. He thought it was fabulous. In spite of my concerns about the wine peaking, I've just acquired a few more bottles with no intent to hold long-term because it is such a one of a kind wine.
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Sadly another 1998 Chateau Musar was obviously flawed upon opening. That's 2 now in spite of cellaring properly once I took possession of the bottle years ago. This experience reinforces a pearl of wisdom I read, probably from Jeff Leve or Robert Parker, that every wine reaches a point in its life where it is no longer about the vintage - but the bottle. I have to believe that one of my wine sources unknowingly bought and sold flawed bottles. I wish I had catalogued the bottles better so I could narrow it down, but I did not.
The first sign of trouble showed up upon removing the foil. The cork had a murky brick-like color and a slight moldy fuzz across the top. It was very soft during extraction. The second sign of trouble was the ultra pale/translucent red color of the liquid. Finally, there was the unattractive aroma, clearly oxidized with no real life left.
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Lovely after decanting and removing sediment. Some fruit and a bit of acidity balanced by very longggggg finish of leather, hint of cranberry. Thin brick color.
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OWC 12 bottles from London to HK and stored for 5 years. This is my last bottle. Cork was 30 percent soaked and brittle. Level was good. Decanted for 1 hrs. Colour was amazingly pinot, bright bricking and vibrantly crimson. Nose was typical Musar but the tannin was still a bit harsh yet integrated. Strong mineral background with hint of Flintstone powder but not as jammy as Australian pinot. Served well with spicy Cantonese hotpot. Please remembered, my first several bottles were poured directly from the bottle ... disturbing the residual made it cloudy, acidic and very disjointed tannin, guaranteed death penalty. My last 5 bottles were very good as long as I did them with careful decanting. Will look for more. around 30£ each is a big bargain.
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I had some difficulty with the cork, but fortunately the wine was more than ok. Decanted for three hours. Somewhat pale red color. Barnyard, but also quite a lot of fruit left. Softish and elegant palate and nice subtle tannins
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A mass of contradictions and all the better for it. Full of life and fruit but fetid and decaying. Medium bodied but persistent. There are not many wines like this and I really like it.
Cork: soft and fading. On the back of the bottle it says open with an Ah So and I understand why. Even with that it still came apart at the tip. Colour: Deep bricking with brown at the edges Nose: barnyard aromas,brown spices, tobacco and mulch, but with sweet red fruit peeking through. Taste:so much going on in the palate. Those tertiary aromas follow through on the palatte, joined by red fruits (cherries, strawberries and red currants) that give it a nice fruit lift. Strong drying tea tannins join in too, giving a really savoury kick. Defiantly medium bodied but very persistent.
No idea how long it will last but it’s great now but it’s not an easy going crowd pleaser.
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We thought we would try a bottle after our variable experiences with half bottles of the ‘98. The wine had been well stored since purchase; the cork was perfect and there was no ullage. The colour was pale but attractive and the nose showed citrus acidity with early VA (which gradually disappeared). It was still disappointing and, based on notes from others, we set it aside until the next day. It was better after 20+ hours but still not quite as expected. Orange citrus on the nose and palate. Good acidity and fair fruit including raspberry on the late palate. It was quite long but it seemed much lighter and ‘thinner’ than anticipated without the usual spice and rich complexity. Perhaps this is down to the dominant Cinsault. It has its attractions but was not a memory to treasure.
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Tuesday Night Double Blind $50+ (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Cloudy see through orange red with sediment; dried orange, zest, tomato puree, celery seed, sexy and elegant, really clean, showing purely but older and more resolved, truffle note on the finish is very nice; '97 Musar?
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Opened in the morning for its mandatory 12h decant. The nose was expressive from the get go with blood orange, oriental spices and leather. The palate was very soft and a bit thin, but already quite nice. 12 h later this is just a completely different story. Amazing nose reminding me of top notch barbaresco: strawberries, mint, leather, iron, smoke, just considerably more fragrant and complex than before the decant. The beautifully textured palate has massively gained volume and weight, there is powerful red fruit and great structure. Very dynamic development over the whole evening. Pure harmony here, and the length is just incredible. Ah, this vintage will go the real distance no doubt, since every time I have it there is more and more to it, but it's already near perfect wine for me. 20/20
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Great perfume! Strawberry, cherry, leather and tobacco notes. On the palate coffee and dark chocolate adds. Tannins and acid nicely integrated. It's hard not to finish the bottle at once. Long finish. Love it!
Fresh decant - Pours burgundy with a rusty orange rim. Red fruit, earthy loam, violets, and a touch of VA on the nose. Palate is true, with orange peel, more floral notes, and some Brett-funk on the finish. About an hour later the floral notes and forest fruit amp up, with lots of wild strawberry, raspberry, loam, and cigar box. Peak drinking.
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Our experience was an exact repeat of last year’s on Christmas Day. Two half bottles, both stored very well since purchase. Opened well in advance. One had a highly discoloured cork (the whole length) and had mould under the capsule. It broke up during extraction with a butler’s friend as so many from this vintage have done. However, the wine was absolutely fine - worth 92. The second had a perfect cork but showed some VA and more acidity than fruit on the palate. It was drinkable but very disappointing and I would rather not put a number on it. This vintage of Musar must be the worse bottling ever. It is a lottery. Worth having a second bottle in reserve if it is for a significant occasion.
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지난번에 맛있게 마시고 재구매 바틀 상태가 안좋아보여 담날 오픈 역시 코르크 세서 타고 올라왔음 맛은 지난번 와인 오픈후 수시간 지난뒤의 뉘앙스인 산도가 치고 올라오는 양상으로 와인이 상한 상태는 다행히 아니었음 아마 지난 바틀보다 더 나이를 더 먹은 상태로 솔직히 복합성으로 따지면 예전 와인이 더 나았음
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No decant, tasted alongside the 99 Musar. Wonderful exotic bouquet, pale color. Intense and complex on the palate. Similar but a bit less powerful than the one year younger wine. Dried fruit and cinnamon notes, vanilla plus an intense sweetness. Long and silky finish. A pleasure to drink.
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Decanted at Suraya. Imported by broadbent. First sip about 20 minutes after decant. Last sip about 2.5 hours after.
Light clear red - lighter than we expected actually. The first whif shows clear VA on the nose, but swirling reveals orange oil, warm spices like cinnamon and star anise, and some cedar wood, as well as overt horse blanket from, I guess, brett. There is a very bright attack with crunchy red fruit, overall very lifted on the palate. Herbs enter the fray at the close of the mid palate fruit show. In the beginning, some VA stings the back do the tongue, but this folds in sort of elegantly and takes on a citrus pith character that echoes the orange oil on the nose. The finish is long and enveloping. An hour+ of air later, and the fruit becomes sappy and reveals just how concentrated it is. This is my first Musar experience and it feels honest and “soulful” sure, but that doesn’t come at the expense of just being a damn good wine.
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Light red color of a good older wine. Almost smells sweet. Tasted sweet, almost like a port out of the bottle. Decanted for ~1 hr. Smooth, complex, light dark fruit, spice dry complex finish. Amazing wine!
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Cork came out while with 2 prong. Pale garnet with a little bricking up. Big nose of violets and dark berries with a little VA. Delicate elegant palate - maybe cooked strawberry and black pepper - very fine tannins in the background with a long finish. Class.
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A lively pale brick-hued garnet in appearance. Expressive nose with blackcurrants interspersed with cloves, cedar. Light to medium-bodied, elegant and silky in texture, the midpalate is persistent and contains juicy blackcurrants, cloves, liquorice, dried herbs; fine acid line woven through the wine, tannins mostly resolved. Intensity without weight, very impressive. Finesse - yes! This bottle was tasted after a brief decant and also a few hours after.
My first bottle of Musar in almost a decade. These were so easy to come by and affordable in the UK, however sadly a lot less common down under. The midpalate persistence of this bottle suggests that this may hold for some time yet, however no problems with opening now. 13.5% ABV.
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I always marvel at the stubbornly low scores awarded to Musar. Long may that continue so that this unloved oddity remains the best value wine in my cellar by a long margin. Where else can you buy 1998 aged wines of such quality direct from the Chateaux cellar for under 40 pounds a bottle including delivery? Because of its affordability a friend once described his Musar as “cellar defenders” to serve when guests were too far gone to notice or care what they were drinking. I told him off and was very pleased to be served Musar as the star of the dinner party by him on my next visit. Everyone agreed it was sublime. Musar is a great wine with multiple layers on the nose and on the palate. I take my hat off to the winemakers who face all kinds of adversity in Lebanon but continue to make this extraordinary wine. Try the 2014 too which is a superstar in the making and is drinking deliciously now but will transform into greatness in 10 to 15 years if you can wait that long. No, I’m not on commission. Bravo Musar!
Two identical bottles decanted together for an hour. On consideration rather like the legendary port-like '84-lite (noted). Viscosity, brûlée dark stoned fruit and berries. Earth, truffly hints, suffused charred oak. Spice (esp liquorice) and herb. Gunflint minerality. Only downside, as previously noted, a finish on the sweeter side without the compensating/?excusing sheer ludicrous depth of the '84. Nonetheless very fine. Ideal for plain roasts (rolled lamb shoulder in this case). Have given up trying to assess the longevity of this Musar - one for enjoyment rather than deadlines!
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Similar to my prior experience back in August 2021. Like the first bottle, the cork broke using an Ah-so cork puller; the last third of the corks are completely saturated and weak. Considerable sediment in the bottle, as I poured it into a small decanter. The wine displays a clear, medium garnet color; medium minus body. Highly complex and pronounced perfumed aromatics; red fruits are cooked and stewed; structural components are completely integrated and provide balance for the fruits; medium finish. An amazing wine, drinking beautifully at 24 years. Drink now as this is unlikely to improve with further cellaring.
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Private dinner (Musar): Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan. Fermentation in concrete tanks, maceration was up to four weeks. The wines were racked into French Nevers oak casks in August 1999 for twelve months, blended in September 2000 and bottled in August 2001. 13.5% vol.
Double decanted 24 hours before we enjoyed it with a selection of cheese and bread. Very classic Bordeaux nose with funky notes, good freshness, light to medium bodied, long finish.
Very old school type of wine, fully mature and everything in a perfect balance, nothing too much, nothing too little. Drink now or till 2030.
Decanted for 7 hours. Shapeshifted quite a few times during that time. Pulled the cork in one piece with an ah-so. Started rather funky as usual but with good acidity and vibrancy. After 3 hours more funk on the nose and also more barnyard on the palate. After around 6 hours the funk blew off. Pale ruby, rather light bodied at that stage, cedar and ripe dark fruit with some iron. Felt a bit hollow at a time but then a good swirl brought up some more complexity. Very interesting to follow and enjoyable to drink
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Red orange colour. Strawberry and cedar nose. Plums, cedar on palate with a touch of a more mature funk on the end. Certain sweetness and warm spices. Not the most concentrated - a fairly light wine.
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Some initial funk but that soon went away to leave a floral nose with hints of cedar too.
Pleasant sweet cherry and blackcurrant notes, reasonably oaked but not overly so, with a medium finish. The juicy acids are particularly memorable.
🍇 Cab Sauv, more Cinsault, Carignan.
Chateau Musar ocated 40 km east of Beirut, the grapes grow in Beqaa Valley at an elevation of 1,000m. Gaston Hochar started this winery after his return from Bordeaux, which is now 3rd gen.
3rd of 11.. what an afternoon at SK's!
SKTs home, Malaysia - 27 Aug 2022
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Compared with the 2002, it has an additional layer that makes the wine quite charming -- a layer of barnyard/leather/pungency that gives a wine a bit more of a grip and more textural complexity than the 1998. However, less prominent in its expression of fruit and youth.
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A: Pale garnet N: Pronounced nose of smokey cherry, strawberry, olives, barnyard, iodine, dried rose, rosewater, pine resin, baking spice, leather, earth, dried tobacco, VA P: Dry, high acid, medium (+) tannin, pronounced intensity, high alcohol, full body and long finish. Outstanding wine. Its beautiful. I even like the sweaty horse smell.Fully developed and not suitable for ageing
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light with an effusive nose smoke and cinnamon ...light sweet red fruit...reminds me of an older CDP....these are on the down swing. Still pleasant after an hour open.
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Still drinking beautifully, though maybe a little less vibrant than it was just two years ago. Its mineral qualities are still present, but both fruit and floral notes are quieting. Based on tonight’s experience (the first bottle was compromised), I’m left with the feeling I should work through the rest of this vintage more opportunistically to maximize my chances to enjoy it. Tonight, my instinct is that the 1998 Chateau Musar has peaked and may just be starting to fade.
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What a sad moment. I knew something was wrong as soon as I started to extract the cork. Very soft and dark. It disintegrated during removal. Clear-ish orange liquid and a foul nose, musky and oxidized funk. Not a whisper of what it should have been. This one is compromised. I've just opened another and it seems to be perfect. I'll add notes later on the second, good bottle. The night is not lost, just a few dollars from my wallet. Sigh.
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DAY 1 Served this with the Vinlog System Removed the soft cork with a Durand 👃Oh my! Cabernet notes, charcoal, earth, + a volatile element 👅Lovely red/purple fruit with plum sauce. Silky. Elegant
Remaining wine Slow Decanted in my refrigerator
DAY 14 👃Smoky strawberry jam, earth, dark fruit, & volatile notes. Are the volatile notes a Musar signature? They work for me👍 👅Cherry, plum and sweet BBQ notes. Soft, silky & elegant. Transparent tannins
Musar wines are known to be unique & enigmatic. This was both and it was also really enjoyable👍💕
Follow full note on Instagram "Vinloq.notes"
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Musarathon (Ariana II): Oh yeah. This had been double decanted at lunchtime, and kept in the fridge. Wet through cork had made me worried - shouldn’t have. Lovely on the nose - gentle hints of rose petals maybe? On the palate - someone described this as an “Italian Musar” - and I could totally get behind that. My #2 WOTN.
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Decanted for 60 minutes. An appalling dry cork that crumbled as the bottle was opened. A pale ruby core fading to a medium garnet outer edge. The nose revealed ground espresso beans, a feint smattering of red and black fruits, and scents of wild hedgerow. The palate shows the same even balance of red and black fruits - only a touch riper than than the nose - and some herbaceousness. There’s a clear absence of nuance and complexity one would expect in a wine that has had enough time for this to develop. My second experience of this producer following the 2001 vintage, which was a clear step up from this showing. As for the 1998 - it comes across as rather generic, simplistic, and uninteresting.
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Not a million miles from my last note at the beginning. The coffee more to the fore on the nose. Shared with two others so got through the bottle much quicker than last time so it didn’t develop the same complexity as the last one
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what a great experience. It showed off right from the start. No signs of a 24 years old wine. I really enjoyed it over 2 days and I am glad I bought more of different vintages. This wine is very special and fits in none of my by now known categories. The first Day I served it with a fat pork chop marinated with lemongras oil. What a great match!
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4 hour decant. More leather and less sour cherry than I usually get out of Musar around this age, but terribly well integrated, and just as delicious with that characteristic Musar taste. Not my favorite from that time period, but plenty good.
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Bought 4 bottles for 34 CHF each last autumn on the occasion of a special deal offered by a wine shop in Zurich. (The whole stock of bottles put on sale were gone after one day.) I intended to bring the first bottle to some friends for lunch. Based on the CTs, I opened the bottle the night before. Unfortunately, I fell ill during the night and I gifted the bottle without being able to taste it. Second bottle opened for mother's day. Here also I opened the bottle the night before. Cork in a very bad shape but easily removed with a two-blade corkscrew.
Right upon pouring the wine and smelling it, I knew we would be drinking something special. I am unable to do justice to the complexity of aromas that we encountered upon drinking the bottle (although I can say that I didn't detect any cockroach smell). This wine manages to be light and powerful at the same time. As somebody described, it's something for Bordeaux lovers that is not Bordeaux.
All in all, a stunning wine and crazy quality for the price. I look forward to sharing my remaining bottles with good friends that don't know this producer.
Classic Musar. Clean in this case. The usual cork, fixed with a Durand. The nose in this case was shy. The palate, on the other hand, has an impression of sweet dried fruit, but no sugar, and a balsamic twang. No tannin, nothing to suggest this needs time, nor that it needs drinking. It is Musar, and good for that.
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After 3 decades of absence this is my second Musar in as many nights. First I have to give an honourable mention to Mark for remotely guiding me through my aeration process. Most definitely at the height of its game, it still needs a couple of hours in the decanter, but at the same time I would look to be drinking this over the next couple of years to enjoy it at it's best. Full of old and new leather and ripe dark berry fruits it could be a Bordeaux left banker from the 1980s, but somehow is not quite matching that profile, but maintains a unique identity. Highly recommended and good value for money, but drink over the next couple of years. 91+
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Great tasting with Jimbo, JAronson and my son Andrew who sat in with us tonight for the first time.
I maybe liked this one a shade more than the others in tonight's group, except for JA who was right there with me.....Might have had a short time where it was a 94, even. Musar is what you feel, and smell and expect of Bdx, off the nose and palate, it is NOT, ripe big fruit. Used an ah-so and the cork came out in pristine condition. This needs every bit of 3-4 hours of air to shine. Before that and it's a cheap old red wine. Loads of saddle leather, tobacco and sweet resolved fruit and tannins. It really is a nice wine for those who want something different and yet, Bdx like, at the same time. I get the feeling this would be under appreciated by most people. An amazing wine from Lebanon....
1998 Chateau Musar was layered in aromatics and supple in texture. The wine soaked through its cork, and I was quite nervous when uncorking the bottle. The Bekaa Valley icon was clear and pale garnet in colour with loads of sediments. It was quite musky out of the bottle, requiring three hours in the decanter to open up. Captivating aromas blackberry, strawberry jam, lilac and rose were accompanied by leather, baking spices and hints of brandied ginger bread.
The mouthfeel was dry and verging full-bodied, with a medium level of integrated tannin and a medium-high level of balancing acidity. Flavours of black cherry and preserved cranberry led to anise, tangerine zest and mushroom in a long harmonious finish. The alcohol level was at 13.5%. The empty bottle weighed 549 grams.
I reasoned the completely soaked cork might have impacts on the bottle condition. For comparison, I uncorked another bottle from the same case a few days later. The bottle variations were astonishing. While the cork of the second bottle was normal, the wine did not have the level of vibrancy, and showed brett signs of bacon fat, smoked ham and dark chocolate. By the way, I still could not wrap my mind around why Musar took hours of decanting to open up, even in its maturity. Musar is a truly mysterious wine.
The blend was composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan. More Cinsault entered the blend in the 1998 vintage, contributing to its fragance and elegance. The maceration was up to four weeks. The wine was raised in French Nevers oak casks for one year.
I've had a couple bottles recently, both 375 and 750. The 375s are on their last legs - drink up. The 750s are drinking beautifully - really nice mature wine. The corks are all lousy - use a Durand if you have one otherwise good luck.
Murstein til brun i fargen. Duft av lær, kjeller, sopp og balsamico. Fortsatt noe frukt på smak, men denne er nok snart på sitt beste, ville ikke latt den ligge mye lenger. Modne tanniner, fortsatt noe syre, rød frukt, lær. Sitter lenge. På topp nå? Noe mer frukt enn 1996? Korkene på 98 og 96 er alltid nesten pulverisert så åpne forsiktig
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What a funky wine! Forest floor all the way. A little fruit hiding in there, but the smell/taste of it was fleeting. Some leather/spice as well, but very much an earthy wine. Ready to drink now, likely hold up for a few years.
Drank with G+J at their house with Blue Pan.
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Horribly crumbly cork. Away from home so no Durand and couldn’t filter the cork dust, so basically undrinkable. Dark rosé in colour, seemingly having shed a lot of its pigment. Quite lifted and volatile on the nose even by Musar standards. No. Hopefully the next one is better…
Doing pretty well, considering it’s age. Hanging on much better than the 1997s, which were undrinkable last year. But why would you wait? Coming up the 18th fairway. Decanted and drank over four hours. Peaked after about three hours and then faded. Baking spices, dark fruit, cigar box. Walks the edge on the VA, a little Bret. Drink up.
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From 75cl, dryish spongey cork successfully removed with ah so, decanted 2 hours. Evident age, orange brown colour at rim. Initially very funky, with air it settled down nicely. High-toned leather/spice/oaky scent somewhere between Tondonia and a pre-2000 Castillo Ygay; rich entry with animal-sweat, compost and almost jam-like sweetness; the mid-palate would have benefitted from a bit more structure, as it is it feels flabbier than expected. This bottle was fully mature, and profited from pairing with appropriate food (grilled lamb, olive oil and juicy kalamata olives in particular). 89-90P
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Very nice. The cork crumbled, but the waft of perfume that emerged from the bottle allayed any fears of the bottle being in bad condition. I think the 2005 wooed me a little more, and IIRC had the same profile, but with a little more tension & intensity of flavour.... but for the going rate of about £30 for a 24 year old wine this is really an amazing value Musar. Classic Musar notes of leather, tobacco, incense etc. This is definitely drinking now, but the dates here to 2023 seem very conservative - I would wager this is on a plateau and will enter a gentle decline some years down the line, but drink well for a decade or more..
Finally after half-dozen of flawed bottles I have found a good one. Good level, dry cork. Ruby and transparent with just a drop of sediment in the bottle. Decanted and enjoyed for more then 2 hours. Funky in the beginning, it has quickly evolved to old leather, damp earth, mushrooms, cherry tart and old spice. Fantastic harmony of super velvety tannins, juicy acidity, precise structure, great palate and perfume to die for. Gorgeous wine!
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Not as good as last time but still great. A lot funkier for one, full of gym socks, earthy funk, VA on the nose. Palate is a melange of blackberry fruit, black olives and balsamic vinegar. Feels significantly more evolved this time.
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Cork was moldy but opened nicely with medium garnet almost brick color. Initial nose lots of Brett with cockroaches smell. 2 hrs of decanting it presented with a perfume of baked berries, old leather & tobacco with nuances of sweet clove. Prominent baked cherry and juicy acidity on the palate with dull spices. Resolved tannins, medium body and the finish is not as long as expected. After 4hrs in, wet teabag finish and firmer tannins with a more rounded mouth puckering finish
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Too hard to pass up so I opened another. killer. The nose on this is outrageous. I may consider revising my estimate and say it may last for 5-10 years at peak instead of my previous stated 5 max. Maybe it was the bottle showing better but it had a bit more power and just strutted it’s stuff.
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Brick red. Phenolic aroma of varnish, cut with fresh blackberries, blackberry jam and flowers. Flavour of blackberries too, hints of lavendar and oak. Very dry, with aromatic sweetness. Excellent.
Relativ viel Säure, aber nicht unangenehm. Erinnert stilistisch eher an einen Supertuscan. Tannine sehr seidig. Alles ausgewogen und rund, super Trinkfluss!
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Wow. In the running for WOTY. Gorgeous berries, earth, and leather. Phenomenal round tannins with balanced acidity. Decanted for 2 hrs. This wine is ready to go it’s prime drinking. Will def be opening these up at 2-3b/yr. Feels like it’s got 5 years before it starts to decline slowly. Just overall incredible wine with insane QPR.
$80+ Blind Tasting Old World (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Cloudy with lots of turbidity, looks old; tanned leather, sweet red fruit, somewhat cooked fruit, spices galore, almost Bretty and volatile but stays clean, in CdP initially but came to my senses and positive it was Musar.
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Drank two bottles with lunch today (restaurants are closed here from 6pm, because obviously having dinner at lunchtime keeps us safe from Covid).
So, as an experiment, one bottle was double decanted last night about 14 hours before drinking, and the other at 8am, so about 5 hours before. Both had quite high acidity initially as I tasted the dregs from the decants.
They were both excellent bottles, but the one with 5 hours open retained much more acetone on the nose and a sweeter slightly richer feel overall; the 13 hour decant was more refined, a little more acidic bite. Frankly the difference between them could have been bottle variation and the table were split 50/50 on which they preferred.
So, all in all, these are still very much in their drinking window.
Color: Transparent ruby center, turning pale towards the edges. Nose: Huge difference compared to the '00 vintage; no VA, quite a muted nose that didn't really open up or evolve at all after opening; prominent cherry compote, while its bbq meat and leather components remained insubstantial throughout the evening. Palate: Medium body; cherry compote and juicy acidity dominate; not much else, except maybe a certain wooden note in the background, although it feels like the oak has been fully integrated; medium finish; remains closed like the nose. PQR: Ok (~42€) Readiness to drink: Yes, and hopefully not past peak yet. Other notes: 4-12 hours in decanter; small amount of very fine sediment in the bottle; original cork, about 1/3 soaked, and seemingly in good shape, but broke in half even though both cork screw and prongs were used; technically there seemed to be nothing wrong with the wine, it was just lacking most of the elements that made the '00 so good, and I can't help but feel a bit disappointed; three more to go, and I really hope this one was just a bad bottle.
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Wat problemen met het openen. De kurk was vrij broos, ik was bij mijn ouders en mijn Ah-So vergeten. Uiteindelijk toch maar heen en weer gereden. Niet de beste TN, want pas later opgeschreven. Maar deze fles maakte mij blij, voelde als iets speciaals.
Twee uurtjes in de karaf en dat kon meer dan prima, geen speurtje van vermoeiheid en leeftijd. Diep paarse kleur. Complete wijn met goed geintegreerde tannines en hout. Hartig en kruidig met lichtzoete tonen. Zwarte bessen, kersen, pure chocolade en oosterse specerijen. Zuurtje houdt het sprankelend bij de lichtzoete achtertonen.
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Two half bottles with Christmas dinner. Both were double-decanted with care. Very different corks, very different colours. The ageing, but still more richly coloured wine came from a bottle with a discoloured cork (coloured the whole length, with mould under the capsule but no obvious ullage) and this slowly opened to show a characteristic Musar. Enjoyable with plenty of fruit, spice, and character still. The second half bottle (bought at the same time) had a perfect cork. However, it was significantly browner and much paler. It showed the dreaded VA and was poor but still had some character. I was the only one who found it drinkable (I would never throw Musar away!) Make of this what you will. I won’t consider scoring either.
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Fruit pastilles, red fruit, cool smell. Rich and spicy smell, leathery. Orange peel. Savoury and slightly smokey with sweet fruit. Complex and satisfying. Medium bodied and a touch of crispy tannin left. Wonderful.
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w/ K&C Christmas Eve dinner. Absolutely magnificent. Fully resolved and mature, exhibiting fruit, leather, sous-bois, a hint of cedar, rich and mouth filling with a long and evolving finish. 1st bottle of this vintage, glad I have another but wish it were more...
Decanted for 5 hours. Cork and bottle in perfect condition. Lots of barnyard funk on the nose, very red fruited and complex on the palate. Savory, herbal, smoky, leathery but fruit at the forefront. Smooth soft tannins but plenty of structure. This went well with our lamb dinner and was a close 2nd for WOTN.
Clear medium garnet. Intense aromas of red cherry, strawberries, leather, balsamic, smoke. Medium+ acidity, resolved tannins, taste of cherry, plum, dried fruits. In color, aromas and taste resemble aged burgundy. Medium finish.
11x Bdx & Bdx Blends from around the World: Tasted double blind. For a long time, the legendary Musar was on my bucket list but somehow we never crossed paths. It was instantly clear, that this is a something special, something different as I couldn’t really get a grasp on what this could be. It had the structure and absolute Burgundian weightlessness of a great wine but an aroma profile and feel I’ve never had before. This is quite special and I liked it a lot. If this would have been more complex and with a touch higher precision, it could be even a world class wine. The group didn’t like it that much (ranked last) but my interest in tasting more of these wines has only grown.
TN: Intoxicating nose with reduction, dark and dark red fruit underneath. On the palate the same reductiveness, fine red fruit, quite beautiful sweetness, nice fresh and candied berries, some herbs, some slight leathery aromas. Medium complexity and precision. Very light, molten tannins, high but very-well integrated freshness. This is weightless, absolutely weightless. Wird immer schöner.
Group rank (9 ppl): 10th out of 10 wines
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Another incredibly aged musar. Has it all and then some! 5 hours in the decanter and still getting better (in disbelief). Probably the best aged QPR that I know of.
High acid, soft but present (not drying) tannins and a melange of aged leather, dried fruits, and Brett (in the best of ways)
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Served blind. What's that smell? Curry? fennel? sharpie? lots of VA here. It smells like a biryani dish I just made with tons of garam masala. No, actually it smells like the vinegary chutney I used. A very lifted/floating kind of bouquet from all the volatility. Twizzlers, fennelseed, dried cherry. Bizarre wine, only one thing I know that does this so I guess '95 Musar.
With the fam. Cork: 1mm soaked but then ~1cm soaked through on one side. Crumbly soft cork - felt damp. Not atypical for Musar around this age. Poured into a wide decanter an hr before. Out of the bottle, pale garnet with strong tertiary aromas bruised apples, light Brett, perfumed florals. Tamari savoriness. Dried raspberry. And an immediately present core of tertiary cassis. This is post inflection and in the “tertiary intensification” phase and I’m excited to see where it goes!
After just a few minutes, a dark, toasted, verging on reductive or singed blackberry aroma - almost slight anise note emerges - reminds me of the ‘72.
After an hour, the tertiary tamari blackberry-cassis note was very clear and quite vocal. This is in a beautiful place and will probably intensify over the next few decades. Based on this, I’m inclined to say Kirk was right - this may be on a grand trajectory that might resemble the ‘95.
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red fruited and fresh on the nose, herbacious, some barnyard, sous-bois. seemed rather progressed aged to me. had lost a bit of tensions and seemed "tired".
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Weinkongress 2021 (Restaurant Sonne Leuggern): - Tasted blind - Nose: Somewhat reductive nose, medium intense aromas of popcorn. In addition, the red fruit with strawberries and plums is subliminally recognisable. The reductive aromas are too strong, especially at the beginning, they dissipate a little with time. - Palate: Is simply sexy, has a sweet touch of again candied plums and strawberries. Velvety tannins that are well integrated. Unfortunately a little too little acidity (medium) and also not extremely long on the finish. - An exciting bordeaux blend from Lebanon but cannot keep up with the medium/high class bordeaux in terms of ageing potential (it doesn't have to for this price). Should be drunk now. - 89-90 points
Tasted double-blind as part of a random mixed Bordeaux-blend line-up. Slightly reductive with hints of popcorn, a bit of heat, dry tobacco, dried vanilla beans and other dried herbs. Also chemical features like gasoline. Fruit moves to the back stage here. Lots of tension with electric acidity. Maybe lacking some mid-palate structure, but otherwise nice red fruit and a good length finish. I think there is sufficient structure here to age in bottle quite a bit longer, but at the same time I’m afraid this won’t be getting any better. Best to enjoy now.
Upon opening, nose of cherry, cranberry, leather, tar, and brett. Palette is quite smooth, with notes of prune juice, leather, tobacco, and tar.
2 hours into drinking the barnyard and leather nose toned down a bit. Red fruits emerged further. Palette is still smooth, cranberry and cherry notes became more prominent. Leather and tar toned down.
6 hours into drinking the wine became very fragrant - Red fruits, grilled meats, licorice. Barnyard and brett faded away, with meat stock notes emerging. Palette is smooth and the fruit and savoury elements are well balanced. Medium plus acidity - the wine tastes fresh with a 20 second finish.
This wine has lots to offer if you have the patience for it. Amazing value for money!
Decanted for two hours. Medium to light garnet colour. Sweet red fruit, red cherry, red plum, spices, herbal notes, balsamic notes, leather, tobacco, game, and ethereal notes, with lively acidity, fully resolved tannin, an oily texture, and superb length. Captivating; intense, and very balanced and harmonious at the same time. In a great place! A beautiful Musar.
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Thanksgiving wine. Decanted for sediment, poured a small glass, and left the remainder for an hour. Bit of brett on the nose, but quite pleasant and in balance with leather and vegetal aromas. High acid, red berries, cranberries and strawberries on the palate. Also get an orange or citrus component. Overall well balanced. Still feels quite young and I have no doubt it will age elegantly for many more years, but also drinking very well now. Thought it drank well right from the initial pour.
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It's Thanksgiving and I am pouring this Cabernet Sauvignon. But here's the kicker, this wine is so unique that it doesn't even look like a Cab. Blended with Cinsault and Carignan it always shows a very pale reddish orange hue in the glass. It looks like aged Burgundy. The nose is as expected- full of earth, stewed cherry, forest floor, strawberry, red licorice, pomegranate, dried cranberry, meaty, farmyard..... Wow. The palate is super smooth. Slightly tart, it has very fine-grained tannins and complex flavors of red fruit, oaky notes of toast and layers of tertiary flavors like farmyard, stewed fruit, dried fruit and meat. The body is light to medium and the finish is long. Another spectacular bottle of Lebanese decadence that will drink well forever. The last '98 Musar I had was in Magnum, this one a bit more developed but showing no signs of throttling back. Read about my last tasting here. This truly is a remarkable wine that gets 94 points. At $80 it is a 5 star treat.
Started out very funky and prune juice-ish, but after decanting and letting it breathe over a couple of hours, it really opened up and came into its own. Drinking great, with a beautiful long finish. Feels like it had many years left in it.
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Amazing treat, having a pre-millennium bottle, 23 years old now and what struck me first was the almost pale garnet ?? hues, and then that funk.
Quickly though, it goes away leaving a surprisingly lively and super smooth wine from Lebanon which still has all the red fruits in its profile, and the oak comes through as it develops.
With this age, tannins are smooth and seamless, and it's likely in its perfect drinking window! Thanks @[1|9482449|Mika Tyson Teau] for the treat,and my 200th Vivino review this year!
My home, Malaysia - Nov 2021
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👀 Deep garnet in the middle and at the edge with a tinge of orange. 👃Left standing overnight to allow the sediments to settle at the bottom. Decanted for an hour. The 23 year old vintage opens up to complex notes of barnyard, leather and black fruits like plum and black cherries penetrating through. The attack are sour cherry. Licorice and vanilla at mid palate. Finishing with almonds or marzipans, wet soil and salinity. 👅 Bright acidity despite its age, medium bodied, silky tannins and medium- intensity. Well structured. Long and elegant finish. 💭 Drinks well now after some decanting time. Don’t hold almost past peak.
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From 375ml. Cork was a test, use ah-so, not corkscrew. Decanted 20 mins. Earthy mocha on the nose, but as powder, coffee grounds and cocoa powder mixed together. All confirmed on the palette with some tart cherry. Beautiful long finish. Some herbiness developing on the nose by end of first glass. Maybe charred wood too. So delicate. Medium acid, low tannin. Strawberry showing up by end of first glass on the palette and finish. Impeccable balance, ethereal. Fruit catches up on the nose on the second glass, strawberry, red cherry. Great length. Now some meatiness on the nose at end of second glass. Some tomato on the palette too. Also orange peel by the end of the third glass. I will be seeking out so much more of this.
Medium garnet. Cork held up great. On the nose, pronounced perfume of sour plum, strawberry, hawthorn, sweet spices, earth, and leather. Medium body, high acidity, and velvety tannins. I could maybe nitpick the length a little bit, but overall a very well balanced and enjoyable wine.
Drinks with Jerming (Casa Esperanza): Such a compelling wine - this kept changing and shifting over the evening. Tonight, it took 3 hours in the decanter to really open up. The nose was really funky at first, almost gym socks and leather, but this slowly evolved into a sweet and savoury melange of sour cherry and wild berries, roasted meats and earth, preserved oranges and black tea, and then just that little edge of spice and menthol at the sides. With time, a little floral twang started coming out as well. Such an entrancing bouquet, getting more and more savoury with time. It was lovely on the palate too - here I got hawthorn berry and dried strawberries, orange peel and mint, and then a thread of chalky earth, and a hint of mineral pulling away into the finish. Still youthful, with fresh, vibrant acidity and a little chew of fine tannins lending the wine a sense of noble structure. Lovely finish too, with a twist of sweet black tea floating away into the distance. So different after 3 hours from the rather stinky, slightly flat showing when we first opened it. So complex, and so giving. This was slowly stepping into its drinking window, but I would happily lay it aside for another 5-10 years - I think it will be fantastic when it hit its stride.
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Bouchon brisé et nez inquiétant, à la limite du bouchonage. Le vin est très avancé, trop pour l’âge mais encore bon. Sous-bois, épices. Léger malgré une belle longueur.
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Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan from vineyards near the Bekaa Valley villages of Aana and Kefraya on gravelly soils over limestone at 1000 m. with old bushvines of average age 40 yrs and low yield of 15-35 hl/ha. Manual harvest. Up to 4 week maceration. Long fermentation at below 30*C by ambient yeast. Aged 12 months in French Nevers oak. Unfined, unfiltered. Bottle aged 4 years in deep stone cellars. Released 7 years after harvest. 13.5% Abv. History: Founded by Gaston Hochar in 1930. Son Serge (1939-2014) took charge as winemaker from 1959. Contemporary Management: Ronald (second son of Gaston), Gaston and Marc (sons of Serge), Ralph (son of Ronald)
A(ccuray)=2: Med pale brick/garnet. Perfumed, mature Cab blend. B(alance)=3: Perfectly integrated tertiary components. C(omplexity)=2: Berry preserve, leather, truffle, incense. D(epth)=1: Silky mouthfeel. Good length and finish.
Wine Tally Score [2,3,2,1]= 8/10
Gracefully and gratifyingly mature with no nit to pick. Even the notorious bit of brett has found its rightful niche.
For story-telling label graphics, see: [https://www.instagram.com/p/CTtwWDjMs9N/] [https://www.facebook.com/WineTally/] For a unique multimedia resource, see [https://winetally.wixsite.com/vingnette]
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Musar Vertical: This is much darker and meatier on the nose than the 1997, it's quite wild and animal with leather and barnyard notes. A powerhouse without a doubt and a real contrast to the finely woven 1997. The palate is meaty and stuffed with beautiful ripe dark fruit. Also lots of spice especially on the finish. Very complex with almost infinite potential. 19+/20
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Pop and pour. The wine looks garnet, brick colored. Big leather, tobacco and smoky nose. It tastes very complicated, like fig, raisin, plum and medium toast. Changing over time. The tannins are fully matured. Great!
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Alive and kicking. Great acidity. Strong orange peel even after 5 hr decant. Menthol in the background. Wonderful sweetness. Can’t get enough of these.
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1 hour decanted, pale tawny colour with instant aroma of dried fig, blackcurrant jam, cinnamon & clove. Full bodied, rich and warming, mocha and cocoa, fig & bramble. Very smooth with soft fully integrated tannins. Very good, typical Musar long finish. No rush to drink this at all.
Third vintage of Musar which I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying. Both the previous 2002 and 2003 vintages I’d enjoyed at 9-10 years of age. This Label has an incredible ability to age. At almost 23 years, this can easily “compete” with many comparable Bordeaux’s.
This particular bottle was stood up and decanted for about 60 minutes. Enjoyed with a roasted boneless leg of lamb, mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach. Cork disintegrated into three pieces using an “Ah-so” cork puller and then a “screw” to extract the remaining 1/3. Decanted with lots of sediment. Lighter side of medium ruby. Mature, with highly aromatic and complex notes: spicy red berry, stewed plum, dried fig, cooked cherry, old leather, herbal tea, decayed forest floor. Structure completely integrated but still enough “umph” to support a medium finish. Drink now as this is unlikely to improve with further cellaring; however, this could maintain for another 2-3+ years. Impressive.
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Colour is pale ruby fading to garnet. Nose is typical Musar, leather, cloves, currants, spicy and enticing. The palate reflects this. Typical Musar, but age has brought harmony, elegance and integration. It is elegant and complex, yet powerful. Unique wine, and lovely with this age on it.
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A really stunning wine—a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, and Carignan with apparently a little more Cinsault than is usual. The recommendation is to decant but I found it ready upon opening. The bouquet is explosive—sweet cherry (almost like an aged Barbaresco), a little mint, tobacco, and leather. The palate is surprisingly light and nimble—tart red fruits, more mint, and some dark chocolate at the end. The wine has pronounced acidity and well integrated tannins, making it just as wonderful with food as alone.
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Decanted while I was prepping dinner, but naturally I dipped in for some sips. It started out with tart cherries, savory herbal notes, and this pleasant acidic tension, for lack of a better way to describe it. But then it continued to evolve, with darker fruits coming out (blackberries? dark cherries?), and even a bit of seville orange jam around the edges. The tannins are softer, but still present, and with our simple grilled lamb loin chops and sage-roasted baby blue potatoes - the wine just "melted" into all of it for the absolute perfect match. Sure seems like it has plenty of life left to me, and it may even get better - but it's drinking awful well right now. I wouldn't usually pay the premium to purchase a library wine - would rather get it on release - but really glad I did so in this case. So much fun to find wines like this ...
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This is drinking so well right now, but decant for at least an hour. At first open the nose was all funk, but after an hour in a decanter it blew off to show some lovely raspberry notes. Sweetness and acidity nicely balanced, with a whisper of tannins to provide structure.
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Nicely resolved tannins. Very distinct honeyed note that I don't get in red wines very often. A hint of animale. Excellent balance. Does not blow me out of the water but this is a very good example of a nicely aged red wine. This was purchased from wineaccess, I would say based on the condition of this wine that their provenance is impeccable.
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Super nose – great breadth, relaxed and open. Lovely rich cherry fruits, dried fruits, really ‘smooth’ feel, spicy and floral (dried rose), layers of cigar box, tobacco, some very well-behaved VA notes. Mellow I suppose.
More wet tobacco on the attack, rich pockets of sweet dark and red fruits, smoke, fresh tobacco, raisin. The tannins feel resolved, just a touch of sand… wow, this was brilliant – really clean, lovely balance, loads to think about. Yum!!
Old red colour, with a hint of brown. A bit watery around the edge. Beautiful deep nose. Dark berries, velvety and very good. Alive and kicking, with a long finish.
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Vertical Musar online tasting from 50ml bottle. Pale garnet, orange/brown at the rim. Mature nose, perfumed with warm spice, cinnamon & orange. Mature fruit backed by good acidity, plum, prune, raisin & dark chocolate. Well balanced with a long finish. My personal favourite of the vertical tasting.
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Chateau Musar Virtual Vertical with Nickolls and Perks (Zoom): There's red fruit to the fore on the nose - a warm and inviting nose. Crushed raspberries, and almost some sweet pastry aromas. Certainly one of the more Burgundian Musars on show tonight. Very good palate. Gosh, this is proper Musar. Loads of interest.
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At its best now. Opened 5h before tasting woth slow oxygenation. Ripeness just perfect. Fantastic old bordeaux colour and nose of cedar and cigar. Always a pleasure to drink Musar. Would not wait too much for spare bottles.
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Lovely mature Musar. Had it last month with harissa lamb chops. No notes taken. I remember it as what I think is a typical Musar: a good quality left bank Bordeaux with a very funky twist. Fully mature, but still some life left in this one, and strong enough to stand up to lamb.
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Executive Summary: At 3 hours slo-ox this wine was brilliant. Cork began to crumble as the corkscrew entered so I was extra cautious opening. Fully soaked at the bottom, the cork broke off at the very end of removal but was able to complete extraction with the remaining cork intact. Opulent aromas exploded out of the bottle even before the remaining cork was fully removed -- heat, dark plums, cedar, cigar box, and smoke on the nose. I decided to slo-ox and not decant because the nose was so fragrant -- I worried the decant may break-up what promises to be an excellent wine. At one hour I poured 2oz and the nose was brilliant -- earthy, cedar, singed wood, mushrooms; on the palate nice minerality, red cherries, slightly tannic but delicious. The wine softened over the next hour+ with the tannins resolving into a luscious earthy cherry finish. After 2.5 hours it was served with Musakhan over cardamom Basmati rice and the wine remained fragrant with gentle minerality on the palate revealing delicious earthy and smoky flavors of red cherry and plum followed by a smooth savory finish for 30 seconds. A fantastic performance.
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For me one of the best non-Bordeaux Claret I've had. Indeed it was light as one person mentioned but the palate and aromas, and the weight on the palate belied it's light color in the glass. At dinner so this is the best I've have for you. Sorry
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Always a pleasure to drink a well aged Musar, and the '98 was no exception.
Pale, almost translucent garnet. The aromatics really came out after an hour in the decanter--exotic spices, leather, tobacco, and a core of red fruits that still exhibited some freshness. This is lighter bodied on the palate than other Musars, but nicely balanced with vibrant acidity.
This showed wonderfully, and I suspect is just hitting its peak. Drink over the next 5-10 years.
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Cork clearly dead and popped out with one coravin push, but what a wine. Medium body, tobacco, spice notes that remind of Iranian “advieh”. Can only imagine what a well conditioned bottle tastes like. Leave it for at least 45min after opening and don’t make the coravin mistake I did.
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Drank this at Tunglok Xihe, Orchard Central, with a group of newly-found wine mates for the Chateau Musar vertical dinner.
3rd wine of the 2nd flight. This wine, from a cooler vintage, is lighter in texture and carries less weight on the palate. On the nose, the perfume is less pronounced, with some rain mist, wild mushrooms, followed by unripe berries and cherries. Some sweetness and juiciness in the finish.
Good twist from the other wines in the flight.
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A gently bricking red, shared with my (French) in-laws as they visited at long last to meet my daughter for the first time.
Opened yesterday lunchtime, cork fell to pieces. Single decanted, managed to avoid getting cork in the wine. At first, fairly uninspired, tasting of just "old wine". After half an hour or so, starting to sing, and after an hour, it was absolutely belting.
A strong acid structure, resolved tannins and delicious umami and savoury tertiary notes.
Day 2: showing much more its age, with pencil shavings and cigar box (cedars of Lebanon!) notes. Lost a bit of its savouriness and starting to wilt, albeit still with that bracing acidity.
Overall a stunning bottle. I drank a '99 about 16 months ago and this is similar enough that I wouldn't have known the difference at that distance (might be a different case if I tried them side by side).
FIL was astounded that I had managed to get a 23 year old wine, and equally surprised that it was from the Lebanon. He thought it was "strong" compared to what he normally drinks (relatively young Rhone wines like Gigondas).
MIL was amazed at the colour, and compared it to the bricks in the garden wall outside, which it matched surprisingly accurately.
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Decanted for an hour but not even close to ready, so this was rebottled for the next day. Of note, the cork was pretty fragile and dried out but the wine didn’t seem oxidized. Pale lighter red without any obvious bricking. Some Brett on the nose and the palette, which is just on the border of being too much. Slight cloudiness. Light medium body. Not a lot of fruit but plenty of acid and still a fair bit of tannin. Baking spices on the palate: cinnamon, pepper, touch of vanilla. It’s aged well. The taste of the wine reminds me of wood paneled libraries. Not a loud wine. More thoughtful. This is a wine that needs to be appreciated alone and not so much with food, which would distract from what the wine is trying to say.
Give this wine plenty of time to develop after opening. You’ll be rewarded.
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Third bottle, two previous were flawed. Decanted 1 hour. Garnet with bricking hues. Medium body, fully integrated tannins, some acidity left. Tobacco, leather, balsamic strawberries, meaty and oriental spice notes. Still good but behind the peak. Drink up.
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Christ almighty, what an amazing wine for lamb steak at Easter evening. Ruby red in colour. Full bodied. Decanter for an hour before diving into it. Leather, tobacco, smoke. Velvety on the palate. Round and looong. The cork was, as always, drenched through but did not affect the flavour.
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Strong funk on the nose with earth, leather, and pencil lead. On the palate the tannins are fully reaolved, and the acid is fading into the background. Strawberry and stewed fruit. Very very nice. This bottle is right in its plateau.
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Earth, leather and pencil nose. Totally integrated tannins, supporting acidity, medium body. Mushroomy mouth, some stewed fig and blue fruits. Fully mature but not suffering. 11 more for the next 2-3 years!
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I have not had this vintage for 6 years but it has certainly opened up since then. Terracotta colour and and the taste suggest it will not improve more but at present very powerful nose, big, concentrated spicy fruit but possibly slightly too volatile for own good. Still enjoyed it if I do feel the 1997 & 1999 were better balanced.
Zoom tasting of Musar wines, hosted by Auriol Wine, Hampshire, UK with wines introduced by Elliott O'Mara of Chateau Musar UK. The last of three vintages in the tasting, the others being 2014 and 2010. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, cinsault and carignan. It was a pleasure to be able to taste a Musar at 23 years of age, and to be able to contrast it with the younger 2014 and 2010 vintages. Definite ageing when seen in the glass, orangey/rust, slightly cloudy. Deep chocolate and orange nose. The palate shows its maturity, plenty of blackcurrant fruit, softness and perfectly balanced. Good length with some spice, warming after taste. Very good. But I'd suggest at its peak now, though like most Musars it will keep longer if you want to.
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Delicious. Starting to brick at the edges. Noes is filled with dried flours and potpourri. Ripe cherry, mushroom, leather, tobacco, and orange peel fill the palate. Tannins are almost fully resolved. Nice acidity.
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Pale, brick red, mahogany rim; typical Musar nose - hint of VA, meaty, attenuated, funky; lifted acidity, piquant, savoury. Splendid expansive finish, undermined by an edgy denouement. Best drunk soon.
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Double decanted and let sit for about 4 hours (taking small tastes periodically). Early on--smoke/tobacco leaf/and some berries in the background. Evolved to bring out more of the berries as the time went on. Was perfectly balanced throughout--medium to light body with light tannins. Paired with leg of lamb and sauce marchand de vin. Highly recommend.
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This was a really delightful accompaniment to the Haggis for a Burns Night lockdown dinner party. Opened and decanted three hours before dinner, this was fruity, spicy and went so well with the neaps ‘n’ tatties. A fine wine with depth, breadth and length. Loved it.
I've had a few of these over the last 12 months. They consistently delight. Just terrific. See prior notes for more detail. Be sure to allow time for a long decant.
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One really difficult judgement. Having read Pedro Ballesteros Torres review in Decanter, 2020, where the wine was tasted over a week - I was lucky finding a bottle and set out to recreate the drawn out tasting, enjoying it with family in Christmas days. Opening was a delicate matter as the wine had seeped a little from the end of the cork, and it crumbled in the 4/5 of its length. The remainder cooperated and was retractable in one. First impression and first day was at first yellow-brown classic old wine coloration, and being on the brink of seeming overdue. After an hour or two it improved with still some fruit, raisins and some barnyard, leathery perhaps for some. On the second day we agreed it was basically wasted, very farmyard, seemingly over the hill. Decided to keep the rest until day 4, as suggested peak in the review above. So with some skepticism here we arrived - and, alas, on day four the wine is suddenly revealing much more vinous fruit, classic old mature, acidity has returned enough that it has basically come back - is it perhaps the process of turning into vinegar that brings forward the acidity. On this fourth day it is not only a really nice glass of wine, and through and through I would say 92, even if today it is better than that. More importantly though, but hard to capture in a grade of taste, the joy it has brought over these days learning its development and sharing it in family has actually been priceless.
This wine grew and grew. I double decanted it three hours before Christmas lunch and it smelt like wet leaves and had a closed taste. By lunch it had opened up very nicely with spiced fruit and liquorice flavours. A further two hours later it had more of a figgy, nutty flavour. A very enjoyable Musar with a few years of life left in it.
Medium garnet red with a bit of sediment and bricking edges. Aged nose with tobacco, cherries and earthiness. Medium tannins (6/10) and medium body. A bit of tomato on the palate with solid acidity, leather, red plums and earth. Long finish. Drink till 2032.
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Decanted for one hour. This is in a great place. The nose shows wild strawberries, garrique and spice. The palate is transparent and nicely balanced. It builds volume over the course of the evening indicating a long life ahead. But it’s delicious and complex now with black cherry, strawberry, herbs, and a little funk showing through. Drink now but it should last and develop over the next 5-10 years.
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From a very questionable bottle with cork fuller soaked through and some signs of seepage. One hour decant. Transparent garnet with noticeable bricking. Interesting nose with rose petals, barnyard, cigar, some interesting spices I couldn't quite place along with some pruney and port-like notes. Medium bodied with medium low acid and fully integrated tannins. Some definite cigar notes continued on the palate, along with dried figs, cinnamon, candied fruit, some good savory-ness mid-palate and a linger finish. Maybe a bit exotic for my wife, but I found it excellent.
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Transparent garnet yellowish rim suggesting maturity. Lovely autumn leaves, hint of undergrowth, mint, dried black and red currant, cedar, tobacco, leather with touch of smoky, meaty and peppery. Mid weight, velvet, qquite refreshing, savoury and delightful dried red fruits. Fully mature at its best now.
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Now fairly mature and fully softened out. Decanted 30 mins before serving; 60 might have been better, but this is now I think too old for the long decant sometimes recommended for Musar. The cork disintegrated with every available corkscrew.
Wine Night #2 Commanderie @ GWC!: 1998 and 1999 served side by side tonight. Slight brett and funk on the nose. Cherries, spices, rose, tea. Interesting! Classical on the palate and well aged. Enjoyed this a lot tonight. Bravo! 92/93
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During a blind tasting dinner. Served double blind, the 1998 and 1999 side by side as a pair. Farmyard on the nose, a touch bretty but not overbearing. Lots of red cherry and also spices. Light and crisp on the palate. As so often with Musar, teh nose points towards Bordeaux, the palate has a Southern Rohne twist with Cincsault and Carmenere being lighter, sweeter and more red fruited than a normal Cab/Merlot blend. Both wine showed well and were similar with the 1999 may be being just a touch too bretty, costing it a point.
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Made the mistake of drinking this too fast. The remainder was outstanding the next day. It showed earth, barnyard notes, and sweet dried figs and prunes intermixed with eastern spices. Its well on the other side of peak but still very good. DRINK
Decanted for an hour. The wine is fully mature and has evolved gracefully with fully resolve tannins and a light on its feet, transparent quality. The nose shows cranberries, tobacco and a little funk. On the palate there is an interesting and complex mix of flavors ranging from cranberries, raspberries, roast meats and spices. The wine lacks a little fruit concentration in the mid palate which might reflect that its declining but otherwise holding up quite well. I would drink these soon over the next few years.
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This has a ton of coarse sediment so probably best to stand it up for a few days before opening and carefully decant as the sediment is easily dislodged. This is a very good Musar that’s on the feral side of the fence...there’s lots of blood, iron, smoke, and acetone along with the tart black cherry fruit. Seems like it would be a great match with a dry aged steak or wild game.
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A superb wine. Colour starts to fade and is a bit cloudy, but not the aromas. It delivers intense leather and forest aromas both at nose and on palate. Structure is still strong that the acidity is not taking over. The fruit has became tertiary and it more on the ripe red cherries side. It is round and smooth on palate, not at all angular. It is best for those who enjoy old, developed wines. Should stay delicious for another 3-5 years before going down the slope, as fruit might not be sufficient to support extended cellaring.
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Decanted for about 5h before drinking. Very ripe, almost slightly rotten strawberries, blood and iron, quite smoky, some barnyard and tobacco on the nose; very complex and multi-layered. Soft palate, quite evolved, more so than the 1997, with very sweet fruit; again these ripe strawberries, all somehow "honeyed", with juicy blood orange on the long finish. Reminds me a bit of a mature Nebbiolo but of course much more funky. With more time in the glass the acidity increases and the wine gets more freshness. But quite smoky for a Musar. Just gets better from glass to glass, as a top wine should. Drinking beautifully, but no hurry of course. 18.5/20
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Just super. Used a two prong cork remover but don't think I needed to do so. Very little penetration of the cork, so more time in the cellar if you are inclined. Sediment is present, take your time pouring. Pale red rusty color with an incredible nose. Gave this a 3 hour decant, but cheated with a little pour in the glass right away to mark its evolution. Out of the bottle there was strong stone earth, ripe berries and potent minerals, along with other softer floral notes. Given proper time to breathe everything blends harmoniously together to delight the senses. It becomes quite elegant if you have patience to give it the decant-time required. Really loved this wine. There is nothing else quite like it. Drinking fabulously.
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Drunk over two nights, decanted one hour on first night. Cork broke, mostly as I didn't put the cork screw in far enough.
Nose was mostly secondary and tertiary, with a small amount of red berry fruit. Sense of the earth and terroir here. Notes of tobacco, cigar box cedar wood. Palate was expressive, balanced, refined tannins and medium acidity. Reminds me more of a mature nebbiolo than a Bordeaux, with tar, blood iron, violets, roses, and tobacco.
It's smooth, complex, medium / long finish, but supple and expressive. A really lovely wine. Held up virtually unchanged overnight.
You never know what to expect with Musar. This (750ml) bottle (direct from Musar's HK distributor a few months ago and stored carefully) had a horribly dried out cork which took a lot of careful effort with a two prong and a corkscrew to get out.
The bottle had been upright for 12 hours and I then decanted it for about 2.5 hours before starting to drink. On initial opening, a taste of the dregs (there was quite a bit of sediment) showed quite a strong classic Musar nose, fairly strong fruit, and the colour was quite rich.
However, after 2.5 hours there had been a big change - the colour had rapidly developed a tawny hue and appeared much more translucent, and on the palate the wine was much lighter, with acidity more to the fore than the fruit. The palate was reasonably complex but rather lightweight and not up to the food we were eating. We left half the bottle until about 5 hours after opening/decanting and it evolved further, with the acidity moderating and the fruit coming more prominent. However, although it was now well-balanced, it was still quite a delicate wine.
It seems to me that the 1998 is now in a later middle-age phase where it needs pairing with relatively subtle foods, rather than the more strongly-flavoured foods which pair well with younger vintages.
Musar is the chameleon of wine! Depending on the vintage mature Musar leans either leans to Bordeaux, to Burgundy or Rhone. This was packed with clean red berry notes of raspberry, morello cherry, some raspberry jam, and some spices. Well balanced red fruit acidity and very mellow tannins. Blindly it was like a warm vintage Burgundy or a much ypunger PN from say Austria or Pfalz. A pleasure to indulge. 93/100
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Possibly wine of the year so far. This was singing last night. Decanted for over an hour & then drunk very quickly with some beef koftas. Life-affirming stuff. Like a Burgundian souther’ Rhône with a bit of Nebbiolo flowers. Sweet cherry fruit, melting tannins and freshness. Delicious.
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Broadbent imported. Decanted, some sediment at the bottom 0.5-1oz. A relatively pale light-medium ruby color with slight bricking; nose is highly aromatic from first pour with red fruit, complex spices, a bit of musk; palate is medium bodied, fresh vibrant high acidity throughout which is quite striking, alcohol seems medium and very well balanced (bottle says 13.5% but could easily be lower), red fruited, very slight VA which gives almost a sweet character to the red fruit despite being dry; finish is medium length. For Musar this shows surprisingly well out of the bottle, though I expect it will improve with some air time. The elegance here is striking. 92+ 1.5 hours decanted: Largely unchanged. Well balanced and lovely to drink. This hasn't evolved much since my last taste in 2016, and it's at early maturity at best. Could easily go another 10 years, though may not improve much more from here. 8 hours decanted: Interestingly, not that different from when I had first opened it. Maybe slightly better knit together, but not transformative as Musar usually us. That said, it started off in a pretty good place, so I'm not unhappy that it's largely the same. Lovely bottle, in an elegant stage.
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Full on the nose, very complex and interesting , cherry jam, raspberry, lather, skin of animal, sour plum. Medium body one the palate, acidic finish. The aroma us very different from my last bottle but the texture us similar.
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If you don’t have time to decant, save this for another night. Musar recommendation is 3 hours before you enjoy. I followed their suggestion, sipping a little along the way to check it’s progress. They are right. It’s fun out of the gate, but really settles down and sings at the 3-5 hour mark. So awesome. Full of minerals, fruit, and funk. It’s totally worth your time and money. Don’t pass on this treasure from Lebanon, and don’t expect it to be like anything you’ve tried out of France or the US. Great bottle.
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Stood up bottle 3 days prior. Decanted for 2 hours. Right away powerful aromatic nose. Plenty of vibrant red fruit still, redcurrant, sour cherries, raspberries. Incredibly well integrated with plenty of acidity remaining as well. Still so young and vibrant. Drinking perfectly now, but can easily age another 5-10 years
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This really stood out. It was really worth the flyer I took on it. Nose is big with some barnyard, smoke, complex. Palate is rich, earthy, porty, with some complexity I can't quite break out. Soft tannins round it out beautifully.
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Notes from day 2. N dark fruit, smoke, funk, P blueberries, dark plum, menthol, funk, spice, smoked meats F above average in length, good mouthfeel, Nice wine
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pnp. A lot of lightening at the edges and throwing a lot of sediment. Fully mature. Classic Musar nose of wood, plum, smoke and a touch of barnyard (which is why I buy it in the first place). Initially, it reveled a bit more brighter candied fruit but that disapated quickly to leave mostly oak, white pepper and spice. In the mouth is still tannic with not much flesh. weak finish. Fully mature and no need to wait any longer if you have some. Not unenjoyble. The 2000 I had last year was more pronounced with more weight.
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Today I opened three bottles for a dinner where I was curating the wines. I deliberately gave them different amounts of air to see the effect. All the wines had been upright in my wine fridge for 4 days to let the sediment settle.
The first bottle I opened I chose because it was showing a lower fill level and I was worried that it would be badly oxidised. The cork was a mess, but a Chateau Musar two-prong opener dealt with that. I decanted it (removing quite a lot of sediment) about 8 hours before we began to drink it, and put it back in the bottle about 2 hours later. The colour was a bit more brick/brown than the rich red of younger Musars, indicting some aging/oxidation, but the nose and a small sip on opening suggested that it wasn't badly flawed.
The second bottle I decanted 5 hours prior to drinking and put it back in the bottle 90 minutes later. The third bottle I decanted 2.5 hours prior to drinking and back in the bottle almost immediately. Both of these also had significant sediment (I threw out about 1.5cm of wine/sediment from each bottle).
All of the bottles had the classic Musar nose, although the first (low-fill) bottle showed less fruit. And so it continued on the palate: the low-fill bottle was clearly showing some age/oxidation, but not in a bad way - it was different: a bit less fruit, but other more complex flavours to the fore. I wonder if this is how much older Musars are, and this one had got there prematurely via a dodgy cork? I served it first and everyone liked it, albeit in a more contemplative way, teasing out the more subtle developed flavours. There was a definite oxidative note, but it added to the flavours rather than being a show-stopper.
The second and third bottles clearly were less aged without the leaky cork, showing lots of the intense Musar fruit which is so distinctive, on the nose and the palate. These were much more "classic Musar" - a bit of wow factor, very distinctive fruit, slightly barnyard, just a touch of acidity, all lingering on the palate. And the unanimous opinion was that 5 hours air was better than 3 in terms of the overall integration & smoothness.
So all in all, everyone was happy with all 3 bottles in their different ways. But it is clear that for bottles with a solid cork at least 5 hours air is a good thing.
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The vintage 1998 started off quite normally but the temperatures remained relatively cool until June. Quite typical, warm and dry summer. The blend is quite typical aka. one third of each Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, although the Cinsaut portion is slightly higher this vintage. 13,5% alcohol. Decanted for a few hours before tasting the wine.
Developed, pale brick-orange color with a light golden-yellow rim. Dry, dusty and savory nose with aromas of earthy spice, lingonberries, some appley tones, a little bit of crunchy cranberry, light smoky tones, a hint of bretty funk and a touch of sweet nail polish VA. Perhaps slightly lacking the vibrancy I've normally seen in this vintage. The wine is medium-to-moderately full-bodied, juicy and quite savory on the palate with flavors of brambly blackberries and boysenberries, some beef jerky tones and tangy soy sauce salinity, a little bit of phenolic smoke, light pruney tones, a hint of ripe forest fruits and a touch of smoky minerality. Nicely structured feel for its age with high acidity and still rather grippy, firm and textural tannins. The finish is quite grippy, complex and somewhat tertiary with flavors of wild strawberries, some pruney dark fruits, a little bit of salty beef jerky, light stony mineral notes, a hint of fresh, brambly blackberry and a touch of phenolic smoke.
An attractive, juicy and complex vintage of Musar, but also a classic example of the bottle variation in Musar: I've had this wine twice before and the first time it was somewhat awkard and perhaps slightly off and the other time it was among the best vintages in a vertical tasting. This time the wine was neither, but just an enjoyable example that didn't reach the heights of the best vintages, but didn't really feel off either - well, perhaps not counting the smoky tones that don't seem that typical of Musar. This was a nice and somewhat aged effort that is exhibiting some tertiary developed flavors of beef jerky and soy sauce, suggesting that the wine is either at its plateau of maturity or very close to it. Probably will keep for many more years, but I have a hunch there won't be that much development here anymore. Priced according to its quality at 39€.
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From 75cl bottle. Just decanted: Medium ruby. Nose of smoked meat, iron. Tart berry fruit, classic structure, good balance. Moderate length. Let's see after a few hours.
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Sadly (compared to Goldstone's earlier note) I was only at one of Marc Hochar's lesser wine dinners last week (we had the 2004 and the 2012), but elsewhere with friends on Saturday at ChomChomYomYom I offered a 1998. I had stood it upright for a few days in the wine fridge then double decanted about 3 hours prior to drinking (removing over 1cm of sludge).
The colour was immediately quite distinctive - much more brick red than the ruby of younger Musars. The nose was classic Musar with a touch of barnyard. On the palate there was a really nice balance of fruit with some nice bite and just a very light touch of tannin. The finish was moderately long and encouraged the next sip. It was universally regarded as the red wine of the evening. (Competition, by coincidence, including a Musar 2002 which was much more primary and straightforward.)
For me, unlike Goldstone, on the basis of this (my first bottle of 98) I see it as being in a good place right now.
Ch. Musar Dinner with Marc Hochar (The Bunker, Crown Wine Cellars, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Pre-decanted for around 8 hours by Marc Hochar. Translucent ruby in colour and appearance....heavily sedimented. Nose is quite heavy and unevolved. Palate is quite porty and somewhat mono-dimensional. Heady but blunt on the finish. I have drank this before with Marc and his father when it was much more open and attractive. I suspect that it is in a sullen late adolescent period. Re-visit in 3-5 years or give it an overnight double decant.
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Immediately properly classic Musar on the nose: VA, red fruit, a touch of brett. Really integrated on the palate. Lovely, open, soft roundness. Proper Musar.
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Ahh, hello Musar: Bretty, oxidised, leather, slight volatile acidity, meaty, charcuterie over sour red berries and plenty of sweet spice. Juicy acid offsets similar flavours on palate backed by silky tannins and alcoholic warmth on the finish.
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Much better than a previous bottle we tried a few months ago. This time we opened the bottle at lunch time for dinner and decanted an hour or so before drinking. Complex, long, spicy and very distinctive.
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From half bottle. Tawny / rusty red. Initial nose of grilled meat, then dried black fruit and mushroom. Sweet black fruit (prunes in particular), some mushroom on the palate, silky, enough acidity to be nicely balanced. Long finish.
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Somebody posted previously that this is like Port. They are so right. This is a gorgeous wine, with a super long finish, very refined tannins, currently at its peak, I would imagine. Ignore the comments that this is past its best. If you have a well preserved bottle, this is a superb wine, in a traditional Bordeaux style, like they used to make them. Terrific wine!
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Opened to accompany grilled steaks after hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. Bought this bottle at Cured, Boulder (thanks for the advice). Cork disintegrated, had to push it through. Medium garnet. Nose of red currant, thistle, floral notes, stone, meaty tones. Hearty layers of red currant, plum, beef blood, rock, and a certain wild sauvage element on the palate. Ample acidity and firm but smoothed tannin leading to a long finish of stony red fruit with pleasant bite at the end. Delicious and seemingly made for the great outdoors.
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D5. Tastes like 87 Napa. Entry of aged blackberry and pepper. A little earthy middle. Some shoe leather and dates. Hint of raisin on the finish. Soft tannin and even a little acidic. This bottle is ready to consume! First Musar for me and hopefully won't be my last.
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I have to try this side-by-side with the 99, but my feeling is that it is just as good. Highly complex, barnyard, smoke, polish; I cannot believe the sophistication of this after 21 years. Perfect.
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Starter Red Flight @ Home: Musar does not do well in tastings, and even though I enjoyed a glass of this with food last week the really aggressive brett makes it hard to stand up to more modern-style wines in a tasting. The group did not like this at all and I think most people gave it something in the upper 70's. Oh well, their loss, just more for me.
My prior note still stands, with a harsher barnyard nose leading into a very smooth and round entry and a pleasantly long and spicy finish with minimal tannins.
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Great illustration of Musar bottle variation. My local store got a case, and I rummaged through it for the best bottle- fill levels for the case ranged from mid-neck to mid shoulder (!) and color from light purplish-ruby to very pale pinkish-red. I grabbed what I thought was the "best" bottle on offer.
Coravined a glass and it's beautiful: light bricking on the rim but a much darker shade than the 97 Musar I had a few months ago, strong brett and VA character on the nose in Musar style, with exotic spices and almost-vanished tannins on the palate and a long, buttery-smooth finish. Probably at peak or maybe even a little over it, I can't see how this could improve, but there's easily 5-10 more before it really starts to fall off a cliff.
Great stuff, but I'm sure if I had picked one of the other bottles I'd probably be complaining about a totally ruined wine here. Caveat emptor!
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Medium ruby color with no sign of bricking. Fullsome nose with the earhiness and good funk you expect in Musar. Still drinking well now, Burgundean in weight but much earthy and layered. 13.5% abv. I will acquire more if I can find it becauuse it is a birth year wine for one of my kids and I think it can go another 10 years easy.
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What a conundrum of a wine. By far the best of three showings (one last year and one in '13) if only obtaining the extra two points based on my immediate post aerated decant tasting glass. Wonderful rich viscosity, truffle and earth - a core of brûlée dark berries and spice and real grip producing a superb wine. Integrated charred oak. Gunflint and smoke. After the actual 90min in the decanter the intensity had faded back to 90pts and the sweeter elements were beginning to over-dominate. Perhaps this is the key to this wine, if not PnP at least decant-n-P! Either way a wine that should be drunk up over the immediate few years.
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"A taste of Libanon"-Tasting, Flight 5, Wine 3 (non-blind): The wine was medium garnet in colour and offered ripe red fruit, strawberry, plum, mild herbal and gamy notes and a touch of Brett as well as a smoked mackerel component on the nose and palate, with good acidity, ripe tannin and good length. This bottle did not live up to the bottle I enjoyed over a weekend at home about six months ago, and I preferred the 1999 today, but that only confirms my view that the Musars generally under-perform in tasting settings and always outperform if you take your time in a relaxed environment. 90+ for this bottle, keeping in mind that the wine had probably developed into a solid 92 if it had been aerated and granted the attention it deserved.
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My experience of this wine is 95% the same as Goldstone below. Front end is broad, red fruited, silky smooth, light bodied burgundy in style. Back end narrows to a sweeter, focused, darker fruited affair with a dried fig, aged bordeaux intensity. Became quite leathery over time.
The cork broke and came out a bit crumbly which had me wondering if the wine was spoiled but not at all. Followed by a nice Pauillac at twice the price, but I preferred the Musar, as is so often the case. Still one of the most consistent, interesting, variable, good value, quality wines I know of. Reminded me of the 2003 but with more to it. 92/93
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This pours bricked red with a ruby core; served in a Zalto Universal Glass. On the nose it's full of florals, earth, mushrooms, oil-stained concrete floors, and well-worn leather with an underpinning of dried red fruits. The palate is light-medium bodied, with something that reminds me of aging (like when they're not quite gone-by) wild strawberries, raspberries, orange rind, chewing tobacco, and clove. A friend of mine said that the tannins felt fully-resolved to him when he had this a few weeks ago, and I think I'm going to have to agree. It's hard to see this wine getting any better at this point in its life. Yet another lovely wine of contemplation that will demand all evening to really understand. Outstanding!!
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Drank a bottle contemplatively with a friend over dinner from the list at ON Dining, Hong Kong. To my surprise, I agreed with the sommelier that this didn't need decanting - by contrast, the 1999 needs 4+ hours' decant. Very bright transparent jewelled ruby colour. Nose is very 'Burgundian' in the Musar spectrum....taut fresh strawberries, dried star anise, light sandalwood and none of the traditional Musar funk. Palate is similar- very clean and 'bright' in all its aspects. Perfumed in the mouth in a rose water and red Turkish Delight way which is really lovely. Elegant, feminine and sophisticated but rolling up into quite a deep and long resonance and reverberance on the finale. I suspect that this will surprise and put on more weight over the next decade....classic good vintage Musar in that aspect. Brilliant value, as always....especially as a restaurant wine. That's saying something because I could have brought a bottle from the two cases I have had cellared since release had I thought to. When I first drank this vintage ten years ago i wrote "a classic Musar which would be a good introduction for someone new to this wine". Yep, I'll stick by that!
Lys mursteins rød farge. På nesen : Sigar, lær, krydder og mørke bær. På smak: Slank og fruktig,ikke den samme kompakte kraftpakken som feks 2006 årgangen. Lær og mørke bær.Behagelig bløte tanniner. Fast lang ettersmak. Sannsynligvis ferdig utviklet Drikker godt nå.
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A large glass shared over the incredible artisanal cheese platter at ON Dining in Hong Kong. No detailed notes but just fabulous.....rounded, deep and pure, very resonant and just super. My guest drank a glass with his main course on my recommendation as his first initiation to Ch. Musar....hence the second!
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A bit of evolution around the rim, still rather dark core. Sweet, ripe fruit, earth, tobacco, spices, hints of balsamic vinegar on the nose. On the palate lots of acidity, nice tannic grip, generous fruit, very well balanced. Very persistent finish. 91-93
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At home with friends, an evening of wines from the 1998 vintage. Served to accompany lamb shanks. It's always a privilege to drink an aged Musar and this wine brought back memories of the lovely Serge Hochar who owned and ran the winery for so many years until his untimely death a few years ago. I'd had this vintage a year earlier at the Whitewater Valley Wine Society in Hampshire, UK. On that occasion, the Musar vertical was presented by Jane Sowter, the face of Chateau Musar in the UK. I remembered her sound advice to open this Musar some four hours before we tasted it as she said it needs a lot of oxygen before drinking. She was right! It drank well after four hours, but continued to open and improve for another 3 hours over the evening. So top tip here is to open any aged Musar several hours before tasting, otherwise you may be disappointed. Ripe plums on the nose. Smooth, orange peel, burnt caramel, warming and complex - everything that you'd expect from a Musar! A wonderful experience.
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The 1998 Musar was medium garnet in colour and red fruit-driven, cedary, leathery and balsamic, with fine, mostly resolved tannin, lively acidity, a good, smooth mouthfeel, and good length. The wine improved with extended aeration and became very balanced, integrated, harmonious and super-smooth on day two. It had a mature profile, but I disagree with some of the previous notes in that I am positive that the 1998 Musar will still go a long way, and maybe even live forever.
Nose is the most elegant and delicate compared to 2000 and 1999, sour cherries, hints of smoked fennel, toasted figs and seasoned leather. Need very little decanting to open up the nose. Palate is soft and balanced with ripe red fruits, licorice and dash of refreshing acidity as the core structure. Although it is light to medium-bodied in the mid-palate, it is not thin or sharp. Surprisingly, the finish has some degree of attack and lingers for a while. Tannins are so fine and well integrated. At its peak now, will probably hold for another 2-3 years if stored well.
Decanted for an hour. Quite a bit of VA in the bottle, red berries on the nose, cherries, very elegant. The palate is showing a bit of age on it, the fruit is fading, the tannins are totally integrated, this is definitely starting to be over the hill. Did show better with some food, but still on the way down.
Earthy nose with ample red fruits— without being overpowering. No forceful tannins— but still structured. Less structure than the prestige Bordeaux but more drinkable.
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When first opened this seemed quite thin and acidic - cranberry juice was the dominant aroma and flavor, along wth some brett. After several hours it rounded out and the earthy, spicy tones that I love in Musar started to appear. After 24 hours, this was a deep, soulful wine. Based on this experience, I’d give it another 3+ years before I open another ‘98.
Cork crumbly but not powdery, managed to fish out all but a few crumbs caught in the strainer. Decanted 20 min before serving, bricked and quite clear in color.
This was a very clean bottle of Musar—little Brett and no detectable VA. Nose was all dusty library, leather, tobacco, dried flowers, with a bit of dried red fruit in the mix (and a tiny bit of soy sauce). Palate continued the strong tertiary character, with soft fruit and good acid. Beautiful resolved tannin and silky mouthfeel. Finish for days.
Outstanding wine, worth every penny.
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Nez expressif à l’ouvert de la bouteille puis 5 minutes après le vin s’ complètement refermé, il lui a fallu 18 heures pour qu’il s’exprime avec de belles notes de kirsch, goudron. La bouche est sublime et équilibrée, bonne longueur.
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Life is too Short (Taberna Palo Cortado - Madrid): Possibly not the best vintage for Musar but what a bottle. Opened two hours before to be served. Very pale, translucent, with an ethereal cardinal colour. On the nose is fragrant and of a high elegance. Accompanied with aromas of earth and oriental spices. There are also notes of flesh meat and cereals. Everything precise and well-coordinated. We speak of a complexity in a maximum degree. On the palate it has finesse, length and memories of cherry soda. Acidity before density. Sometimes it seems like a young wine even. Offering bottles like this Musar is still among the greatest wineries in the world. No doubts about it. By the way I am not been excessively generous with my rate. Probably the opposite.
Posiblemente no la mejor añada para Musar pero, ¡menuda botella! Abierta dos horas antes de ser servida. Color muy pálido, traslúcido, de un etéreo color cardenalicio. En nariz es fragante y de una elevada elegancia. Acompañan aromas terrosos y de especias orientales. También aparecen notas de carne fresca y de cereales. Todo preciso y bien conjuntado. Hablamos de una complejidad en grado máximo. Al paladar tiene finura, longitud y recuerdos a refresco de cereza. Acidez antes que densidad. En determinados momentos parece hasta un vino joven. Ofreciendo botellas como esta Musar sigue figurando entre las grandes bodegas del mundo. Sin lugar a dudas. A propósito, no estoy siendo excesivamente generoso con mi calificación. Probablemente justo lo opuesto.
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Popped and poured. Garnet color with scarlet edges. Nose of cranberry, red currant, intense floral notes, rock, and a hint of smoke. Layers of mulberry, strawberry, beef blood, tobacco, brier, and a wild sauvage element coursing effortlessly on the palate. Sharp acidity and firm tannin leading to a long finish of stony red fruit cut with brambles and slow grip. Excellent with lamb.
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Chanced my arm a bit buying a case seeing my '13 note! Pale red/brown hue. Nonetheless, while fully mature, still has a mellow core of cooked jammy dark fruits and the gunflint minerality is still on display. Quite sweet on the palate, lots of earth, truffle and smoke. Has probably seen better days - but do I care! Elegant old lady for drinking up soon.
Cork worked though top half crumbled bottom was secure. And very good bottle. Lovely mid ruby. Plenty fruit still, red currant, raspberry, cherry. Smoke and dried meats. Great acidity, not volatile, lovely smoothed out tannins. Long. Very elegant, heading for burgundy territory. Not hugely changed from a few years ago. Last bottle, sadly.
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Classic Musarian nose - showing spicy dog fur (brett), bruised apple, balsamic, ethyl acetate, dried flowers. The fruit character is lighter black cherry and tart raspberry - consistent with my impression in the past that this is a more Burgundian style. However there was a hint of tertiary cassis - a tamari-blackberry note that's characteristic of mature Musar. The tertiary character seems to be maturing, and although not forceful right now, it may become so.
After approximately two hours, a darker, smokier, roasted blackberry note emerged - reminiscent of the reductively dark, almost burnt '72.
In the past I've characterized the '98 as a "Beautiful" styled Musar, similar to the 2000 and 2001, in contrast to the "Bold" 99,04,91, the "Atypical" 03,97, or the "Centered" 95, 94. For the '98, this may be merely a fact of its stage of maturity. It may blossom into a different character yet.
The palate was classic Musar: medium all around, with beautiful balance, integration, and length. No structural elements stood out. The tannins were melted and satiny.
Decanted. Moderate-plus sediment detected. Light and brick red in color in the glass. The nose is moderate in intensity and showing a small amount of brett that weaves into additional notes of dried porcini, cured meats, stale cigar tobacco, pepper, old leather and dust with light touches of dried rose, dried red currant, dried cherry and raspberry. The palate reveals vivid above moderate acidity and light resolved tannins on the medium- bodied frame. The flavor profile reveal much of what was detected on the nose; some of the funky barnyard notes that show the brett on this wine (just enough to add complexity), dried porcini powder, pepper crusted salami, dusty leather, tobacco and dried rose petals before the light dried fruit notes of currant, cherry and raspberry pitch in. The finish lingers moderately.
Overall still hanging in there and drinking quite nice however this is, in my opinion, past it's prime. Does not have the stuffing to last another 10+ years as was suggested by WA.
No formal note; my favorite wine of this evening's tasting dinner; elegant and fruity in the nose and on the palate with long finish; overall, 92-93 points.
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Clearly a lighter vintage. Makes for very pleasurable drinking currenlty. Racey, perfumed, just not as wild and intense. Perfect for leisurely enjoyment.
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Moss and cork. Like resin from an pine tree. Dark mature berries. Some red berries as well. lighter than a fresh musar. Not much to tell. I am not that impressed. To much tare for me. And that is after 0/30/60 minutes in a decanter.
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Chateau Musar Tasting: Very similar to the 1999, but a bit "cleaner". Sweet fruit is up in front, and the earthy funkiness takes more of a support role. Very nicely balanced and together. Licorice and olives add nice complexity. Finish has soft tannins and higher acidity. Up to that point, WOTN. The entire 98-00 trio had been outstanding, suggesting that 18-20 years is maturity for Musar.
Darker translucent ruby hue with garnet hints. Seriously evocative nose of floral blueberry, acrid schist, rocks, and meat. Layers of red currant, beef blood, sweet cassis, soy, tar, and sauvage notes coursing across the tongue with freshening acidity and tamed but firm tannin. Lovely finish of bright red fruit gripped by blood and rock. Nineteen years young and still going strong. Killer pairing with rare beef over arugula sprinkled with balsamic and parmesan.
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From a 375ml bottle. Aired in the bottle for 1,5 hours. Pungent nose of balsamico, tarry notes, some leather and perhaps a bit of soy sauce. Medium bodied with firm acidity, showing balsamico, tarry and scorched notes, some funk and a little red fruit still kicking. Almost resolved tannins. Still got some life but a little disappointing compared to the younger vintages of Musar I´ve tried. Maybe past its peak.
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A 375. Interesting on the noise with a good mix of berries, jam and old fine black truffle. However the acidiity is too high and lack of structure on the palate. Could be due to poor keeping for a half bottle.
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Clear pale garnet with significant rim browning. Barnyard, leather, chocolate. Low acida, low tannins. Fennel. Medium to long balanced finish. Glass at singlethead.
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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 Popped and poured. Clear, medium, ruby-garnet color. Clean, medium intense, developing nose. Wonderful fine and elegant combination of herbs, red fruit and tobacco. Dry, medium+/high, perfectly integrated acidity, medium+ very fine tannin. Medium+ body, medium+ intense, wonderful complex flavors of tobacco, red fruit, orange zests, spices, fine oak and tar. 13,5% abv. Complex, elegant, round, animating with a medium+/long finish. This is my WOTN. I would say it is start reaching its peak, but it will continue to improve. Has everything to evolve for 10+ years. Fantastic PQR!
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Brick red edges in the glass provide the proof of age. Slight acertone hints on the nose soon give way to Bakewell tart, cherry and liquorice. Then a mouthful of kirsch steeped red fruit, cherry and tawny port linger on the palate for what seems an age. A delightful trip back in time and a ticket that doesn't break the bank.
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Grapemates Christmas Party 2016: Bottle 2. Meaty, VA, violet, incense and graphite. There is some sweet fruit on the palate, good balance and good interest.
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Musar Dinner (Tim's, SF): Pleasantly earthy, bretty nose, with a core of ripe tertiary cherry and dried raspberry. The palate is more structured than I remember - elevated acid and tannins. The finish is laden with ripe tamari-cherry and sweet-smelling forest leaves. Beautiful.
It's possible that this is putting on weight and power as it ages, as is the puzzling case with post-Inflection Musar.
Chateau Musar Dinner (Tim and Elliott's Place, San Francisco): Lighter ruby colored than the other younger Musar; nose is red fruit, soy sauce, spice; palate is bright and fresh, red fruit, medium-plus acid, wonderful freshness; finish is medium length. Really nice, easily confused wth Spanish Rioja. Very nice. 92-93
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First bottle from new case. Gave this 6hr slow-ox and double decant (which was perfect). Slight funk on pouring which receded with 30mins of air. Mature looking, but still very sweet with plenty of interesting tertiary notes. Far better, sweeter and with greater longevity than the 97 Musar a few days ago. This is mature, but has both the sweetness and acidity to improve for another 10yrs. Dominated by dried cherry and green cardamon, with sweet tobacco and hints of blood. Medium acidity - this can be enjoyed with or without food and I expect it will become richer and longer over the next 5yrs. Optimal to hold to 2020 and drink to 2030. 93+pts.
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Ch. Musar Dinner with Marc Hochar (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Transparent and brightly-jeweled ruby in colour. Nose is one of the spiciest of this night of 9 vintages of Ch. Musar Red.......candied. Palate is beautifully fresh, alive, vibrant, quite sweet and always reminds me of those small Chinese 'Gai Tzi' red dates. Heady and deeply resonant. Thrilling and full of greater promise for the future.
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I really think that this may be my favorite wine, vintage after vintage. Top 10 overall easily. The ones with some age just totally do it for me. In a great window. Drink.
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1998 Ch. Musar Oransjerød, klar med vandig kant. Medisinskap, lær, tørket frukt, røde blomster og litt tjære ved åpning. Kunne lett blitt tatt for en Barolo. Med luft strammer den seg opp og gir fra seg mere svisker, plommer, lær, tørket frukt. Fremdeles litt medisinskap. Utvikler seg stadig i glasset mere i retning moden Bordeaux. Flott balanse, frisk og elegant, bra lengde. Utrolig at viner fra et så varmt klima kan være så lettbeinte og elegante. Regner med denne er på sin absolutte topp nå. Drikk opp og nyt. Helt modne, finslipte fløyelsmyke tanniner. 92p. (Takk for til Johan 13 mnd for en fin tid i pappapermisjon! )
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From Beirut to Bodø - Chateau Musar tasting (Bodø): The 98 is another VA bomb with intense aromas of leather, barnyard, smoke and bright red fruit. Delicious concentrated forest fruit on the palate along with dark chocolate and licorice. Long red fruit flaverd finish.
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André à la ferme.Voilà le titre de ce vin. Un vin très bourriquet au nez mais en bouche il est encore plus poney ! J'adore les bretts, on ne se le cachera pas ! Très animal,un peu de cuir et de tabac.Cannelle et cardamone. Du fruits bien noirs aussi.Médicamenteux. J'ai adoré ça.Un vin qui divise un peu plus. 17.5/20
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Quite translucent brick red-to-orange color with almost colorless rims. Really attractive and beautiful, rich nose with sunny aromas and some obvious VA, but no noticeable brett character. Heady, sweet notes of wizened dark cherry, plummy fruit, some dried dates, a little balsamic vinegar, a hint of acetone and a faint whiff of ammonia (think of cooking kidneys). Quite full-bodied and rich on the palate with intense flavors of ripe forest berries, juicy dark cherries, some pruney dark fruit, modest balsamico VA, a little peppery spice, a hint of garrigue and a touch of saline tang of acetaldehyde. Surprisingly acid-driven for a Musar with moderately grippy tannins. Long and complex finish that is obviously sweeter than the midpalate with an aftertaste of ripe dark and red cherries, some peppery spice, a little overripe plum, a touch of sweet balsamico volatility and a hint of bitter Morello cherry.
Supposedly a lesser vintage of Musar, but in this Musar vertical this often difficult and unpredictable vintage was showing wonderfully. Though there were lots of wonderful Musar reds, I prefered this vintage over the wonderful 1999 and 2003. Surprisingly youthful, intense and structured Musar that seemed to be a lot younger than many of the surrounding vintages. Remarkable richness and balance. Utterly delicious. Very recommended.
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Very pale translucent garnet-brown; brown sauce, spices, cumin, hay, cherry skins/plum skins; soft and silky, low tannins, soft entry with sour asian plum finish. Touch of animale earthiness. Almost Burg-like. This is a Cinsault (pinot) vintage. Marc Hochar tasting at Terroni.
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Strong colour, mid garnet; initially all barnyard, then reined in hickory & woodsmoke,classically high-toned throughout; 'sweet' soft fruit, more than a hint of soy, pronounced & refreshing acidity, elegant; savoury finish a delight. Extended length. Plenty of time in hand.
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The 1998 was enjoyed in 2016. This is in ways a the best of bordeaux and chateauneuf with the elegant light body of a great burgundy. I've had the 99 which is a bit more forward and also this 98. I will seek these out whenever on a list. Should cost $400 on a wine list and it is a bargain. At $100
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Chateau Musar Dinner (Pera, San Francisco): Nose has plenty of brett; palate has plenty of red fruit, medium alcohol, medium-plus acid, fresh and well integrated, more secondary than others in this flight with some umami and soy sauce; medium to medium-long finish. Lovely wine. 90-91
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Musar Vertical with B. Broadbent (Pera SF): A bit reductive - bitter burnt papad. Burnt flowers. This is the most Burgundian of the flight, with lighter body, more elevated acid, and primarily red fruit. Dried strawberry, hints of ripe cherry.
More ephemeral than the others and difficult to pin down, but beautiful nonetheless.
Score: 9-9.5
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A surprise wine I tasted at a home dinner. Very Bordeaux like - full barnyard tasted but a bit ripe and even wild. Cork was broken so it may have been a bit spoiled, but it left me feeling that it was a good Bordeaux like wine. Would try again
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Rather translucent cherry red color with some mature bricking. A complex and funky nose that is even a bit weird for a Musar: aromas of sunny plums and dried dark fruits, pungent ammonia (not unlike gueuze beers or cooking kidneys), some green apple slices and a hint of VA that tends more towards vinegar taint, not just sweet balsamic vinegar complexity. As the wine rests in the glass, notes of chocolate chips emerge. In the mouth the wine is full-bodied and quite acid-driven for a Musar. Luckily the ripe flavors are more typical for a Musar than the nose; flavors of succulent, plummy dark fruit, juicy dark cherry, Moroccan spices, some dark forest fruits, a little balsamic VA, a hint of acetaldehyde salinity and a touch of pungent vinegar. Lively and acid-driven finish with the acidity emphasized by both vinegary and salty characteristics. Flavors of fresh, tart forest berries, herbal greenness, some balsamic VA, a hint of sour cherry in the quite lengthy aftertaste.
A good Musar, but also suffering from a number of different characteristics that don't seem to be just part of Musar complexity, but show in such degree they are on a threshold of becoming almost faulty. Even though the wine is drinking nicely and sports lovely balance, it seems a bit awkward and out of balance. The pieces that make up this wine don't seem to fit - if only they would be less obvious, the complex Musar fruit underneath could shine and the wine would be wonderful. Most likely some bottle variation going on here.
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A bit of barnyard on the nose upon opening, but it improved. Somewhat thin on the palate, but it did gain weight after some hours and even more on day two. Tannins are resolved now, acidity is high and this is still lively, but I had the impression this was beyond its peak. But I don't have so much experience with Musar yet.
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I have tried the -98 year of Musar a couple of times this year and as a Muser-Fan i must unfortunatly say this was not in my taste at all. Maybe it is too old or in the "tunnel"? I have some bottles left in the cellar of this vintage and I will not try this again in a lot of years. Hopefully it will improve or this vintage has already seen it's best. Not good at all. And probably not bottle defects since I have tried more bottle of the same vintage with the same taste and experience.
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90+? Durscheinendes Rot mit Brauneinschlag Leder,pilzig,Gewürznelken,leicht Brett,Pfeffer,gewisse Süsse,leicht kirschig. Braucht wie immer einiges an Luft um gewisse volatile "Gerüche" zu überwinden. Später noch animalisch,Rosinen,leicht malzig,dunkler. Leicht prägend,gute Säure,mittlerer Körper,eher seidig,elegant. Mittellanger würziger Abgang. Sicher ein Wein mit viel eigenem Charakter der gefällt oder eben nicht.
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Terroni with Marc Hochar: Loved this--fumey, perfume, slight reduction wafting dried cherry, leather, savory notes and slight sweet sauteed shrooms and delicate red berries to the nose; Great balance, perfect acidity, fine tannins, long sweet tangy finish. A bit colder year, more Cinsault based. 13.3%
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Decanted for 30 mins. A superb example of Musar, excellent barnyard and cherry nose, the palate is elegant, refined with perfect cherry fruit, good acidity and resolved tannins. This is really excellent right now!
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Opened, decanted and let breathe for an hour and drank over another. Light ruby red, a wine that is thin both visually and on the palate alas. Not the complexity that I am used to for Musar's reds which is my favorite Lebanese wine. Cherries, raisins and some perfume on the nose, high acidity mid palate but a thin and short finish. Dommage!
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A pretty weak vintage for musar... We can still bet the typical nose and mouthfeel of musar, but the experiments they made in that vintage took the fun out of the wine. Good wine, but not great.
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My Birthday Lunch (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Decanted for only an hour.......which is normally anathema to me with Ch. Musar but it didn't seem to affect this bottle too much except that it closed up after a couple of hours and went back to sleep.....but what a great couple of hours! Plummy and slightly dusky translucent red in colour but broadly transparent at the edges of the glass. Nose is immediately beguiling freshly laundered clean but still slightly sweaty socks (thanks, Daniel), Chinese plums, 'Gai Tsi' Chinese baby red dates, red and white Turkish Delight with the icing sugar dust still on it. Palate is super....rounded, heady, alluring, perfectly ripe red cherry and its stones.....so fresh. Amazing resonance and reverberance. Thrilling.....a fantastic Ch. Musar! The only sadness was that it closed down after a couple of hours in the glass, which reflects its still relative youth and our minimal decant. Thanks, Daniel! 93+
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19 Vintages of Musar Rouge; 1/25/2015-1/26/2015 (Clark Point House in Southwest Harbor, Maine): Color: Vibrant ruby with minimal bricking at the rim. Smell: Delicate notes of clove, cement, manure, an old wooden hope chests, and dried red fruits. Taste: Notes of sour cherry, strawberry, clove, mushrooms, and charred meats. Overall: Silky, light, elegant interchange with a more delicate side to Musar. Light-med body, high acidity, med tannin and vibrant fruit; along a long an thought-provoking finish. In honor of Bart Broadbent who made tasting the '84 Rouge possible I'll use the five * system. (****)
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Whoa.... came out of the gates more than suggesting TCA. Then started to smell like a stagnant pond. Stunningly, the palate was fresh and lively and just delicious. No trace of the volatility I associate with this producer. Impressive and fun but not my style
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Mature and drinking delightfully well. Garnet colour. Soft and well integrated tannin. Gently spiced cherry fruit almost dances on the palate and lingers long. Almond character balanced with juicy citrus acidity. A lovely and elegant wine from a favourite producer.
The 1998 is a typical Musar in every sense, except perhaps slightly less backward than some of the other top vintages, and therefore fully mature today. It displays a light, clear garnet colour and offers vibrant aromatics in the form of cranberry, nutmeg and incense. It is medium to full bodied, softly textured and has the usual array of flavours with notes of caramel, indian spice, tobaccco leaf, light toast as well as the typical Musar gamey backdrop - which you either love or hate. The finish is long and spicy. The tannic structure and overall concentration of this wine are beginning to feel light, and I would therefore recommend consumption within the next five years.
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Chateau Musar vertical tasting (Broadbent Selections, Richmond, VA): Reddish-brown color. Aromatic funky mushroom nose. Notes of cherry, earth, mushroom, small hints of pepper. The funk persisted throughout the length of the wine. The tannins are smooth and mellow, but still present on the prolonged finish, which lasted for minutes. Would be great with lamb. My WOTN.
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Klar varm rød. Fortsatt ung duft av modne røde bær, røyk, mineraler, trevirke, svært konsentrert. Fyldig anslag, veldig fin frukt, deilig syre, stor god munnfølelse, lang flott ettersmak med god friskhet og mye jordsmonn.
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Comparing to 99, 00, 01, and 04 (so far these are the vintages that i have tasted), though drinkable, this 98 is less enjoyable, more bretty, less elegant, more black than red, shorter, less intensity. Consistently so after drinking 4 bottles over the past few months.
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Much better cork (perfect in fact) and much better bottle. Lovely mid ruby. Plenty fruit still, red currant, raspberry, cherry. Great acidity, lovely smoothed out tannins. Long. Very elegant, heading for burgundy territory.
WES - Château Musar Vertical (LSE Holborn): Clear and bright, low intensity, distinctly orange. Almost fleshy fruit notes, pepper and mushrooms a little more elusive. Rich, good acidity, lighter than the usual Musar style with red current fruit, perhaps a little shorter. Unusually light - possibly higher Cinsault content? Echoes of Burgundy here!
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Wine Education Service - Château Musar (LSE): Very light coloured, translucent with an orange rim. Sweet, peppery, fruity, very fragrant. Peppery fruit, tannins and acidity in reasonable balance, a light feel, medium length.
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Really good. Perfect balance between fruit and tannin. We had it with fried cod with red wine sauce, and it turned out to be a great and surprising combination.
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A little bottle variance here we suspect. This one had more bretty barnyard than normal, and was missing some fruit and acid. Finish was a bit menthol heavy. Altogether unlike our usual Musar experience. Will have to drag another one out of the cellar.
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Horse sweat , gunpowder and wild notes of forest berries and undergrowth. Reminded me of Pontet canet. First time tasting a musar and it was a good experience. Definitely a special winery.
Wine Institute of New Orleans; 11/5/2013-11/6/2013 (New Orleans, LA): Showing all sorts of kick-ass Musar aromas: green olives, campfire smoke, sweet berries, sweat, musk... so complex and evolving. Silky and fresh on the palate with ripping acid. Dusty red fruit, earth, sour ale and musk flavors abound. Seems to be drinking well now, but, as usual, I'd love to see how this ages further.
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Wife's birthday at The Latymer, Pennyhill Park (2 Star Michelin) with family in chef's kitchen. Our chosen red wine to accompany the ten course taster menu. Limited note taking. Always hard to judge red wines that one would naturally give a long decant in the home environment, but felt that both bottles were showing a merest hint of leanness that implied that the wine was just tipping over the far side of its drinking plateau. Still lots to enjoy however with the classic Musar smokey gun flint Rhonish fruit very much in evidence. Clearly, based on these bottles a lighter vintage that nonetheless almost achieves an excellent 90 mark. Time to drink up!
Light garnet, bricking. Cork was completely friable. Volatile acidity very powerful, even more than is usual. Some nice spice and cherry notes but this as a bottle clinging on to survival.
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Marc Hochar considers the Musar Rouge ready only after 15 years, and on this evidence he is right. Drinking beautifully and with plenty of grace not seen in the 2005. Medium tawny colour. Nose opens slowly with coffee, leather, a bit Porty. Beautifully fresh, lively, savoury elements, meaty, long, high acid, soft finish. Not that full, but with plenty of structure. Very, very good.
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Strikingly Musary character with acids taking over in this bottle. Rich, layered, very interesting. Quite a personality - as usual. Just like our previous note. Wife unimpressed though. Decanted 1 hr before going to the restaurant. Sadly, last bottle. Wish we had some more... At La Rochelle Akasaka w/Kosugi couple, '04 Mitolo G.A.M. and 2005 R. Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberg Ries Spätlese.
*** with some small luck, found 3 more btls. Next one ~2017 ***
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5 Decades of Ch. Musar Blanc.... with Serge & Marc Hochar (Dining Room, Aberdeen Marina Club, Hong Kong): Drank non-blind over dinner. Light, red cherry translucent colour but got darker with an hour or so in the glass. WOW…. fantastic, light, whispering, lifted red cherry nose: absolutely classic Ch. Musar dusky, musty, Eastern spice bazaar, cinnamon stick, etc. etc. Palate is absolutely beautiful: sharp but fruit-driven high notes of the piano…already very integrated and surprisingly so for its relative youth by Ch. Musar standards. This has developed beautifully since I last drank it nearly 2 years ago. Gorgeous to drink now…. but it is worth noting that we had this pre-decanted for around 8 hours.
I pulled this wine out of my cellar thinking it would be bad. Bob was I wrong. This red wine had a good nose and very balanced fruit. The finish was excellent. Despite being from the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon this wine is excellent.
Lots of volatile acidity, still quite harsh - needs lots of aging and promises to be beautiful with time. After 2 days open balance tipped towards volatile acidity. Flavlours of soy sauce, leather, cigar box - very long length
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A bit of bricking, much lighter than the 05 alongside it. Nice aged savoury aromas of leather and dried meats. Quite soft on the entry with good complexity, layers of game, leather and tobacco. Still has good grip and there is a nice fresh tomato juice flavour on the finish.
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Recently enjoyed a 98 Musar, my first of any vintage from this estate. It was a bit light as reviews suggested it would be, but it was complex and unusual, seeming to straddle Rioja and Rhone stylistically (and maybe with some southern Italy thrown in; burgundy wasn't out of the question either). There was an animal-gamey facet I loved to go with some good density and sweet fruit, and some Italian style acidity giving it intensity. Maybe just a bit funky, with a hint of VA, it initially seemed slightly corked but that mustiness blew off with air. Overall, I found it pretty thrilling especially if this is a so-so vintage for Musar. 92-93 pts.
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Non-blind. 2 hrs decant. Cheese-burger day @home. Impression: Outstanding with wow*2. Dark red wine with browning hues. Nose is fabulous with maturing fruitiness and just the right amount of animale brett, behind of cows and sweaty steeds. Promising a mature encounter of the finest kind. On the palate this is an excellent treat! Well built construction, now at its zenith displaying: M+ acids, molten tannin, medium body, exploding with tastes and excelling in elegance. It is like a lady entering a reception with a complex, yet perfect, white multi layered dress. Last bottle in ~2 years. If you love brett: Welcome to the fiesta! Wine lovers that don't appreciate Brettanomyces are like cheese lovers who only enjoy string cheese and other bland lactated expressions :-) (Wife: 93p)
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Un Musar encore en très grande forme. Moins "bretté" que certaines bouteilles bues. Beau fruit encore présent, acidité typique de ce vin et tannins fondus à l'ensemble. Vin fort agréable en ce moment mais qui saura donner encore bien du plaisir à ceux qui en ont encore.
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A dry crumbly cork meant this was enjoyed with a sprinkling of cork, but what a wine! Almost fizzing with energy from the high acid, but with deep rich exotic fruit. 98 doesn't seem to be a fêted vintage, but this was a tip top Musar
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First time in several years I have drunk a Musar, and the first time ever I have had one this mature, so I didn't quite know what to expect. All in all, the best word to use is "elegant". The nose drew my thoughts more in the direction of a refined Barbaresco than anything else - a complex mix of flowers, earth, spices and minerals. Medium full, juicy body, balanced acids and smooth tannins. Good match with a young black grouse from the grill. This was from a magnum, and drunk over two days. It was even better on day two and had opened up more.
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Decanted for about 40 mins. Beautiful Musar, excellent red fruits and excellent barnyardy smells. The palate was elegant and tasty. Went very well with grilled pork chops and new potatoes.
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I love Musar wines, and this vintage does not disappoint. Plenty of sediment so decanting or careful pouring is in order. Medium Brick colored with pinkish white edges, with a fullsome nose and flavor of leather, raspberry, and uber barnyard funk. Sweet tannins. It is a great wine to drink slowly. Drinking well now, I think it will be stable for years but not necessarily improve. Too funky for most, I usually share this wine wine with fellow geeks and jaded palates. 13.5% abv.
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Musar Vertical Tasting in Paris with Marc Hochar - INSEAD Alumni Wine Club Appearance: Brick red, slightly tawny on the rim, clear Nose: A lot less volatile acidity than the 2003, less farmyard, but still quite earthy, cherries, cloves, leather Palette: Medium bodied, fine silky tannins, different grapes all completely integrated Finish: Medium
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Crystal leather and a beautiful Rhone-like character. Great rarefied weightlessness. Such an amazing wine, and I can't believe I found this for $36 in South Carolina on closeout. Actually, I can believe that. Paired this with Dukkah Crusted Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Molasses: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Dukkah-Crusted-Lamb-Chops-with-Pomegranate-Molasses-240666 and it was spankingly beautiful.
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I really do love this producer's wines. I have to start this note with that to clarify that these wines seem to strike the perfect balance between the Rhone, Burgundy, and Bordeaux for me...
With that said, this is more delicate and subtle in style than other years. I had this with lamb, but can easily see this this salmon, or even sushi. Light bodied, med+ acidity, dried fruit notes on the nose and palate...with a long finish. I wish I had more than just one bottle left.
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Nose reminiscent of pine forests, vanilla and cranberries. Very smooth on the palette, with vibrant, juicy red fruits and a lovely sense of the forest floor; a little raspberry ripple and iron or graphite. Drinking well now; tasted with an 1 hour decant.
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Decrepit cork obliterated on first pull. What garbage.
N:Tons of stink upon opening. Decanted an hour; most of the VA has blown off by now, but the brett persists. Fragrant spice, cherry and clove emerge under the acetone scent.
P: Texture is supple and fine, the wine just glides and comparisons to Rayas are starting to make sense on this respect. The palate is still intensely animal; brett pervades the spectrum of flavors without being repulsive. A soft translucent wine to ponder our existence on. Very good wine; I prefer Musar's whites up to now. Could keep like 5 more years. Drinking fine now. 13.5 %abv.
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Decanted for 1 hour, but pretty good fromthe start. Medium body for a Musar, bricking getting into the wine now. The nose has telltale nail polish notes inbetween the dark cherry and even raspberry fruit. The tannins have all but resolved, leaving it feeling silky smooth. This tastes quite primary still and doesn't have the funky edge of Musar that we love, it's almost Burgundian in its elegance . It's a well behaved and lighter vintage of Musar, it still have the character but is missing the edge a little, I think we'll hold the others to see if it develops more.
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Nose: Smokey nose, lithe on the nose with fresh plums and chinese preserved plums. Some tobacco detected as well
Taste: Started out initially tart for the first split second then evolved into savoury fruit notes. At one point had a slight taste (but not the heat) of ethanol. Notes of charred meat and the preserved plums on the palate as well. Very layered with a medium length finish. Drinking well but you really need to let it breathe for a while.
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Garnet-colored core, with slight bricking at the edges. Intense boysenberry and leather Nose, with hints of Christmas spice. On the palate, this seems quite young, although that is certainly a result of being tasted immediately after the ’79, 91, and ’93. Lots of brett on the palate – seriously, a lot – even too much for me; along with the brett, some leather and boysenberry; devoid of the V/A that marked many of the other bottles at this tasting. Structure isn’t as nice as the ’91 or ’93. Drink now, unless you want to gamble with the brett.
B: 50, 5, 12, 14, 6 = 87
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Had at Volt with the wife. Really nice red color with bricking setting in. Nose was really nice with some florals, a little dark berry, some graphite showing as well. The palate showed black raspberry, some tobacco, earth, funk, and graphite. The finish was above average in length and the acidity showed nicely as it paired the best with a squab course which was excellent. Overall a great wine, but did start to fade toward the end of dinner so I would drink sooner rather than later.
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Dinner with Tom Eakin & Peter Kay, Peter Michael Winery (The Library, Crown Wine Cellars, Hong Kong): Popped and poured without decanting at the end of a lengthy evening. It had thrown a huge amount of sediment and was a lovely light, open, bright, transparent blood-red colour. Nose is a touch of VA and then very high notes of naill varnish remover and some distinct woodland strawberries....accessible and more like a Per et Fils than a Ch. Musar (probably as we gave it no breathing time). Palate is light... fresh strawberries, Burgundy-style...very light.....feminine ....sharp clean acidity....very light for a Musar. Muted length and uncharacteristicly little resonance on the finish, probably all because we gave it no time to breathe. Musar generally puts on a lot of weight with decanting....but I think this is definitely a lighter vintage nonetheless.
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Wow what a pleasure to get a chance to drink this wine that I had heard about over the years. Thanks to my daughter for finding a bottle in NYC and bringing it home to share this weekend! Decanted 1 hour, this wine had a color more like a dark rose' and my wife thought it was a Pinot when she held up the glass. This had an intoxicating nose of leather, rose petals and red fruit that kept us coming back to the rim of the glass for a sniff. Ripe red fruit (strawberries, raspberries) on the palate with smooth silky tannins and a medium finish. Very balanced and easy to drink, thank you Lea!
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Chateau Musar Tasting (Daniel Boulud, Singapore): The 1998 had a distinct liquorish character which is pretty alluring and would be a good tasting wine. Again spices dominate but this was less rustic than the others tasted.
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One of the "least" VA afffected bottles of musar I have ever had - was in fantastic condition. Gorgeous nose with hints of sweet balsamic and menthol. Palate extremely light footed, but very drinkable. Hard to say where this will go but plenty of enjoyment there right now.
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Paleish red colour very fragrant nose and lovely balance of fruit and tannins now sufficiently softened but still taut enough to make this a very distinguished glass
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Good rim showing - not too intense a colour and a classic farm nose. Very good fruit and tannin balance with excellent acidity too. Does not need food, enjoyable with and without. A classic Musar - a joy to drink.
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Mini-Vertical: Chateau Musar (Arlequin Wines, San Francisco): Deeper than the 2001, pale edge but less brown than the younger wine. Less obvious VA on the nose. Completely different feel-more body and harmony. Complex mix of chocolate notes, sappy black cherry, herbs, and earth. This is greener in flavor than any of the other vintages. Excellent length, firm acidity. My favorite of the 4 reds tasted. Could hold a little longer but very good now.
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Wow. This was just what i was looking for; smooth, silky, medium bodied with strong, vibrant fruit, a little bricking, funky, good length. This is what I envision when I think of Musar.
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Decanted for 30 min and had with dinner (roast beef with a wild mushroom sauce). Oh boy, this bottle would definitely be the controversial one, either ya love it or ya hate it. VA in evidence, and it doesn't blow off, sweet red fruits, very intriguing on the nose. On the palate, this gives lots of crunchy red fruit, not much tannins (but perhaps the food neutralizes them?), quite delicious. Yes, this is a Musar as it should be, very eccentric, very unique, very Musar. Love it.
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Smell: a complex nose of rustic tones, red fruits, floral notes, with an underlying hint of granite, minerality, and cement.
Taste: Vibrant red fruits, tobacco, earth, faint cedar, and something that hints at a dusty cement floor or an old, oil stained garage floor.
Overall: Incredible wine that is tremendous, complex, and just at the start of it's life. Medium fruit, medium tannin, medium + acidity, and a long sensual finish that lingers with grace on the palate.
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Served blind, I guessed older Bordeaux. But it had a bit more bright red fruit than most older Bdx. A little funky for LC at the beginning, but I thought it was showing extremely well. Lots of interest, and at 13.5 abv, we easily finished the bottle with spaghetti and meatballs.
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Translucent crimson. Pleasing barnyard and volatile acidity on the nose. Quite sweet - ripe cherries, and an earthy quality. Longish finish. Drinking very nicely now.
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Considerably more mature than the 2000 tried a week ago. This has the secondary elements to offer. As always, beautiful light violet color, so attractive nose of small red berries, yet dark core following. On the palate so pure, so beautiful tangy texture, offering plenty of fruits, just right amount of spices, leather, etc... after a couple of hours in the decanter the texture and taste which starts off with medium gets the fat with air and becomes much fuller, and similar with other vintages as well. I love Chateau Musar.
Very surprising, but very nice surprise. If I had been served blind, I would have guessed Pinot Noir. Though not light in color, this is quite light on the palate with spice and red cherry notes that are also on the nose. Extremely smooth and easy to drink, this bottle was in a very very good place this afternoon. With homemade Persian lunch.
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Lovely mid ruby, tending to mahogany. Lovely nose, red berries, spices and some exotic floral tone. Lightish, very smooth tannins, very elegant style, definitely of the burgundian tendency. Taste profile closely followed the nose, bits of barnyard around too. Good length. Drinking well now but no hurry.
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a beautiful wine! Ruby red color, which is always more attractive to me than darker, almost black. Stunning nose of Red berries, gray pepper, wet stones, minty. And on the palate such a beautiful presence, in refinement, silky, and gliding on the palate with waves of aromas above. Almost a Burgundian pleasure!!
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Lighter in color. Strawberry, earth, and spice to the nose and palate. Slightly acidic. Very different wine. I will have to try again to give my full opinion.
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Wine Education Service - Château Musar Vertical (Imperial College): Very light in colour and not showing the expected development. Quite floral and light on the nose, with cherries and tobacco in the background. Spicy, fruity, sweet attack, soft tannins, a simpler, gentle wine, medium length.
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WES - Château Musar Vertical (Imperial College London): Medium intese but darker than the '99 showing more development. Mature garigue nose followed by blood and spice notes. Rich velvety mouth feel with the secondary notes following through - coffee but still black fruit underneath. Slightly heavier tannins than the '99. Others tasted some stalkiness.
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Light color, wonderful nose of macerated strawberry. Signature Musar. Quite acidic, but with gentle fruit sweetness. Goes beautifully with the lilac bush outside the window.
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Coffee, cedar and earth on the nose. Red berries, earthiness, bright acidity on the palate. Musar is always the perfect match for rosemary and dijon encrusted rack of lamb, and this proved to be no different on this evening.
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CWM Gourmet Dinner #4 (Morocco) (Scubarex house): Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with some Carignan and Cinsault. This estate is the most famous producer in Lebanon and this wine is well known for aging gracefully for 15+ years. Chateau Musar was started in 1930. The grapes are grown at 3000 feet in gravely soil. Solid red color. Fruitier than the 1993. Some cinnamon and a creamier texture. In it's prime. 89 points.
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very rioja like, in a way. trancendent in the aroma and mouthfeel-so fresh and light. finish wasnt crazy- but elegance makes up for it. i could do many more of these.
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Decanted 1 hr prior to drinking. Traditional Musar nose with scents of cedar wood, bright red fruit, and a bit of VA. This is the last of the '90's that I have yet to taste from Chateau Musar....and once again they did not disappoint! Who is their winemaker now? The rim showed signs of bricking and as you work your way towards the core it turns into a ruby/mahogany color...absolutley beautiful. On the palate, this wine seems to have much more acidity than the '95 and '99. Red fruit dominates and tastes of cedar, raspberries, and leather are tasted thorughout the palate and something else that I cant really pin down, but alls I know is that I like it . Soft velvety tannins lead to a long lingering finish that remind of where I was when I first had my first Musar. This is an extrordinary wine and I look forward to tasting it again in the future.
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More colour than the 1999. Enticing nose. Sweet red fruits and spice along with smoky gamey notes. Could almost be Northen Rhone! Elegant and delicious. Great finish. Really, really good.
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Barnyard and little else on the nose, maybe some Eastern spices; almost completely taken over by brett? Leathery and spicy, this needs air to settle out. It tastes quite mature, and there is fruit here, but it take some patience. Drink now.
Having had a couple of other vintages of this wine, this is the weakest. It is fading.
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Leathery, gamy notes on the nose. Surprisingly nimble and light in the mouth; has hints of curried lamb (which would, incidentally, make a heck of a food pairing with this).
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An Afternoon with Serge Hochar, Ch. Musar, China Club, Hong Kong: Lighter colour. The first wine of the day to display traditional Musar VA. Super, classic Musar nose with cedar wood and lots of fruit. Beefier on the palate than the 2000 or the 1999: lots of Marmite and Bovril but somehow still a lighter style of Musar. More resinous than the 2000 or 1999. Chewy. Slightly rustic and less refined but that may be it going through its adolescence. Definite "in your head" qualities. Lots of personality.......a classic Musar which would be a good introduction for someone new to this wine.
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Very good fruits, smooth taste, very integrated tannins, good fruity aftertaste. It opened up a little more after 1 hour. I really liked this wine, drink now. Decanted for 1 hour.
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Light in color, almost identical to the 1995 also opened. A little hard on opening, but over the evening this opened up to become quite nice. Not up to the level of the '97 or the '99, it turned out to be better than the '95 which started out better (more bright fruit..but then it fell off). There are very interesting wines that are old world in style with lots of complexity and unexpected flavors.
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Badly dried out cork, which crumbled, but the wine was OK. Somewhat like a rioja or burgundy, this is in a good stage of its maturity right now. Had the '97 Musar last night and this was a bit darker in color, but less interesting to me. Nose of soft wood and well-worn leather, with some red fruit i couldn't nail down. Went terrifically well with a home-made lebanese dinner or on its own. Lots of fine sediment in the last pour. Have one in my cellar that could go now, or wait up to a few years.
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Compared to the 1995 Musar which I like a lot, this wine shows too much acidity right now. It also doesn't have the finish of great examples of Musar. I'm not sure whether it is still too young or the '98 just simply a rather bad example of Musar.
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This was the third in a vertical tasting of four vintages (2000, 1999, 1998 and 1993) at the Chateau Musar tasting held at the Whitewater Valley Wine Society and hosted by Jane Sowter of Chateau Musar (UK). The 1998 was darker still and whilst nine years old, it felt just right to drink now – well balanced with velvety tannins, long length and hints of raspberries on the palate.
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Chateau Musar Vertical (Tabla): A different aromatic profile than all the rest, with a sweet dusting of cocoa powder. Nice wine, but difficult to find motivation to drink it with all the older wines on the table. This, and the '97, are really too young to open.
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Chateau Musar Dinner with Serge Honchar (Tabla): Young and brutallly unforgiving, this wine does show its pedigree with some nice element that suggest tremendous potential. The nose is primarily cedar and leather with some hints of darker fruits behind. Closed and tannic, it has ample structure to carry whatever fruit chooses to emerge down the road.
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Garnet rim and translucent light ruby body; initially a bit of menthol but later more pronounced cedar and leather; relaxed medium body with just a little grip; medium+ length; very attractive and easy to drink.
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Characteristic sweet medicinal nose, a touch volatile, but gamey and herbs, full and savoury, but with the sweetness coming through at the end. Lovely wine
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Dinner at Dads with Cousins from Ireland (Dads House): The wine was okay. Perhaps it took a hit as the other red of the night was a most phenominal 97 BV Reserve. Hints of berries and fruit on the nose with a muted palate. Decent finish.
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An OK Musar after a few hours of decanting, but I miss a little freshness and perfume that I think are present in e g the 93 and the 99. (Then again, I know I shouldn't compare vintages of Musar, since each one is a unique wine...). Quite Rhôneish on the palate, and drinking well now.
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A day of Musar with Gaston Hochar: Just brought to the US recently. Suprisingly foward, lush and fruity. According to Gaston, a very dull and steady vintage from the winemaker's perspective. Nice fruit, medium body. Maybe the stuffing to go, but a lot to reccomend this now. Nice finish develops over time and much later, as well as some complex tobacco and tar notes.
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Two bottles drunk on successive nights. This has so much going for it. Heady fragrance, sweet fruit, complexity. Almost burgundian. Less medicinal and bretty than in some past vintages.
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5/3/2024 - mark_k Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cork was a mess, fill just at neck. Had low expectations.
Colour- pale ruby, like old burgundy.
Nose initially a bit muted. Does this really need a decant? Decided not to as I was scared of fragility. It really did develop with each glass drank slowly over 2 hours. The high proportion cinsault really showing some strawberry red fruit, more so than expected for a wine this age. Lots of tertiary, leather, almonds and leaves. Wine showed freshness and no signs of fading. I have two more bottles which look in better condition than this one and I'll be in no rush to drink those.
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4/24/2024 - PSPatrick wrote: 93 Points
Bottle in perfect condition, filled into the neck, cork intact. I poured the wine into a small decanter and followed its development for about four hours. Medium garnet colour, light orange towards the rim, some sediment. The wine was tight upon opening, but opened up with aeration and showed best after about 90 minutes in the small decanter: Red fruit, red cherry, mixed berries, blood, gamy notes, spices, tobacco, balsamic notes, light tea, and some VA, with fresh acidity, round, well-integrated tannin, and very good length. Medium-bodied, smooth, balanced, and harmonious, with good energy and good concentration. Fresher, tighter, more structured than the sweet, broad inviting 2000. After two hours, the wine started to develop a more mature, even smoother, very integrated profile. A glass I kept for day two was consistent with my last glass on day one. Drink or hold.
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4/20/2024 - cvst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Another excellent bottle. Pulled cork in one piece with an ah-so. Left in decanter for 8 hours. Well, this was the plan. Started drinking after 7 hours. It then showed very good, mature notes with present acidity and dried fruit profile, cranberry, raisins, dried herbs, figs, stoney minerals. Then, after another hour the wine gained more depth and profoundness and came well together. So impressive! 8 hours at least, it is for me.
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4/18/2024 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot Likes this wine: 93 Points
Totally agree with everyone who believes this is "beautifully declining" at its current age. The flavors are GREAT at the moment (especially the palate).
Red plums, roasted wild game, olive tapanade and a hint of mustiness on the nose. Medium + intensity of aromas. Smells quite nice; though a tad old (which it is!). The palate is much more lively, showing flavors of ripe black cherries, ripe red plums, balsamic, orange peel, green tobacco and smokey bacon. Absolute explosion of flavors - with a high intensity thereof. Finishes with blood and iron, and lasts around 45 seconds.
Structurally, it feels pretty old. Medium body with medium acid and low, almost no tannin. Guessing this peaked about 4 years ago - where it would probably rate a 95 or 96. Drink now and enjoy the beautiful flavors if you happen to have any.
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3/31/2024 - wdoquinn Likes this wine: 97 Points
Brick red with transparent rim. Out of the bottle this wine sang with aged notes of balsamic, Forest floor, cedar, black cherry cola. Nice acid and length. Got a little flat with time but drinking really well right now. Crusted rack of lamb paired perfectly Easter 2024
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2/15/2024 - Venturous Vinifera Likes this wine: 94 Points
Transparent, both literally and figuratively. Beautiful ruby color with very little browning around the rim. Looked astonishing young for going on 26 years.
Slight VA and Bret on the nose, but settled with time. Tart blackberries, sweet dried cherries, bitter chocolate, olive, licorice, and aniseed. Incredibly youthful, vibrant, complex and balanced.
Not much to suggest additional aging in my opinion. On the decline, but what a beautiful and slow decline it has been so far.
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2/15/2024 - Snowey Likes this wine:
Valentine’s Day with lamb at home. Lovely and opened up over a couple of hours to get better. Acidity was highish, fruit was intact, at first it was a bit pruning but then got just complex.
Fun wine
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2/10/2024 - Keezam Likes this wine: 91 Points
Was nervous on opening whether it was ok but opened up nicely after a few hours. Another solid Musar with great QPR
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1/23/2024 - JimTaft Likes this wine: 94 Points
With a fine meal, mostly seafood, at a lovely restaurant in Key West FL. Amazing how this wine complimented raw oysters, conch carpaccio, salad and a lovely snapper filet.
Previous tasting notes describe the experience well. In our case, the cork gave way in the middle but the server ably extracted the bottom portion intact. We sat for most of the evening with the owner who is an old friend and thereby met all of the customers nearby.
No longer a wine review, one woman on her way out laid a gushing love bomb on my fiancé and I, appreciating our chemistry. Another table took a selfie with us, perhaps thinking we were celebrities. All in all, a great night with a great bottle of wine !!
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1/21/2024 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Piemonte et al (Winechester): Served blind. Don't think it's piemonte but more southern perhaps? When revealed - kinda wild because we'd actually been discussing 98 Musar over dinner...anyway - probably my second favourite red, this is just a great Musar vintage.
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1/10/2024 - Steamboatrock Likes this wine: 94 Points
Special
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1/7/2024 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
Dinner at Home: Stood up for months and decanted off 1-2oz fine sediment. Medium ruby with some bricking (age-appropriate); high intensity aromatics, cedar, cigar smoke, roasted red pepper, some red fruits, some roses; palate is medium bodied, tannins fully integrated, balanced 13.5% alcohol, a lovely slight sweetness of fruit on the palate while being dry, red fruited, strawberry, some soy/balsamic notes; medium-long finish. Musar with age is always special, and this bottle delivers. This is showing early maturity, but likely has 5-10 years ahead of it. 93
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12/29/2023 - Tonyromolampkin Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nose: perfumed oak, cedar, mahogany, sandalwood, savoury spices, forest floor, leather bound books, just deep complex, and rich, smells like old money, perfumed leather, red flowers
Palate: blackberries, black cherries, rich perfumed wood, mushrooms, forest floor, capsicum, pencil shavings, savoury, black pepper, white pepper, earthy, rose, red flowers, leather, tobacco
Finish: soft, long, rich, spicy, complex
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12/25/2023 - wacko Likes this wine: 94 Points
Prices have been rising significantly. Perhaps I am not the only one to rate this the finest VFM great wine on the planet.
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12/25/2023 - johnrm Likes this wine: 91 Points
From a half bottle again. Tasted on Christmas Day with a flight of each year from 1998 to 2003. As good as ever with the same pale colour, attractive nose, complex fruit, and spicy complexity on the end palate. Just a hint of excess acidity on the end palate 6+h after opening but this soon cleared in the glass leaving a very enjoyable, beautifully balanced wine.
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12/24/2023 - Harfouch Likes this wine: 88 Points
No decant. Opened the bottle and left it for 2.5 hours.
First glass at opening - Soft mouth feel. Good floral and fruit aroma. Tastes of cherry, orange peel, tobacco, and raisin.
2.5 hours in, the wine really opened up and the structure of the wine completely changed. The softness and acidic feel was replaced with a bolder and fruitier depth.
This is a drink now wine. I would not age any further. There’s nothing left to gain.
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11/27/2023 - ploher wrote:
Decanted for about 5 hours. Very perfumed, intense nose with oranges, christmas spices and balsamic notes. On the palate lovely sweet fruit, exuberantly flavorful, still high, bright acidity cutting through the sweetness. Lots of fine grained tannins. Very long. Opened up further over the course of the evening. Another near perfect bottle. 19/20
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11/26/2023 - asparagus Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was extremely lovely. Medium garnet. Red fruits, cedar, hints of tobacco. Great mouthfeel, good acid, good length. An enjoyable wine that drank well over two days. What a value!
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11/25/2023 - Keith Cooper Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasted at home with friends, one of three reds, all 1998 vintage. To accompany slow cooked beef cheeks.
Remembering what the great Serge Hochar used to say, I opened and decanted 3 hours before drinking.
Some colour ageing, though the wine appeared fresh. Full and rich. Fruit cakes, leather. Like drinking Christmas pudding. Still improving 5 hours from opening.
You must give this wine time to breathe.
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11/22/2023 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine: 92 Points
This was my last bottle of this vintage and it showed beautifully. There is a hint of brett, but it was just right last night - adding complexity and by no means getting too in the way of the magic. The palate, as always, was so rich and long. This bottle could easily have gone another 25 years.
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11/15/2023 - Paul852 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Nearly 2 years on from my last TN on this wine, this evening a bottle which, due to poor planning, was decanted (removing a little sediment) only 2.5 hours before drinking (with pizzas!).
The fill was low-mid neck. The cork was solid but I used a pseudo-Durand just in case. The colour was still a fairly bright ruby, although the wine is quite translucent.
The nose is classic Musar: fruit, acetone, but very little of the barnyard that often appears. These follow to the palate, which is a fruity, but a little delicate, and which quickly forms a tannic note which persists on the finish along with just a hint of violets.
Unlike some of the bottles I drank a couple of years ago this one doesn't yet seem to have developed any tertiary flavours, and the acidity is really rather light.
So, although it was still an excellent wine, this wasn't my favourite 1998. I suspect this one could have done with more time in the bottle or a much longer decant to show at its best. This was my last for the moment, but they are still available here in Hong Kong for ~US$45-50, so maybe I will pick up one or two more to follow the development further.
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11/8/2023 - PSPatrick wrote: 93 Points
Top shoulder. Cork soaked on one side, some seepage. Decanted for four hours in the morning, poured over dinner. Medium garnet colour, some sediment. Red fruit, cherry, mixed berries, plum, cedar, tobacco, gamy notes, nuts, almond, dark chocolate, spices, balsamic notes, and some VA, with great acidity. Great complexity. The tannin is completely resolved. Very smoothly textured, and well balanced. Drinks very well. In a good place. Not quite as striking on day two. Could be reaching a tipping point, and why wait? I would drink now.
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11/8/2023 - MikeCW wrote: flawed
Opened to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. Undrinkable. Properly stored since purchase. Second undrinkable bottle of a four pack I purchased years back.
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11/6/2023 - dwaller Likes this wine:
Light-bodied, with a pinkish hue. Very purfumed with red fruit and mushroom and old books in equal proportions. Very enjoyable to drink.
.
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10/30/2023 - trumpet60201 wrote: flawed
This bottle (750 ml) had a lot of brett, which made it less enjoyable compared to prior bottles, but it was still eminently drinkable and very enjoyable. The fruit concentration, persistence, depth and complexity of the wine are outstanding.
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10/21/2023 - Realityrichard wrote: 88 Points
Leicht bräunlich. Sieht und riecht jünger als 25 Jahre Reifezeit. Am Gaumen dann anders. Etwas Leder und Torf ist noch vorhanden. Für mich im Taste etwas zu alt, ich vermisse die Tiefe und etwas mehr Aromen im Fächer. Einen 98er würde ich heute nicht nochmal kaufen.
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10/17/2023 - jondrinkswine Likes this wine:
Very perfumed with a dried potpourri of red and purple fruits, with VA to provide lift. It’s funny, I often find VA very off-putting when I encounter it (usually in old Barolo), but somehow it works so well with Musar. Dried red fruit profile has a delicious sweetness that leaps from the glass. Cranberries, pomegranates when first opened gaining weight and turning into ripe strawberries and spiced cherries with air. Gorgeous secondary and tertiary elements accentuate the fruit and floral profile: meat, licorice, tea, smoke, cedar, and spices. Long spicy finish. This ‘98 was right up there with the epic ‘99s I’ve had over the years.
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10/17/2023 - johnrm Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted side by side with the 2005 vintage (from 75cl rather than one of our 37.5cl bottles.
Quite pale and aged looking. Vg quite dry at first but with very good fruit and balance. Not as smooth as the 2005 at first but rich and juicy as it opened.
Lovely after some time in the glass. Strawberries developed. It improved with time becoming richer with cherry fruit to accompany the strawberry. Sweet richness on the palate which offered some spicy fruitcake flavours.
Amazingly youthful.
A great relief to enjoy a good bottle after some of the variation we have experienced with this vintage.
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10/14/2023 - WinePT Likes this wine: 92 Points
Durand much needed. Brownish-red color. Decanted for 1 hour and enjoyed over 4 hours. Fresh, silky body with notes of autumn leaves, light cherry, mint, spice, and tea with long dry finish.
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10/14/2023 - honest bob wrote: 93 Points
From 75cl, crapppy cork succesfully removed with ah-so, decanted 4 hours. As noted here on 22.07.2023, but even more vibrant, acidic, alive. Perfect pairing with Imam Bayaldi and WOTN. 93P
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9/30/2023 - asgerG wrote: 94 Points
Decanted and kept in fridge for five days!
Absolutely fabulous wine. After that harsh handling it still appears complex, well balanced, fully mature, tannins resolved, elegant. Like a cross over between Bordeaux and Vosne.
Bravo
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9/30/2023 - Montesquieu Likes this wine: 94 Points
It always makes my day to find long-aged Musar on a restaurant wine list. Musar invariably stands out for both maturity and value, as it did last night. This bottle delivered. Tart flavors and ruby red fruit combined to form a lovely elegance. Musar's practice of releasing fully mature bottles at prices that don't seem to reflect the years of storage cost is a wonderful gift to the world's wine lovers. I thank and praise them!
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9/30/2023 - cvst Likes this wine: 91 Points
Again in bloom after a more or less exact 8 hour decant. Before a mix between astringency and brett. Not as good as other bottles, which showed more depth and complexity. There seems to be some bottle variation. Impressive, that it opened up after the decant anyhow and very delicious nonetheless
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9/27/2023 - ekorn wrote:
Brought this bottle to a Musar dinner which included the '95, '97 - '05, and '16 rouge.
This bottle was double decanted for sediment around two hours before it was served. This showed its age a bit more than the other reds we had with some port-like aromas.
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9/24/2023 - Emil Oliver Likes this wine: 93 Points
An amazing wine at a sweet spot in its drinking window.
Quite a bit of sediment in the bottle, required decanting (which the nice folks at CM were kind enough to remind us of in bold letters on the back).
Tawny in color.
Complex and developed nose of cedar, cigar box, rosehips, yellow plums, prunes, some dried rose petals, and mushrooms.
Velvety texture with a full body and perfectly balanced acidity. Long fine and worn down tannins in the finish.
I seem to be giving it stronger merits than others here. My bottle was served with leg of lamb, creamy mushroom and a cheesy potato gratin which in combination was just wonderful.
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9/22/2023 - Hendmo Likes this wine: 93 Points
In a perfect drinking window, short decant reveals lovely pure purple fruits, and just a bit undergrowth, cured meats, leather and the slightest hint of barnyard to add complexity, but largely still fresh, silky smooth and a real treat.
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9/1/2023 - Sir Lee wrote:
Smooth, mellow, understated, medium finish; after 25 years of cellaring it has shed the tannic bite of its youth. It stands on its own so nobly that an entire glass can be enjoyed on its own between courses with no food.
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7/28/2023 - funderwood10 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tannins have stripped away and have revealed a delicious wine with a great blend of primary and tertiary flavors, a decently long finish… only needs 30 min of air to lose the long nap funk. This is so good, on its own or with food, refreshing enough with a decant for sediments that it’s even a nice summer wine. Spectacular. Only would’ve been better with a bit more tannic grip, but it’s 25 yrs old, how can I hold that against it
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7/22/2023 - honest bob wrote: 92 Points
From 75cl, good cork (successfully extracted using a normal corkscrew, despite the producer's dire warnings), decanted 4 hours, improved in glass until final drop. Very pale red-brick/orange colour. Initially high-octane-sh**/barnyard smell settled down a bit after decanting. Intense, healthy sweetness on the entry; gentle acidic gain on the mid-palate, high concentration, serious stuffing; the finish tates like heavenly strawberry jam, but in a good way. This outstanding bottle was packed solid, and might well have lasted another 25 years if we hadn't consumed it this evening. 92P
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7/3/2023 - enthusiastic_amateur wrote: 82 Points
Dilute & watery body combined with dried out fruit. Not a good showing for this producer.
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6/30/2023 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
Much as my Oct '22 note. The sheer richness and viscosity of this Musar demands contrasting plain meat accompaniment.
No rush - now till 2028 at least.
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6/21/2023 - johnrm Likes this wine: 90 Points
Half bottle. Perfect cork. VA on opening (as usual) but the wine improved in the glass over a couple of hours. Tasting notes are pretty much as for our better bottles of this vintage reviewed earlier. It did improve further over a few hours more so I have added a point. Interesting but not quite up to the usual standard. Drink up.
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6/20/2023 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Soaked through cork. Corked smelled horrid but a decanted bottle smelled wonderful. A borderline floral nose, a more acidic structure than I usually perceive with Musar. This was lovely - not sure if I’d have it as Musar blind but if it weren’t, I’m not sure what I’d imagine it was.
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6/16/2023 - DanielAVTL wrote: flawed
After having recent success with two separate bottles of Chateau Musar 2000, I was feeling optimistic about the highly-touted '98.
Unfortunately, after releasing the cork which was half soaked through, the cuvee that poured out was almost a bright caramelly orange color, looking more like a tawny port than a red wine.
Nose actually had some very interesting character, indicative of a wine that must have been very good at some point, but alas - this bottle was a complete dud. I suspect poor storage, as I see reviews here talk about a lively and vibrant wine.
NR
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6/12/2023 - Carson.McEvoy Likes this wine: 93 Points
This wine is extremely transparent and light. Dark brown rim with a center of transparent red.
Immediately, this punches you in the face with lively, red ripe fruits. Cherry, cranberry, floral notes, and even an odd barnyard-like funk.
After some time in the decanter, this wine became much more friendly. On the palate, it shows cinnamon and leathery notes and continues with that young red fruit. This bottle didn't show a ton of black fruit, which I was expecting. But the red fruit just showed so pleasantly.
This bottle ended up in the whole package. Age, depth, complexity, youthfulness, and most importantly, a great price. I highly recommend it.
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5/29/2023 - 10xM wrote:
Decanted 8 hours.
Color: medium brown
Aromas: cherry syrup
Palate: red fruit followed by hint of barnyard
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5/28/2023 - Adventr.us wrote: 94 Points
Wifey’s having a long day of work, and I’m making lamb/Gorgonzola/caramelized onion burgers, and I thought - what the heck, let’s open a nice one. But I am enjoying this so much from the opening sips, wifey better get home quick or this one might not last until dinner. Consistent with my previous note, continuing to evolve with air. (Appreciate the previous reviewer’s tip to use a Bugundy glass!) May be a little lighter in body than I remembered, but to my palate, this is DElicious!!
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5/21/2023 - Monvigliero wrote: 85 Points
Very thin and highly acidic with aromas of barnyard and some sour (red) fruit. Definitely interesting but it felt a bit like hard work to finish the bottle as it just didn't drink very easily. Cannot say whether this id due to bottle variation or just the charachter of the wine.
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5/6/2023 - lightning wrote: 93 Points
Quick impressions over a boozy lunch. Savoury nose, red fruits and cloves, autumnal. Midbodied, balanced and elegant with a fine acid spine, oak usage well judged.
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5/5/2023 - wino_tim wrote: 91 Points
Pale garnet. On the nose this is fully mature but certainly not over the hill, with an obvious - and I guess one would say 'classic' - note of volatile acidity shading the aromas of dried sweet red cherries, sundried tomatoes, grilled herbs, tobacco, baked earth and spice. On the palate this is medium bodied but expansive with medium+ acidity, mostly resolved tannin, and a texture that is at once grippy and light. This has the feel of some hypothetical mix of Brunello, Burgundy and CdP, but it is tasty and certainly very Musar.
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4/21/2023 - matthewmcg Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great with lamb. Opened up after five hour decant.
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4/19/2023 - Neecies Likes this wine:
Medium red color. Spicy nose. Not feral as some other bottles were reported to be. Multi-layered on the mid-palate, sweet fruit on the long finish. Glorious as expected, especially after it occurred to me to move it from a Bordeaux glass to a Burgundy bowl--huge difference. Was so much more complete in the 2nd glass.
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4/13/2023 - pcgraves Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still going strong.
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4/5/2023 - Wine celler Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tørket frukt og lær. Balansert. Nydelig
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4/1/2023 - forceberry wrote: 91 Points
The vintage 1998 started off quite normally but the temperatures remained relatively cool until June. Quite typical, warm and dry summer. The blend is quite typical aka. one third of each Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, although the Cinsaut portion is slightly higher this vintage. 13,35% alcohol, 1-2 g/l residual sugar, 5,59 g/l acidity, pH 3,79 and 38 mg/l SO2. Decanted for six hours before tasting the wine.
Dark, luminous and moderately translucent brick-red color with a pale orange rim. The nose feels fragrant, somewhat volatile and a bit reticent with aromas of cherries and dried flowers, some lifted notes of medicinal ether and nail polish, a little bit of dried raspberry, light bretty notes of leather, a meaty hint of chorizo, a touch of strawberry and a whiff of dried figs. The wine feels rich, evolved and moderately volatile on the palate with a rather full body and quite rich flavors of ripe cherries, some nail polish, a little bit of dried figs, light bretty notes of leathery funk and Band-Aid, sweet hints of dark plums and blackcurrant jam and a sharp touch of acetic VA. The wine still retains quite a bit of structure with its rather high acidity and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is juicy, somewhat volatile and moderately tannic with a long aftertaste of balsamic VA and acetic sharpness, some lifted notes of medicinal ether, a little bit of dried figs, light bretty notes of leathery funk, a sweet hint of ripe black cherries and a touch of salinity.
This 1998 has been one of the more unreliable vintages of Musar, a winery known for their wide bottle variation. At its best, this vintage has been exceptional, but at its worst it has been excessively volatile and bretty, the more sauvage notes overwhelming all the finer nuances. This time this bottle wasn't as volatile and funky as it has been at its worst, but this was nevertheless a far cry from the bottles where this wine has been performing at its best. I'd say a well-kept bottle still has a lot of potential left in it for any further development, but it seems to be just pure luck whether the wine has only a tiny bit of funk and lift, just adding some nice, rustic complexity; or if the wine is getting too funky, volatile and acetic. While not a bad wine by any means, I still admit - knowing the greatness this vintage can achieve - this time our gamble didn't yield winning results. Priced more or less according to its quality at 39€, I guess.
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3/29/2023 - Travislee0113 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted at La's Kitchen. Quite an aged bottle, considering the vintage. Now light-bodied like the Bordeaux or Syrah in the 1970s. There was a reductive bouquet at the first nose, which dissipated as an hour went. Although the structure had a coarseness, it rendered nice acidity and a sweet finish.
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3/28/2023 - Max S. Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just an exciting wine. Feral is the best descriptor of this bottle. hold 1 for a few years, the other for up to 10. Drank at Denver group event 7
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3/17/2023 - MasterWis Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bottle in perfect condition, high level. Opened 2h30 before serving.
Very fresh tertiary nose. Light and transparent colour. Very intense palate superbly balanced and stretching on a long finish. Great wine.
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3/16/2023 - Zweder wrote: 91 Points
In the bouquet a bit rustic, earth and walnuts. Same on the palate, red berries, chocolate, rose hips, earth, ok acidity and ripe fruits.
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3/12/2023 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine: 94 Points
My last of 6 half bottles, and this one showed the best of the bunch. I've also had 1 750 and have 2 750s left. The 750s are in great shape. I think it's wise to finish off your 375s if you are still sitting on some, but this one was a wonderful wine. I popped and poured it, the nose was outstanding, the color a bit translucent, the persistency was excellent and the fruit and flavors were fresh, weightless and delicious.
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3/11/2023 - preid wrote: 93 Points
Light, transparent, red color. Red berries, leather, cherry and earthy notes. Balanced and long. Perfect match for sheep based cheese. Love it!
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3/8/2023 - PSPatrick wrote: 93 Points
Ex Château 2022. Filled into the neck, cork intact. Decanted for four hours in the morning, poured over dinner. Medium to light garnet colour, a little lighter in colour than expected, some sediment. Red fruit, red plum, cedar, tobacco, spices, gamy notes, and some VA. Finishes balsamic, and then turns gamy, cedary and smoky again on the aftertaste. All carried by great acidity. The tannin is fully resolved, and the wine is smoothly textured, with some old age sweetness. Drinks like a 60% Mourvèdre and 40% Grenache blend from a cool climate. Good concentration and complexity. In a great place! I have said it before, and it is still true: This is a captivating bottle of wine!
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3/6/2023 - Keezam Likes this wine: 92 Points
5hr decant which helped round everything out. Very tertiary, pronounced nose of dried fruit, leather, mushroom.
Second day had lost a bit of oomph, but still pleasant.
Any wine of this quality that can be bought for less than £40 at 25yrs old is ok with me!
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3/5/2023 - bugdoced Likes this wine: 92 Points
had everyone fooled as this was the ringer with other italian cuvees
the age could be seen but not tasted as this held together nicely all night
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3/2/2023 - oleronning wrote:
Decanted one hour before drinking. A lighter bottle than average, a bit lean. Dominant red fruits. Fresh. Builds more body over time, and after 5 hours the character has changed significantly
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3/2/2023 - NickHBailey Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful bottle. Broke a bit of the cork even with the Durand but managed to get it out without dropping any into the bottle. A bit of funk initially on the nose. Gorgeous color, clearly showing it’s age here, quite translucent. Luxardo cherries, overripe raspberries, tart currant, dried orange peel, wet tilled earth, leather/barnyard, mint, herbs and spices. 60+ second finish. Gorgeous structure and texture. Viscous mouthfeel despite the low alcohol and age, insanely well integrated tannins. Love this, want to buy more. I don’t get to drink a ton of wine with 25+ years of age but this is exactly the kind of ethereal experience I’m after even though it isn’t the most complex Musar I’ve had. There are no great wines, only great bottles. Given the known bottle variation issues here, this was a great one.
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2/27/2023 - pilot360 wrote: 92 Points
We’ll balanced, lovely, mature. What a great winery. Aged Musar , when bottles are handled properly can stand up to and compete with some of the best Bordeaux.
Wow, 24 hours later- in an open wine glass for that length of time - solid as the 1st night, May have lost a bit of weight ,but still firing strong. Chateaux Musar is pretty amazing, and a benchmark.
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2/25/2023 - cvst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 8 hours. All funk blew off and the wine was at first indeed rather tight as in premature tight. It soon after then opened up beautifully with notes of red and dark cherries, red currant, elderberry, cedar, wet stone, herbs and some iron in the long aftertaste. Very good balance and incredible complexity and persistence. This bottle was really singing. Excellent
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2/20/2023 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cork completely soaked with stuff oozing out. 8 hrs decant. Perfection. Clear, fresh, unbelievable balance of everything. How do they do it? Years of joy.
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2/18/2023 - vinkarl Likes this wine: 93 Points
Beautiful wine, classic Chateau Musar. Paired well with reindeer, hasselbak potatoes and mushroom stew.
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2/4/2023 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 93 Points
MNB Friends (and kiddos!) (Ashish's): Med minus ruby. explosive aromatic intensity! Strong tamari and perfumed blackberry. Brett.
Well balanced on the palate. Dried orange cinnamon. Hint of the ethereal cassis note that will probably increase with years.
Ashish commented that it's not the most complex Musar. I might describe it as...easily broken into components, each of which isn't that complex. But together they're delightfully and distinctively Musar. It maybe doesn't (yet?) have the depth and complexity of the '95 or '72, but I'm a fan!
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2/4/2023 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
Dinner with Rajiv and Roger (Millbrae): Decanted off significant sediment after standing for a week. Pale ruby-garnet, shows its age; aromatic, roses, some smoke, red fruit, cherry, spices; palate is medium bodied, elegant medium-plus acidity, 13.5% alcohol but could easily pass for lower, superb combination of red fruit with soy/balsamic complexity, tannins silky and fully integrated; finish is medium-plus length. This seems consistent with my previous bottles: stellar balance, more than typical elegance, showing some tertiary complexity, ready to drink now. 92
6 hours in bottle: singing, superb balance of acidity and tertiary flavors. Lovely. 92-93
Day 2: Honestly the same as last night, perhaps a touch less aromatic but just as complex on the palate. Held up well, which is also consistent with my last bottle.
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1/31/2023 - BuckeyeBenS Likes this wine: 88 Points
My previous notes hold true here. Decanting is still necessary to help the 1998 find its stride, but it seems to me that it's best days were a few years ago. Perhaps my recent frustration with multiple flawed bottles is influencing my rating too much. My companion for the evening is a Musar enthusiast and this was his first experience with the unique 1998 vintage. He thought it was fabulous. In spite of my concerns about the wine peaking, I've just acquired a few more bottles with no intent to hold long-term because it is such a one of a kind wine.
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1/31/2023 - BuckeyeBenS wrote: flawed
Sadly another 1998 Chateau Musar was obviously flawed upon opening. That's 2 now in spite of cellaring properly once I took possession of the bottle years ago. This experience reinforces a pearl of wisdom I read, probably from Jeff Leve or Robert Parker, that every wine reaches a point in its life where it is no longer about the vintage - but the bottle. I have to believe that one of my wine sources unknowingly bought and sold flawed bottles. I wish I had catalogued the bottles better so I could narrow it down, but I did not.
The first sign of trouble showed up upon removing the foil. The cork had a murky brick-like color and a slight moldy fuzz across the top. It was very soft during extraction. The second sign of trouble was the ultra pale/translucent red color of the liquid. Finally, there was the unattractive aroma, clearly oxidized with no real life left.
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1/29/2023 - matthewmcg Likes this wine: 91 Points
Lovely after decanting and removing sediment. Some fruit and a bit of acidity balanced by very longggggg finish of leather, hint of cranberry. Thin brick color.
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1/28/2023 - timbo9313 Likes this wine: 91 Points
OWC 12 bottles from London to HK and stored for 5 years. This is my last bottle. Cork was 30 percent soaked and brittle. Level was good. Decanted for 1 hrs. Colour was amazingly pinot, bright bricking and vibrantly crimson. Nose was typical Musar but the tannin was still a bit harsh yet integrated. Strong mineral background with hint of Flintstone powder but not as jammy as Australian pinot. Served well with spicy Cantonese hotpot. Please remembered, my first several bottles were poured directly from the bottle ... disturbing the residual made it cloudy, acidic and very disjointed tannin, guaranteed death penalty. My last 5 bottles were very good as long as I did them with careful decanting. Will look for more. around 30£ each is a big bargain.
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1/27/2023 - querilant Likes this wine: 92 Points
I had some difficulty with the cork, but fortunately the wine was more than ok. Decanted for three hours. Somewhat pale red color. Barnyard, but also quite a lot of fruit left. Softish and elegant palate and nice subtle tannins
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1/26/2023 - Brucie69 Likes this wine: 92 Points
A mass of contradictions and all the better for it. Full of life and fruit but fetid and decaying. Medium bodied but persistent. There are not many wines like this and I really like it.
Cork: soft and fading. On the back of the bottle it says open with an Ah So and I understand why. Even with that it still came apart at the tip.
Colour: Deep bricking with brown at the edges
Nose: barnyard aromas,brown spices, tobacco and mulch, but with sweet red fruit peeking through.
Taste:so much going on in the palate. Those tertiary aromas follow through on the palatte, joined by red fruits (cherries, strawberries and red currants) that give it a nice fruit lift. Strong drying tea tannins join in too, giving a really savoury kick. Defiantly medium bodied but very persistent.
No idea how long it will last but it’s great now but it’s not an easy going crowd pleaser.
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1/13/2023 - sharonandroland Likes this wine: 94 Points
Exceptional - very Burgandian
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1/8/2023 - johnrm Likes this wine: 89 Points
We thought we would try a bottle after our variable experiences with half bottles of the ‘98. The wine had been well stored since purchase; the cork was perfect and there was no ullage. The colour was pale but attractive and the nose showed citrus acidity with early VA (which gradually disappeared). It was still disappointing and, based on notes from others, we set it aside until the next day.
It was better after 20+ hours but still not quite as expected. Orange citrus on the nose and palate. Good acidity and fair fruit including raspberry on the late palate. It was quite long but it seemed much lighter and ‘thinner’ than anticipated without the usual spice and rich complexity. Perhaps this is down to the dominant Cinsault. It has its attractions but was not a memory to treasure.
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1/3/2023 - Rezy13 Likes this wine:
Tuesday Night Double Blind $50+ (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Cloudy see through orange red with sediment; dried orange, zest, tomato puree, celery seed, sexy and elegant, really clean, showing purely but older and more resolved, truffle note on the finish is very nice; '97 Musar?
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12/29/2022 - Glauberlp Likes this wine: 92 Points
Grate as always
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12/26/2022 - ploher wrote:
Opened in the morning for its mandatory 12h decant. The nose was expressive from the get go with blood orange, oriental spices and leather. The palate was very soft and a bit thin, but already quite nice. 12 h later this is just a completely different story. Amazing nose reminding me of top notch barbaresco: strawberries, mint, leather, iron, smoke, just considerably more fragrant and complex than before the decant. The beautifully textured palate has massively gained volume and weight, there is powerful red fruit and great structure. Very dynamic development over the whole evening. Pure harmony here, and the length is just incredible. Ah, this vintage will go the real distance no doubt, since every time I have it there is more and more to it, but it's already near perfect wine for me. 20/20
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12/26/2022 - TobiBerlin Likes this wine: 97 Points
Great perfume! Strawberry, cherry, leather and tobacco notes. On the palate coffee and dark chocolate adds. Tannins and acid nicely integrated. It's hard not to finish the bottle at once. Long finish. Love it!
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12/25/2022 - Steven184 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Same as last time
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12/25/2022 - seeyouintee Likes this wine: 94 Points
Fresh decant - Pours burgundy with a rusty orange rim. Red fruit, earthy loam, violets, and a touch of VA on the nose. Palate is true, with orange peel, more floral notes, and some Brett-funk on the finish. About an hour later the floral notes and forest fruit amp up, with lots of wild strawberry, raspberry, loam, and cigar box. Peak drinking.
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12/25/2022 - jkvedar Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful !! Great with food. Beguiling nose. Well-balanced . Long finish
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12/25/2022 - johnrm wrote:
Our experience was an exact repeat of last year’s on Christmas Day. Two half bottles, both stored very well since purchase. Opened well in advance.
One had a highly discoloured cork (the whole length) and had mould under the capsule. It broke up during extraction with a butler’s friend as so many from this vintage have done. However, the wine was absolutely fine - worth 92.
The second had a perfect cork but showed some VA and more acidity than fruit on the palate. It was drinkable but very disappointing and I would rather not put a number on it.
This vintage of Musar must be the worse bottling ever. It is a lottery. Worth having a second bottle in reserve if it is for a significant occasion.
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12/25/2022 - matthewmcg wrote: flawed
Cork fell in.
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12/23/2022 - AdinG wrote: flawed
Tasted unbalanced. Slight vinegar taste. Perhaps not stored properly at some point.
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12/17/2022 - thkim wrote: 91 Points
지난번에 맛있게 마시고 재구매 바틀 상태가 안좋아보여 담날 오픈 역시 코르크 세서 타고 올라왔음 맛은 지난번 와인 오픈후 수시간 지난뒤의 뉘앙스인 산도가 치고 올라오는 양상으로 와인이 상한 상태는 다행히 아니었음 아마 지난 바틀보다 더 나이를 더 먹은 상태로 솔직히 복합성으로 따지면 예전 와인이 더 나았음
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12/10/2022 - shafer1994 Likes this wine: 94 Points
No decant, tasted alongside the 99 Musar. Wonderful exotic bouquet, pale color. Intense and complex on the palate. Similar but a bit less powerful than the one year younger wine. Dried fruit and cinnamon notes, vanilla plus an intense sweetness. Long and silky finish. A pleasure to drink.
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11/27/2022 - Bagwhat Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted at Suraya. Imported by broadbent. First sip about 20 minutes after decant. Last sip about 2.5 hours after.
Light clear red - lighter than we expected actually. The first whif shows clear VA on the nose, but swirling reveals orange oil, warm spices like cinnamon and star anise, and some cedar wood, as well as overt horse blanket from, I guess, brett. There is a very bright attack with crunchy red fruit, overall very lifted on the palate. Herbs enter the fray at the close of the mid palate fruit show. In the beginning, some VA stings the back do the tongue, but this folds in sort of elegantly and takes on a citrus pith character that echoes the orange oil on the nose. The finish is long and enveloping. An hour+ of air later, and the fruit becomes sappy and reveals just how concentrated it is. This is my first Musar experience and it feels honest and “soulful” sure, but that doesn’t come at the expense of just being a damn good wine.
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11/20/2022 - Hickey987 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Light red color of a good older wine. Almost smells sweet. Tasted sweet, almost like a port out of the bottle. Decanted for ~1 hr. Smooth, complex, light dark fruit, spice dry complex finish. Amazing wine!
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11/19/2022 - J'agnes Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cork came out while with 2 prong. Pale garnet with a little bricking up. Big nose of violets and dark berries with a little VA. Delicate elegant palate - maybe cooked strawberry and black pepper - very fine tannins in the background with a long finish. Class.
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11/18/2022 - Giggs wrote: 93 Points
Wines You Dream Of (Miller Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio): A Cinsault vintage. Bright red fruits, fresh, open aromatics, chalky notes to the fruit. Really interesting.
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11/18/2022 - Jontypont wrote: 92 Points
Drinking lovely pal
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11/12/2022 - thkim Likes this wine: 92 Points
오랜시간 열어두고 마셔도 강건한 와인 디켄팅이 좀 필요해 보임 첫잔이 별로는 아니었지만 뒤로 갈수록 맛있다고 느낌 좀 천천히 즐겨야 온전히 즐길수 있을것 같음
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11/3/2022 - lightning wrote: 95 Points
A lively pale brick-hued garnet in appearance. Expressive nose with blackcurrants interspersed with cloves, cedar. Light to medium-bodied, elegant and silky in texture, the midpalate is persistent and contains juicy blackcurrants, cloves, liquorice, dried herbs; fine acid line woven through the wine, tannins mostly resolved. Intensity without weight, very impressive. Finesse - yes! This bottle was tasted after a brief decant and also a few hours after.
My first bottle of Musar in almost a decade. These were so easy to come by and affordable in the UK, however sadly a lot less common down under. The midpalate persistence of this bottle suggests that this may hold for some time yet, however no problems with opening now. 13.5% ABV.
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10/24/2022 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great. All perfect and sooooo fresh! As usual ah-so cork remover. Amazing! Only 6 hrs decant and it certainly will get better. Loving it…
30 hrs after opening - stunning wine. For me this can take any bordelaise bottle 3-5 times it’s price.
Note to myself - drink at least 24 hrs after uncorking
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10/23/2022 - DoctorBartolo Likes this wine: 95 Points
I always marvel at the stubbornly low scores awarded to Musar. Long may that continue so that this unloved oddity remains the best value wine in my cellar by a long margin. Where else can you buy 1998 aged wines of such quality direct from the Chateaux cellar for under 40 pounds a bottle including delivery? Because of its affordability a friend once described his Musar as “cellar defenders” to serve when guests were too far gone to notice or care what they were drinking. I told him off and was very pleased to be served Musar as the star of the dinner party by him on my next visit. Everyone agreed it was sublime. Musar is a great wine with multiple layers on the nose and on the palate. I take my hat off to the winemakers who face all kinds of adversity in Lebanon but continue to make this extraordinary wine. Try the 2014 too which is a superstar in the making and is drinking deliciously now but will transform into greatness in 10 to 15 years if you can wait that long. No, I’m not on commission. Bravo Musar!
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10/16/2022 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
Two identical bottles decanted together for an hour.
On consideration rather like the legendary port-like '84-lite (noted). Viscosity, brûlée dark stoned fruit and berries. Earth, truffly hints, suffused charred oak. Spice (esp liquorice) and herb. Gunflint minerality. Only downside, as previously noted, a finish on the sweeter side without the compensating/?excusing sheer ludicrous depth of the '84. Nonetheless very fine. Ideal for plain roasts (rolled lamb shoulder in this case).
Have given up trying to assess the longevity of this Musar - one for enjoyment rather than deadlines!
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10/15/2022 - S-C-S Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decant fot 7 hours
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10/9/2022 - wmccone54 Likes this wine:
Similar to my prior experience back in August 2021. Like the first bottle, the cork broke using an Ah-so cork puller; the last third of the corks are completely saturated and weak. Considerable sediment in the bottle, as I poured it into a small decanter. The wine displays a clear, medium garnet color; medium minus body. Highly complex and pronounced perfumed aromatics; red fruits are cooked and stewed; structural components are completely integrated and provide balance for the fruits; medium finish. An amazing wine, drinking beautifully at 24 years. Drink now as this is unlikely to improve with further cellaring.
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10/8/2022 - amateur62 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Private dinner (Musar): Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan. Fermentation in concrete tanks, maceration was up to four weeks. The wines were racked into French Nevers oak casks in August 1999 for twelve months, blended in September 2000 and bottled in August 2001. 13.5% vol.
Double decanted 24 hours before we enjoyed it with a selection of cheese and bread. Very classic Bordeaux nose with funky notes, good freshness, light to medium bodied, long finish.
Very old school type of wine, fully mature and everything in a perfect balance, nothing too much, nothing too little. Drink now or till 2030.
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10/8/2022 - cvst Likes this wine: 91 Points
Decanted for 7 hours. Shapeshifted quite a few times during that time. Pulled the cork in one piece with an ah-so. Started rather funky as usual but with good acidity and vibrancy. After 3 hours more funk on the nose and also more barnyard on the palate. After around 6 hours the funk blew off. Pale ruby, rather light bodied at that stage, cedar and ripe dark fruit with some iron. Felt a bit hollow at a time but then a good swirl brought up some more complexity. Very interesting to follow and enjoyable to drink
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9/5/2022 - remyworldpeace Likes this wine: 91 Points
Red orange colour. Strawberry and cedar nose. Plums, cedar on palate with a touch of a more mature funk on the end. Certain sweetness and warm spices. Not the most concentrated - a fairly light wine.
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8/28/2022 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 88 Points
Some initial funk but that soon went away to leave a floral nose with hints of cedar too.
Pleasant sweet cherry and blackcurrant notes, reasonably oaked but not overly so, with a medium finish. The juicy acids are particularly memorable.
🍇 Cab Sauv, more Cinsault, Carignan.
Chateau Musar ocated 40 km east of Beirut, the grapes grow in Beqaa Valley at an elevation of 1,000m. Gaston Hochar started this winery after his return from Bordeaux, which is now 3rd gen.
3rd of 11.. what an afternoon at SK's!
SKTs home, Malaysia - 27 Aug 2022
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8/24/2022 - wjl88 Likes this wine: 90 Points
Compared with the 2002, it has an additional layer that makes the wine quite charming -- a layer of barnyard/leather/pungency that gives a wine a bit more of a grip and more textural complexity than the 1998. However, less prominent in its expression of fruit and youth.
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8/15/2022 - DPetrone Likes this wine: 95 Points
Absolutely in its prime with few years to go. Complex while retaining some freshness. Notes of leather, wood, and still some red fruits
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8/6/2022 - Heynetty Likes this wine: 91 Points
A: Pale garnet
N: Pronounced nose of smokey cherry, strawberry, olives, barnyard, iodine, dried rose, rosewater, pine resin, baking spice, leather, earth, dried tobacco, VA
P: Dry, high acid, medium (+) tannin, pronounced intensity, high alcohol, full body and long finish.
Outstanding wine. Its beautiful. I even like the sweaty horse smell.Fully developed and not suitable for ageing
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7/31/2022 - edjBoca Likes this wine: 93 Points
light with an effusive nose smoke and cinnamon ...light sweet red fruit...reminds me of an older CDP....these are on the down swing. Still pleasant after an hour open.
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7/15/2022 - BuckeyeBenS Likes this wine: 90 Points
Still drinking beautifully, though maybe a little less vibrant than it was just two years ago. Its mineral qualities are still present, but both fruit and floral notes are quieting. Based on tonight’s experience (the first bottle was compromised), I’m left with the feeling I should work through the rest of this vintage more opportunistically to maximize my chances to enjoy it. Tonight, my instinct is that the 1998 Chateau Musar has peaked and may just be starting to fade.
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7/15/2022 - BuckeyeBenS wrote: flawed
What a sad moment. I knew something was wrong as soon as I started to extract the cork. Very soft and dark. It disintegrated during removal. Clear-ish orange liquid and a foul nose, musky and oxidized funk. Not a whisper of what it should have been. This one is compromised. I've just opened another and it seems to be perfect. I'll add notes later on the second, good bottle. The night is not lost, just a few dollars from my wallet. Sigh.
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7/6/2022 - byzero Likes this wine: 93 Points
6000+ years
DAY 1
Served this with the Vinlog System
Removed the soft cork with a Durand
👃Oh my! Cabernet notes, charcoal, earth, + a volatile element
👅Lovely red/purple fruit with plum sauce. Silky. Elegant
Remaining wine Slow Decanted in my refrigerator
DAY 14
👃Smoky strawberry jam, earth, dark fruit, & volatile notes. Are the volatile notes a Musar signature? They work for me👍
👅Cherry, plum and sweet BBQ notes. Soft, silky & elegant. Transparent tannins
Musar wines are known to be unique & enigmatic. This was both and it was also really enjoyable👍💕
Follow full note on Instagram "Vinloq.notes"
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7/3/2022 - jkvedar Likes this wine: 92 Points
Haunting nose of mostly stewed fruits, and raisins . On the palate , the fruit has faded . Always a hit, and this one is no exception .
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6/17/2022 - lozatron Likes this wine:
Musarathon (Ariana II): Oh yeah. This had been double decanted at lunchtime, and kept in the fridge. Wet through cork had made me worried - shouldn’t have. Lovely on the nose - gentle hints of rose petals maybe? On the palate - someone described this as an “Italian Musar” - and I could totally get behind that. My #2 WOTN.
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6/7/2022 - Yagil wrote: 88 Points
Premium Mature Bordeaux Blend (at my home): oxidized on 1st day
drinkable and pleasant after 24 hrs - though over the peak, no fruits, no tannins
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5/28/2022 - paintinginacave wrote: 82 Points
Decanted for 60 minutes. An appalling dry cork that crumbled as the bottle was opened. A pale ruby core fading to a medium garnet outer edge. The nose revealed ground espresso beans, a feint smattering of red and black fruits, and scents of wild hedgerow. The palate shows the same even balance of red and black fruits - only a touch riper than than the nose - and some herbaceousness. There’s a clear absence of nuance and complexity one would expect in a wine that has had enough time for this to develop. My second experience of this producer following the 2001 vintage, which was a clear step up from this showing. As for the 1998 - it comes across as rather generic, simplistic, and uninteresting.
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5/28/2022 - Amberissey Likes this wine:
Not a million miles from my last note at the beginning. The coffee more to the fore on the nose. Shared with two others so got through the bottle much quicker than last time so it didn’t develop the same complexity as the last one
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5/25/2022 - burg72 Likes this wine:
what a great experience. It showed off right from the start. No signs of a 24 years old wine. I really enjoyed it over 2 days and I am glad I bought more of different vintages. This wine is very special and fits in none of my by now known categories. The first Day I served it with a fat pork chop marinated with lemongras oil. What a great match!
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5/13/2022 - adnorthup wrote:
4 hour decant. More leather and less sour cherry than I usually get out of Musar around this age, but terribly well integrated, and just as delicious with that characteristic Musar taste. Not my favorite from that time period, but plenty good.
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5/9/2022 - boillatm Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cinsault, Cabernet sauvignon and Carignan.
Bought 4 bottles for 34 CHF each last autumn on the occasion of a special deal offered by a wine shop in Zurich. (The whole stock of bottles put on sale were gone after one day.)
I intended to bring the first bottle to some friends for lunch. Based on the CTs, I opened the bottle the night before. Unfortunately, I fell ill during the night and I gifted the bottle without being able to taste it.
Second bottle opened for mother's day. Here also I opened the bottle the night before. Cork in a very bad shape but easily removed with a two-blade corkscrew.
Right upon pouring the wine and smelling it, I knew we would be drinking something special. I am unable to do justice to the complexity of aromas that we encountered upon drinking the bottle (although I can say that I didn't detect any cockroach smell). This wine manages to be light and powerful at the same time. As somebody described, it's something for Bordeaux lovers that is not Bordeaux.
All in all, a stunning wine and crazy quality for the price. I look forward to sharing my remaining bottles with good friends that don't know this producer.
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5/6/2022 - tazerowe Likes this wine:
Classic Musar. Clean in this case. The usual cork, fixed with a Durand. The nose in this case was shy. The palate, on the other hand, has an impression of sweet dried fruit, but no sugar, and a balsamic twang. No tannin, nothing to suggest this needs time, nor that it needs drinking. It is Musar, and good for that.
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5/3/2022 - djhammond Likes this wine: 91 Points
After 3 decades of absence this is my second Musar in as many nights. First I have to give an honourable mention to Mark for remotely guiding me through my aeration process. Most definitely at the height of its game, it still needs a couple of hours in the decanter, but at the same time I would look to be drinking this over the next couple of years to enjoy it at it's best. Full of old and new leather and ripe dark berry fruits it could be a Bordeaux left banker from the 1980s, but somehow is not quite matching that profile, but maintains a unique identity. Highly recommended and good value for money, but drink over the next couple of years. 91+
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4/27/2022 - Mark1npt Likes this wine: 93 Points
Great tasting with Jimbo, JAronson and my son Andrew who sat in with us tonight for the first time.
I maybe liked this one a shade more than the others in tonight's group, except for JA who was right there with me.....Might have had a short time where it was a 94, even. Musar is what you feel, and smell and expect of Bdx, off the nose and palate, it is NOT, ripe big fruit. Used an ah-so and the cork came out in pristine condition. This needs every bit of 3-4 hours of air to shine. Before that and it's a cheap old red wine. Loads of saddle leather, tobacco and sweet resolved fruit and tannins. It really is a nice wine for those who want something different and yet, Bdx like, at the same time. I get the feeling this would be under appreciated by most people. An amazing wine from Lebanon....
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4/20/2022 - apple1813 Likes this wine: 92 Points
1998 Chateau Musar was layered in aromatics and supple in texture. The wine soaked through its cork, and I was quite nervous when uncorking the bottle. The Bekaa Valley icon was clear and pale garnet in colour with loads of sediments. It was quite musky out of the bottle, requiring three hours in the decanter to open up. Captivating aromas blackberry, strawberry jam, lilac and rose were accompanied by leather, baking spices and hints of brandied ginger bread.
The mouthfeel was dry and verging full-bodied, with a medium level of integrated tannin and a medium-high level of balancing acidity. Flavours of black cherry and preserved cranberry led to anise, tangerine zest and mushroom in a long harmonious finish. The alcohol level was at 13.5%. The empty bottle weighed 549 grams.
I reasoned the completely soaked cork might have impacts on the bottle condition. For comparison, I uncorked another bottle from the same case a few days later. The bottle variations were astonishing. While the cork of the second bottle was normal, the wine did not have the level of vibrancy, and showed brett signs of bacon fat, smoked ham and dark chocolate. By the way, I still could not wrap my mind around why Musar took hours of decanting to open up, even in its maturity. Musar is a truly mysterious wine.
The blend was composed of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan. More Cinsault entered the blend in the 1998 vintage, contributing to its fragance and elegance. The maceration was up to four weeks. The wine was raised in French Nevers oak casks for one year.
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4/18/2022 - trumpet60201 Likes this wine: 92 Points
I've had a couple bottles recently, both 375 and 750. The 375s are on their last legs - drink up. The 750s are drinking beautifully - really nice mature wine. The corks are all lousy - use a Durand if you have one otherwise good luck.
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4/16/2022 - Marius W Likes this wine: 91 Points
Murstein til brun i fargen. Duft av lær, kjeller, sopp og balsamico. Fortsatt noe frukt på smak, men denne er nok snart på sitt beste, ville ikke latt den ligge mye lenger. Modne tanniner, fortsatt noe syre, rød frukt, lær. Sitter lenge. På topp nå? Noe mer frukt enn 1996? Korkene på 98 og 96 er alltid nesten pulverisert så åpne forsiktig
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4/3/2022 - Max S. Likes this wine: 94 Points
What a funky wine! Forest floor all the way. A little fruit hiding in there, but the smell/taste of it was fleeting. Some leather/spice as well, but very much an earthy wine. Ready to drink now, likely hold up for a few years.
Drank with G+J at their house with Blue Pan.
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3/28/2022 - SimonG wrote: flawed
Horribly crumbly cork. Away from home so no Durand and couldn’t filter the cork dust, so basically undrinkable. Dark rosé in colour, seemingly having shed a lot of its pigment. Quite lifted and volatile on the nose even by Musar standards. No. Hopefully the next one is better…
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3/26/2022 - jepstein4031 wrote: 89 Points
Doing pretty well, considering it’s age. Hanging on much better than the 1997s, which were undrinkable last year. But why would you wait? Coming up the 18th fairway. Decanted and drank over four hours. Peaked after about three hours and then faded. Baking spices, dark fruit, cigar box. Walks the edge on the VA, a little Bret. Drink up.
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3/26/2022 - honest bob wrote: 90 Points
From 75cl, dryish spongey cork successfully removed with ah so, decanted 2 hours. Evident age, orange brown colour at rim. Initially very funky, with air it settled down nicely. High-toned leather/spice/oaky scent somewhere between Tondonia and a pre-2000 Castillo Ygay; rich entry with animal-sweat, compost and almost jam-like sweetness; the mid-palate would have benefitted from a bit more structure, as it is it feels flabbier than expected. This bottle was fully mature, and profited from pairing with appropriate food (grilled lamb, olive oil and juicy kalamata olives in particular). 89-90P
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3/24/2022 - Guillaume-en-égypte Likes this wine: 92 Points
Very nice. The cork crumbled, but the waft of perfume that emerged from the bottle allayed any fears of the bottle being in bad condition. I think the 2005 wooed me a little more, and IIRC had the same profile, but with a little more tension & intensity of flavour.... but for the going rate of about £30 for a 24 year old wine this is really an amazing value Musar. Classic Musar notes of leather, tobacco, incense etc. This is definitely drinking now, but the dates here to 2023 seem very conservative - I would wager this is on a plateau and will enter a gentle decline some years down the line, but drink well for a decade or more..
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3/20/2022 - kim@meko.ru Likes this wine: 95 Points
Finally after half-dozen of flawed bottles I have found a good one. Good level, dry cork. Ruby and transparent with just a drop of sediment in the bottle. Decanted and enjoyed for more then 2 hours. Funky in the beginning, it has quickly evolved to old leather, damp earth, mushrooms, cherry tart and old spice. Fantastic harmony of super velvety tannins, juicy acidity, precise structure, great palate and perfume to die for.
Gorgeous wine!
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3/6/2022 - CondorKhan wrote: 93 Points
Not as good as last time but still great. A lot funkier for one, full of gym socks, earthy funk, VA on the nose. Palate is a melange of blackberry fruit, black olives and balsamic vinegar. Feels significantly more evolved this time.
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3/3/2022 - Romz Likes this wine: 89 Points
Cork was moldy but opened nicely with medium garnet almost brick color. Initial nose lots of Brett with cockroaches smell. 2 hrs of decanting it presented with a perfume of baked berries, old leather & tobacco with nuances of sweet clove. Prominent baked cherry and juicy acidity on the palate with dull spices. Resolved tannins, medium body and the finish is not as long as expected. After 4hrs in, wet teabag finish and firmer tannins with a more rounded mouth puckering finish
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2/19/2022 - VegaSicilia1970 Likes this wine:
Too hard to pass up so I opened another. killer. The nose on this is outrageous. I may consider revising my estimate and say it may last for 5-10 years at peak instead of my previous stated 5 max. Maybe it was the bottle showing better but it had a bit more power and just strutted it’s stuff.
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2/17/2022 - SixHedgehogs Likes this wine: 92 Points
Brick red. Phenolic aroma of varnish, cut with fresh blackberries, blackberry jam and flowers. Flavour of blackberries too, hints of lavendar and oak. Very dry, with aromatic sweetness. Excellent.
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2/6/2022 - calypse Likes this wine: 90 Points
Relativ viel Säure, aber nicht unangenehm. Erinnert stilistisch eher an einen Supertuscan.
Tannine sehr seidig. Alles ausgewogen und rund, super Trinkfluss!
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2/5/2022 - VegaSicilia1970 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow. In the running for WOTY. Gorgeous berries, earth, and leather. Phenomenal round tannins with balanced acidity. Decanted for 2 hrs. This wine is ready to go it’s prime drinking. Will def be opening these up at 2-3b/yr. Feels like it’s got 5 years before it starts to decline slowly. Just overall incredible wine with insane QPR.
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1/24/2022 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 91 Points
Bottle variation? This was too earthy and too bretty. I think my lowest rating for red Musar so far. 90-91.
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1/21/2022 - Rezy13 wrote:
$80+ Blind Tasting Old World (Bin 75 Alpharetta, GA): Cloudy with lots of turbidity, looks old; tanned leather, sweet red fruit, somewhat cooked fruit, spices galore, almost Bretty and volatile but stays clean, in CdP initially but came to my senses and positive it was Musar.
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1/17/2022 - enthusiastic_amateur Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drinking very well right now, perfectly balanced.
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1/14/2022 - Gunakadeit Likes this wine: 93 Points
I’ve had three bottles of the 98 in the last few months. Every single one has needed at least 2.5 hours in the decanter to resolve/blow off the brett.
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1/14/2022 - Vmanta Likes this wine: 94 Points
Incredibly aromatic. Alcohol was a touch high but a really fantastic wine otherwise.
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1/8/2022 - Paul852 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Drank two bottles with lunch today (restaurants are closed here from 6pm, because obviously having dinner at lunchtime keeps us safe from Covid).
So, as an experiment, one bottle was double decanted last night about 14 hours before drinking, and the other at 8am, so about 5 hours before. Both had quite high acidity initially as I tasted the dregs from the decants.
They were both excellent bottles, but the one with 5 hours open retained much more acetone on the nose and a sweeter slightly richer feel overall; the 13 hour decant was more refined, a little more acidic bite. Frankly the difference between them could have been bottle variation and the table were split 50/50 on which they preferred.
So, all in all, these are still very much in their drinking window.
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1/1/2022 - Spitburgunder wrote: 89 Points
Color: Transparent ruby center, turning pale towards the edges.
Nose: Huge difference compared to the '00 vintage; no VA, quite a muted nose that didn't really open up or evolve at all after opening; prominent cherry compote, while its bbq meat and leather components remained insubstantial throughout the evening.
Palate: Medium body; cherry compote and juicy acidity dominate; not much else, except maybe a certain wooden note in the background, although it feels like the oak has been fully integrated; medium finish; remains closed like the nose.
PQR: Ok (~42€)
Readiness to drink: Yes, and hopefully not past peak yet.
Other notes: 4-12 hours in decanter; small amount of very fine sediment in the bottle; original cork, about 1/3 soaked, and seemingly in good shape, but broke in half even though both cork screw and prongs were used; technically there seemed to be nothing wrong with the wine, it was just lacking most of the elements that made the '00 so good, and I can't help but feel a bit disappointed; three more to go, and I really hope this one was just a bad bottle.
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12/26/2021 - Steven184 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wat problemen met het openen. De kurk was vrij broos, ik was bij mijn ouders en mijn Ah-So vergeten. Uiteindelijk toch maar heen en weer gereden. Niet de beste TN, want pas later opgeschreven. Maar deze fles maakte mij blij, voelde als iets speciaals.
Twee uurtjes in de karaf en dat kon meer dan prima, geen speurtje van vermoeiheid en leeftijd. Diep paarse kleur. Complete wijn met goed geintegreerde tannines en hout. Hartig en kruidig met lichtzoete tonen. Zwarte bessen, kersen, pure chocolade en oosterse specerijen. Zuurtje houdt het sprankelend bij de lichtzoete achtertonen.
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12/25/2021 - johnrm wrote:
Two half bottles with Christmas dinner. Both were double-decanted with care.
Very different corks, very different colours.
The ageing, but still more richly coloured wine came from a bottle with a discoloured cork (coloured the whole length, with mould under the capsule but no obvious ullage) and this slowly opened to show a characteristic Musar. Enjoyable with plenty of fruit, spice, and character still.
The second half bottle (bought at the same time) had a perfect cork. However, it was significantly browner and much paler. It showed the dreaded VA and was poor but still had some character. I was the only one who found it drinkable (I would never throw Musar away!)
Make of this what you will. I won’t consider scoring either.
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12/25/2021 - jonathanknowles Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fruit pastilles, red fruit, cool smell. Rich and spicy smell, leathery. Orange peel. Savoury and slightly smokey with sweet fruit. Complex and satisfying. Medium bodied and a touch of crispy tannin left. Wonderful.
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12/24/2021 - jhack1961 Likes this wine: 95 Points
w/ K&C Christmas Eve dinner. Absolutely magnificent. Fully resolved and mature, exhibiting fruit, leather, sous-bois, a hint of cedar, rich and mouth filling with a long and evolving finish. 1st bottle of this vintage, glad I have another but wish it were more...
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12/24/2021 - owight Does not like this wine: 85 Points
Gamey, never sharpened up
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12/24/2021 - Decanting Queen Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 5 hours. Cork and bottle in perfect condition.
Lots of barnyard funk on the nose, very red fruited and complex on the palate. Savory, herbal, smoky, leathery but fruit at the forefront. Smooth soft tannins but plenty of structure. This went well with our lamb dinner and was a close 2nd for WOTN.
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12/24/2021 - Livonietisr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Clear medium garnet. Intense aromas of red cherry, strawberries, leather, balsamic, smoke. Medium+ acidity, resolved tannins, taste of cherry, plum, dried fruits. In color, aromas and taste resemble aged burgundy. Medium finish.
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12/20/2021 - Alex Barbera Likes this wine: 91 Points
Respekt - durchaus stark, mich überrascht allerdings die Reife. 98 ist ja eigentlich kein Alter bei CM.
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12/20/2021 - Cailles wrote: 93 Points
11x Bdx & Bdx Blends from around the World: Tasted double blind. For a long time, the legendary Musar was on my bucket list but somehow we never crossed paths. It was instantly clear, that this is a something special, something different as I couldn’t really get a grasp on what this could be. It had the structure and absolute Burgundian weightlessness of a great wine but an aroma profile and feel I’ve never had before. This is quite special and I liked it a lot. If this would have been more complex and with a touch higher precision, it could be even a world class wine. The group didn’t like it that much (ranked last) but my interest in tasting more of these wines has only grown.
TN: Intoxicating nose with reduction, dark and dark red fruit underneath. On the palate the same reductiveness, fine red fruit, quite beautiful sweetness, nice fresh and candied berries, some herbs, some slight leathery aromas. Medium complexity and precision. Very light, molten tannins, high but very-well integrated freshness. This is weightless, absolutely weightless. Wird immer schöner.
Group rank (9 ppl): 10th out of 10 wines
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12/15/2021 - danielphall26@gmail Likes this wine: 94 Points
Another incredibly aged musar. Has it all and then some! 5 hours in the decanter and still getting better (in disbelief). Probably the best aged QPR that I know of.
High acid, soft but present (not drying) tannins and a melange of aged leather, dried fruits, and Brett (in the best of ways)
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12/14/2021 - andtheodor wrote:
Served blind. What's that smell? Curry? fennel? sharpie? lots of VA here. It smells like a biryani dish I just made with tons of garam masala. No, actually it smells like the vinegary chutney I used. A very lifted/floating kind of bouquet from all the volatility. Twizzlers, fennelseed, dried cherry. Bizarre wine, only one thing I know that does this so I guess '95 Musar.
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12/11/2021 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 94 Points
With the fam.
Cork: 1mm soaked but then ~1cm soaked through on one side. Crumbly soft cork - felt damp. Not atypical for Musar around this age.
Poured into a wide decanter an hr before. Out of the bottle, pale garnet with strong tertiary aromas bruised apples, light Brett, perfumed florals. Tamari savoriness. Dried raspberry. And an immediately present core of tertiary cassis. This is post inflection and in the “tertiary intensification” phase and I’m excited to see where it goes!
After just a few minutes, a dark, toasted, verging on reductive or singed blackberry aroma - almost slight anise note emerges - reminds me of the ‘72.
After an hour, the tertiary tamari blackberry-cassis note was very clear and quite vocal. This is in a beautiful place and will probably intensify over the next few decades. Based on this, I’m inclined to say Kirk was right - this may be on a grand trajectory that might resemble the ‘95.
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12/8/2021 - Gunakadeit Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really bretty. Took 5 hours in the decanter to
come around.
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12/4/2021 - La Sprezzatura wrote: 90 Points
red fruited and fresh on the nose, herbacious, some barnyard, sous-bois. seemed rather progressed aged to me. had lost a bit of tensions and seemed "tired".
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12/4/2021 - J_H Likes this wine: 89 Points
Weinkongress 2021 (Restaurant Sonne Leuggern): - Tasted blind
- Nose: Somewhat reductive nose, medium intense aromas of popcorn. In addition, the red fruit with strawberries and plums is subliminally recognisable. The reductive aromas are too strong, especially at the beginning, they dissipate a little with time.
- Palate: Is simply sexy, has a sweet touch of again candied plums and strawberries. Velvety tannins that are well integrated. Unfortunately a little too little acidity (medium) and also not extremely long on the finish.
- An exciting bordeaux blend from Lebanon but cannot keep up with the medium/high class bordeaux in terms of ageing potential (it doesn't have to for this price). Should be drunk now.
- 89-90 points
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12/4/2021 - sirpat00 wrote: 93 Points
Tasted double-blind as part of a random mixed Bordeaux-blend line-up. Slightly reductive with hints of popcorn, a bit of heat, dry tobacco, dried vanilla beans and other dried herbs. Also chemical features like gasoline. Fruit moves to the back stage here. Lots of tension with electric acidity. Maybe lacking some mid-palate structure, but otherwise nice red fruit and a good length finish. I think there is sufficient structure here to age in bottle quite a bit longer, but at the same time I’m afraid this won’t be getting any better. Best to enjoy now.
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12/2/2021 - Lhyandrew wrote: 94 Points
At home
Breathed in the bottle for 6.5 hours
Upon opening, nose of cherry, cranberry, leather, tar, and brett. Palette is quite smooth, with notes of prune juice, leather, tobacco, and tar.
2 hours into drinking the barnyard and leather nose toned down a bit. Red fruits emerged further. Palette is still smooth, cranberry and cherry notes became more prominent. Leather and tar toned down.
6 hours into drinking the wine became very fragrant - Red fruits, grilled meats, licorice. Barnyard and brett faded away, with meat stock notes emerging. Palette is smooth and the fruit and savoury elements are well balanced. Medium plus acidity - the wine tastes fresh with a 20 second finish.
This wine has lots to offer if you have the patience for it. Amazing value for money!
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11/26/2021 - PSPatrick wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for two hours. Medium to light garnet colour. Sweet red fruit, red cherry, red plum, spices, herbal notes, balsamic notes, leather, tobacco, game, and ethereal notes, with lively acidity, fully resolved tannin, an oily texture, and superb length. Captivating; intense, and very balanced and harmonious at the same time. In a great place! A beautiful Musar.
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11/25/2021 - devillighter Likes this wine: 92 Points
Thanksgiving wine. Decanted for sediment, poured a small glass, and left the remainder for an hour. Bit of brett on the nose, but quite pleasant and in balance with leather and vegetal aromas. High acid, red berries, cranberries and strawberries on the palate. Also get an orange or citrus component. Overall well balanced. Still feels quite young and I have no doubt it will age elegantly for many more years, but also drinking very well now. Thought it drank well right from the initial pour.
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11/25/2021 - caspernick Likes this wine: 94 Points
It's Thanksgiving and I am pouring this Cabernet Sauvignon. But here's the kicker, this wine is so unique that it doesn't even look like a Cab. Blended with Cinsault and Carignan it always shows a very pale reddish orange hue in the glass. It looks like aged Burgundy. The nose is as expected- full of earth, stewed cherry, forest floor, strawberry, red licorice, pomegranate, dried cranberry, meaty, farmyard..... Wow. The palate is super smooth. Slightly tart, it has very fine-grained tannins and complex flavors of red fruit, oaky notes of toast and layers of tertiary flavors like farmyard, stewed fruit, dried fruit and meat. The body is light to medium and the finish is long. Another spectacular bottle of Lebanese decadence that will drink well forever. The last '98 Musar I had was in Magnum, this one a bit more developed but showing no signs of throttling back. Read about my last tasting here. This truly is a remarkable wine that gets 94 points. At $80 it is a 5 star treat.
https://wp.me/p125DB-2ko
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11/13/2021 - theqspeaks Likes this wine: 93 Points
Started out very funky and prune juice-ish, but after decanting and letting it breathe over a couple of hours, it really opened up and came into its own. Drinking great, with a beautiful long finish. Feels like it had many years left in it.
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11/12/2021 - Juliansi Likes this wine: 89 Points
Amazing treat, having a pre-millennium bottle, 23 years old now and what struck me first was the almost pale garnet ?? hues, and then that funk.
Quickly though, it goes away leaving a surprisingly lively and super smooth wine from Lebanon which still has all the red fruits in its profile, and the oak comes through as it develops.
With this age, tannins are smooth and seamless, and it's likely in its perfect drinking window! Thanks @[1|9482449|Mika Tyson Teau] for the treat,and my 200th Vivino review this year!
My home, Malaysia - Nov 2021
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11/7/2021 - itsallaboutvinum Likes this wine: 96 Points
👀 Deep garnet in the middle and at the edge with a tinge of orange.
👃Left standing overnight to allow the sediments to settle at the bottom. Decanted for an hour. The 23 year old vintage opens up to complex notes of barnyard, leather and black fruits like plum and black cherries penetrating through. The attack are sour cherry. Licorice and vanilla at mid palate. Finishing with almonds or marzipans, wet soil and salinity.
👅 Bright acidity despite its age, medium bodied, silky tannins and medium- intensity. Well structured. Long and elegant finish.
💭 Drinks well now after some decanting time. Don’t hold almost past peak.
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10/31/2021 - Amberissey Likes this wine: 92 Points
From 375ml. Cork was a test, use ah-so, not corkscrew. Decanted 20 mins. Earthy mocha on the nose, but as powder, coffee grounds and cocoa powder mixed together. All confirmed on the palette with some tart cherry. Beautiful long finish. Some herbiness developing on the nose by end of first glass. Maybe charred wood too. So delicate. Medium acid, low tannin. Strawberry showing up by end of first glass on the palette and finish. Impeccable balance, ethereal. Fruit catches up on the nose on the second glass, strawberry, red cherry. Great length. Now some meatiness on the nose at end of second glass. Some tomato on the palette too. Also orange peel by the end of the third glass. I will be seeking out so much more of this.
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10/29/2021 - billyloveswine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Medium garnet. Cork held up great. On the nose, pronounced perfume of sour plum, strawberry, hawthorn, sweet spices, earth, and leather. Medium body, high acidity, and velvety tannins. I could maybe nitpick the length a little bit, but overall a very well balanced and enjoyable wine.
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9/23/2021 - finewinebuff57 wrote: 91 Points
Fascinating as always and changed in interesting ways over the three days of its consumption. Reliably good, and great value. Will last.
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9/19/2021 - JerM wrote:
(Paul's) Large funky nose, bayberries. Gym socks, ferrous. Chlorine, lifted, preserved qumkuat, sour plum, bayberry. Bright acidity, lifted eloquent body, juicy. Clean funk? Dynamic and expressive, doing very well with time. Sour cherries, dark earth. Roast meat, sweet tea. Florals. Tar funk.
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9/19/2021 - Paul S wrote: 92 Points
Drinks with Jerming (Casa Esperanza): Such a compelling wine - this kept changing and shifting over the evening. Tonight, it took 3 hours in the decanter to really open up. The nose was really funky at first, almost gym socks and leather, but this slowly evolved into a sweet and savoury melange of sour cherry and wild berries, roasted meats and earth, preserved oranges and black tea, and then just that little edge of spice and menthol at the sides. With time, a little floral twang started coming out as well. Such an entrancing bouquet, getting more and more savoury with time. It was lovely on the palate too - here I got hawthorn berry and dried strawberries, orange peel and mint, and then a thread of chalky earth, and a hint of mineral pulling away into the finish. Still youthful, with fresh, vibrant acidity and a little chew of fine tannins lending the wine a sense of noble structure. Lovely finish too, with a twist of sweet black tea floating away into the distance. So different after 3 hours from the rather stinky, slightly flat showing when we first opened it. So complex, and so giving. This was slowly stepping into its drinking window, but I would happily lay it aside for another 5-10 years - I think it will be fantastic when it hit its stride.
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9/12/2021 - ggroebli wrote: 90 Points
Bouchon brisé et nez inquiétant, à la limite du bouchonage. Le vin est très avancé, trop pour l’âge mais encore bon. Sous-bois, épices. Léger malgré une belle longueur.
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9/7/2021 - WineTally Likes this wine:
Blend: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan
from vineyards near the Bekaa Valley villages of Aana and Kefraya
on gravelly soils over limestone at 1000 m. with old bushvines
of average age 40 yrs and low yield of 15-35 hl/ha.
Manual harvest. Up to 4 week maceration. Long fermentation at
below 30*C by ambient yeast. Aged 12 months in French Nevers oak.
Unfined, unfiltered. Bottle aged 4 years in deep stone cellars.
Released 7 years after harvest.
13.5% Abv.
History: Founded by Gaston Hochar in 1930.
Son Serge (1939-2014) took charge as winemaker from 1959.
Contemporary Management: Ronald (second son of Gaston),
Gaston and Marc (sons of Serge), Ralph (son of Ronald)
A(ccuray)=2: Med pale brick/garnet. Perfumed, mature Cab blend.
B(alance)=3: Perfectly integrated tertiary components.
C(omplexity)=2: Berry preserve, leather, truffle, incense.
D(epth)=1: Silky mouthfeel. Good length and finish.
Wine Tally Score [2,3,2,1]= 8/10
Gracefully and gratifyingly mature with no nit to pick.
Even the notorious bit of brett has found its rightful niche.
For story-telling label graphics, see:
[https://www.instagram.com/p/CTtwWDjMs9N/]
[https://www.facebook.com/WineTally/]
For a unique multimedia resource, see
[https://winetally.wixsite.com/vingnette]
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8/30/2021 - ploher wrote:
Musar Vertical: This is much darker and meatier on the nose than the 1997, it's quite wild and animal with leather and barnyard notes. A powerhouse without a doubt and a real contrast to the finely woven 1997. The palate is meaty and stuffed with beautiful ripe dark fruit. Also lots of spice especially on the finish. Very complex with almost infinite potential. 19+/20
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8/27/2021 - Khon Kaen Likes this wine: 91 Points
Pop and pour. The wine looks garnet, brick colored. Big leather, tobacco and smoky nose. It tastes very complicated, like fig, raisin, plum and medium toast. Changing over time. The tannins are fully matured. Great!
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8/15/2021 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 93 Points
Alive and kicking. Great acidity. Strong orange peel even after 5 hr decant. Menthol in the background. Wonderful sweetness. Can’t get enough of these.
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8/6/2021 - winers4 Likes this wine:
1 hour decanted, pale tawny colour with instant aroma of dried fig, blackcurrant jam, cinnamon & clove.
Full bodied, rich and warming, mocha and cocoa, fig & bramble. Very smooth with soft fully integrated tannins. Very good, typical Musar long finish. No rush to drink this at all.
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8/1/2021 - wmccone54 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Third vintage of Musar which I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying. Both the previous 2002 and 2003 vintages I’d enjoyed at 9-10 years of age. This Label has an incredible ability to age. At almost 23 years, this can easily “compete” with many comparable Bordeaux’s.
This particular bottle was stood up and decanted for about 60 minutes. Enjoyed with a roasted boneless leg of lamb, mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach. Cork disintegrated into three pieces using an “Ah-so” cork puller and then a “screw” to extract the remaining 1/3. Decanted with lots of sediment. Lighter side of medium ruby. Mature, with highly aromatic and complex notes: spicy red berry, stewed plum, dried fig, cooked cherry, old leather, herbal tea, decayed forest floor. Structure completely integrated but still enough “umph” to support a medium finish. Drink now as this is unlikely to improve with further cellaring; however, this could maintain for another 2-3+ years. Impressive.
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7/26/2021 - Smahlatz Likes this wine: 92 Points
Colour is pale ruby fading to garnet. Nose is typical Musar, leather, cloves, currants, spicy and enticing. The palate reflects this. Typical Musar, but age has brought harmony, elegance and integration. It is elegant and complex, yet powerful. Unique wine, and lovely with this age on it.
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7/5/2021 - edjBoca Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank great after a 90 minute decant....
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7/3/2021 - Oberunter-5 Likes this wine: 97 Points
A really stunning wine—a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, and Carignan with apparently a little more Cinsault than is usual. The recommendation is to decant but I found it ready upon opening. The bouquet is explosive—sweet cherry (almost like an aged Barbaresco), a little mint, tobacco, and leather. The palate is surprisingly light and nimble—tart red fruits, more mint, and some dark chocolate at the end. The wine has pronounced acidity and well integrated tannins, making it just as wonderful with food as alone.
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7/3/2021 - Adventr.us Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted while I was prepping dinner, but naturally I dipped in for some sips. It started out with tart cherries, savory herbal notes, and this pleasant acidic tension, for lack of a better way to describe it. But then it continued to evolve, with darker fruits coming out (blackberries? dark cherries?), and even a bit of seville orange jam around the edges. The tannins are softer, but still present, and with our simple grilled lamb loin chops and sage-roasted baby blue potatoes - the wine just "melted" into all of it for the absolute perfect match. Sure seems like it has plenty of life left to me, and it may even get better - but it's drinking awful well right now. I wouldn't usually pay the premium to purchase a library wine - would rather get it on release - but really glad I did so in this case. So much fun to find wines like this ...
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6/13/2021 - thuglasyee Likes this wine: 94 Points
This is drinking so well right now, but decant for at least an hour. At first open the nose was all funk, but after an hour in a decanter it blew off to show some lovely raspberry notes. Sweetness and acidity nicely balanced, with a whisper of tannins to provide structure.
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5/26/2021 - dhp. Likes this wine: 90 Points
Nicely resolved tannins. Very distinct honeyed note that I don't get in red wines very often. A hint of animale. Excellent balance. Does not blow me out of the water but this is a very good example of a nicely aged red wine. This was purchased from wineaccess, I would say based on the condition of this wine that their provenance is impeccable.
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5/24/2021 - Shrewsram Likes this wine: 93 Points
Pale garnet, broad rim – brick and orange
Super nose – great breadth, relaxed and open. Lovely rich cherry fruits, dried fruits, really ‘smooth’ feel, spicy and floral (dried rose), layers of cigar box, tobacco, some very well-behaved VA notes. Mellow I suppose.
More wet tobacco on the attack, rich pockets of sweet dark and red fruits, smoke, fresh tobacco, raisin. The tannins feel resolved, just a touch of sand… wow, this was brilliant – really clean, lovely balance, loads to think about. Yum!!
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5/22/2021 - Hertugen Likes this wine: 92 Points
Old red colour, with a hint of brown. A bit watery around the edge. Beautiful deep nose. Dark berries, velvety and very good. Alive and kicking, with a long finish.
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5/13/2021 - winers4 Likes this wine:
Vertical Musar online tasting from 50ml bottle. Pale garnet, orange/brown at the rim. Mature nose, perfumed with warm spice, cinnamon & orange. Mature fruit backed by good acidity, plum, prune, raisin & dark chocolate. Well balanced with a long finish. My personal favourite of the vertical tasting.
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5/13/2021 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 94 Points
Chateau Musar Virtual Vertical with Nickolls and Perks (Zoom): There's red fruit to the fore on the nose - a warm and inviting nose. Crushed raspberries, and almost some sweet pastry aromas. Certainly one of the more Burgundian Musars on show tonight.
Very good palate. Gosh, this is proper Musar. Loads of interest.
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5/8/2021 - Alexdietz Likes this wine: 93 Points
At its best now. Opened 5h before tasting woth slow oxygenation. Ripeness just perfect. Fantastic old bordeaux colour and nose of cedar and cigar. Always a pleasure to drink Musar. Would not wait too much for spare bottles.
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5/8/2021 - premiercru1973 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic and in a perfect place right now. No hurry to drink up, though.
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5/7/2021 - canan wrote: 92 Points
BYO - Erik: Has a sweet fruit core but also a nice acidity.
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5/6/2021 - SLB83 Likes this wine:
Lovely mature Musar. Had it last month with harissa lamb chops. No notes taken. I remember it as what I think is a typical Musar: a good quality left bank Bordeaux with a very funky twist. Fully mature, but still some life left in this one, and strong enough to stand up to lamb.
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4/24/2021 - kevinpatrick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Executive Summary: At 3 hours slo-ox this wine was brilliant.
Cork began to crumble as the corkscrew entered so I was extra cautious opening. Fully soaked at the bottom, the cork broke off at the very end of removal but was able to complete extraction with the remaining cork intact. Opulent aromas exploded out of the bottle even before the remaining cork was fully removed -- heat, dark plums, cedar, cigar box, and smoke on the nose. I decided to slo-ox and not decant because the nose was so fragrant -- I worried the decant may break-up what promises to be an excellent wine. At one hour I poured 2oz and the nose was brilliant -- earthy, cedar, singed wood, mushrooms; on the palate nice minerality, red cherries, slightly tannic but delicious. The wine softened over the next hour+ with the tannins resolving into a luscious earthy cherry finish. After 2.5 hours it was served with Musakhan over cardamom Basmati rice and the wine remained fragrant with gentle minerality on the palate revealing delicious earthy and smoky flavors of red cherry and plum followed by a smooth savory finish for 30 seconds. A fantastic performance.
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4/24/2021 - BillyT wrote: 94 Points
For me one of the best non-Bordeaux Claret I've had. Indeed it was light as one person mentioned but the palate and aromas, and the weight on the palate belied it's light color in the glass. At dinner so this is the best I've have for you. Sorry
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4/21/2021 - mcktuck Likes this wine: 94 Points
Always a pleasure to drink a well aged Musar, and the '98 was no exception.
Pale, almost translucent garnet. The aromatics really came out after an hour in the decanter--exotic spices, leather, tobacco, and a core of red fruits that still exhibited some freshness. This is lighter bodied on the palate than other Musars, but nicely balanced with vibrant acidity.
This showed wonderfully, and I suspect is just hitting its peak. Drink over the next 5-10 years.
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4/10/2021 - sawcha Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cork clearly dead and popped out with one coravin push, but what a wine. Medium body, tobacco, spice notes that remind of Iranian “advieh”. Can only imagine what a well conditioned bottle tastes like. Leave it for at least 45min after opening and don’t make the coravin mistake I did.
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4/9/2021 - stayhappy21 wrote: 88 Points
Drank this at Tunglok Xihe, Orchard Central, with a group of newly-found wine mates for the Chateau Musar vertical dinner.
3rd wine of the 2nd flight. This wine, from a cooler vintage, is lighter in texture and carries less weight on the palate. On the nose, the perfume is less pronounced, with some rain mist, wild mushrooms, followed by unripe berries and cherries. Some sweetness and juiciness in the finish.
Good twist from the other wines in the flight.
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4/8/2021 - mattmoy_2000 wrote:
A gently bricking red, shared with my (French) in-laws as they visited at long last to meet my daughter for the first time.
Opened yesterday lunchtime, cork fell to pieces. Single decanted, managed to avoid getting cork in the wine. At first, fairly uninspired, tasting of just "old wine". After half an hour or so, starting to sing, and after an hour, it was absolutely belting.
A strong acid structure, resolved tannins and delicious umami and savoury tertiary notes.
Day 2: showing much more its age, with pencil shavings and cigar box (cedars of Lebanon!) notes. Lost a bit of its savouriness and starting to wilt, albeit still with that bracing acidity.
Overall a stunning bottle. I drank a '99 about 16 months ago and this is similar enough that I wouldn't have known the difference at that distance (might be a different case if I tried them side by side).
FIL was astounded that I had managed to get a 23 year old wine, and equally surprised that it was from the Lebanon. He thought it was "strong" compared to what he normally drinks (relatively young Rhone wines like Gigondas).
MIL was amazed at the colour, and compared it to the bricks in the garden wall outside, which it matched surprisingly accurately.
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4/5/2021 - dortreo Likes this wine:
Decanted for an hour but not even close to ready, so this was rebottled for the next day. Of note, the cork was pretty fragile and dried out but the wine didn’t seem oxidized. Pale lighter red without any obvious bricking. Some Brett on the nose and the palette, which is just on the border of being too much. Slight cloudiness. Light medium body. Not a lot of fruit but plenty of acid and still a fair bit of tannin. Baking spices on the palate: cinnamon, pepper, touch of vanilla. It’s aged well. The taste of the wine reminds me of wood paneled libraries. Not a loud wine. More thoughtful. This is a wine that needs to be appreciated alone and not so much with food, which would distract from what the wine is trying to say.
Give this wine plenty of time to develop after opening. You’ll be rewarded.
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4/4/2021 - kim@meko.ru wrote: 89 Points
Third bottle, two previous were flawed. Decanted 1 hour. Garnet with bricking hues. Medium body, fully integrated tannins, some acidity left. Tobacco, leather, balsamic strawberries, meaty and oriental spice notes. Still good but behind the peak. Drink up.
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4/3/2021 - EndreAabergJohansen Likes this wine: 94 Points
Christ almighty, what an amazing wine for lamb steak at Easter evening.
Ruby red in colour. Full bodied. Decanter for an hour before diving into it. Leather, tobacco, smoke. Velvety on the palate. Round and looong.
The cork was, as always, drenched through but did not affect the flavour.
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4/2/2021 - mkribar wrote:
Strong funk on the nose with earth, leather, and pencil lead. On the palate the tannins are fully reaolved, and the acid is fading into the background. Strawberry and stewed fruit. Very very nice. This bottle is right in its plateau.
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4/1/2021 - twain Likes this wine: 93 Points
Earth, leather and pencil nose. Totally integrated tannins, supporting acidity, medium body. Mushroomy mouth, some stewed fig and blue fruits. Fully mature but not suffering. 11 more for the next 2-3 years!
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3/20/2021 - Loathesome Likes this wine: 90 Points
I have not had this vintage for 6 years but it has certainly opened up since then. Terracotta colour and and the taste suggest it will not improve more but at present very powerful nose, big, concentrated spicy fruit but possibly slightly too volatile for own good. Still enjoyed it if I do feel the 1997 & 1999 were better balanced.
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3/19/2021 - Keith Cooper Likes this wine: 91 Points
Zoom tasting of Musar wines, hosted by Auriol Wine, Hampshire, UK with wines introduced by Elliott O'Mara of Chateau Musar UK. The last of three vintages in the tasting, the others being 2014 and 2010. A blend of cabernet sauvignon, cinsault and carignan. It was a pleasure to be able to taste a Musar at 23 years of age, and to be able to contrast it with the younger 2014 and 2010 vintages. Definite ageing when seen in the glass, orangey/rust, slightly cloudy. Deep chocolate and orange nose. The palate shows its maturity, plenty of blackcurrant fruit, softness and perfectly balanced. Good length with some spice, warming after taste. Very good. But I'd suggest at its peak now, though like most Musars it will keep longer if you want to.
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3/13/2021 - johnnylaw1222 wrote: 93 Points
Delicious. Starting to brick at the edges. Noes is filled with dried flours and potpourri. Ripe cherry, mushroom, leather, tobacco, and orange peel fill the palate. Tannins are almost fully resolved. Nice acidity.
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2/22/2021 - chbeaumont wrote: 89 Points
Pale, brick red, mahogany rim; typical Musar nose - hint of VA, meaty, attenuated, funky; lifted acidity, piquant, savoury. Splendid expansive finish, undermined by an edgy denouement. Best drunk soon.
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2/14/2021 - DPetrone Likes this wine: 95 Points
In its prime! Notes of leather and mushrooms, earth and smooth tannins...bravo!
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2/7/2021 - dshapiro65@gmail.com wrote: flawed
Bad
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2/3/2021 - AGSattack Likes this wine: 93 Points
Fantastic bottle--really singing right now.
Double decanted and let sit for about 4 hours (taking small tastes periodically). Early on--smoke/tobacco leaf/and some berries in the background. Evolved to bring out more of the berries as the time went on. Was perfectly balanced throughout--medium to light body with light tannins. Paired with leg of lamb and sauce marchand de vin. Highly recommend.
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1/30/2021 - JuLyon Likes this wine: 94 Points
This was a really delightful accompaniment to the Haggis for a Burns Night lockdown dinner party. Opened and decanted three hours before dinner, this was fruity, spicy and went so well with the neaps ‘n’ tatties. A fine wine with depth, breadth and length. Loved it.
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1/17/2021 - jhw425 wrote: 90 Points
Nice wine, very pretty light red color. full of Christmas spices
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1/9/2021 - BuckeyeBenS Likes this wine: 93 Points
I've had a few of these over the last 12 months. They consistently delight. Just terrific. See prior notes for more detail. Be sure to allow time for a long decant.
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12/29/2020 - Jkrench Likes this wine: 92 Points
One really difficult judgement. Having read Pedro Ballesteros Torres review in Decanter, 2020, where the wine was tasted over a week - I was lucky finding a bottle and set out to recreate the drawn out tasting, enjoying it with family in Christmas days. Opening was a delicate matter as the wine had seeped a little from the end of the cork, and it crumbled in the 4/5 of its length. The remainder cooperated and was retractable in one. First impression and first day was at first yellow-brown classic old wine coloration, and being on the brink of seeming overdue. After an hour or two it improved with still some fruit, raisins and some barnyard, leathery perhaps for some. On the second day we agreed it was basically wasted, very farmyard, seemingly over the hill. Decided to keep the rest until day 4, as suggested peak in the review above. So with some skepticism here we arrived - and, alas, on day four the wine is suddenly revealing much more vinous fruit, classic old mature, acidity has returned enough that it has basically come back - is it perhaps the process of turning into vinegar that brings forward the acidity. On this fourth day it is not only a really nice glass of wine, and through and through I would say 92, even if today it is better than that. More importantly though, but hard to capture in a grade of taste, the joy it has brought over these days learning its development and sharing it in family has actually been priceless.
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12/25/2020 - JuLyon Likes this wine: 92 Points
This wine grew and grew. I double decanted it three hours before Christmas lunch and it smelt like wet leaves and had a closed taste. By lunch it had opened up very nicely with spiced fruit and liquorice flavours. A further two hours later it had more of a figgy, nutty flavour. A very enjoyable Musar with a few years of life left in it.
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12/24/2020 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 92 Points
Medium garnet red with a bit of sediment and bricking edges. Aged nose with tobacco, cherries and earthiness. Medium tannins (6/10) and medium body. A bit of tomato on the palate with solid acidity, leather, red plums and earth. Long finish. Drink till 2032.
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12/24/2020 - mclanew Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for one hour. This is in a great place.
The nose shows wild strawberries, garrique and spice. The palate is transparent and nicely balanced. It builds volume over the course of the evening indicating a long life ahead. But it’s delicious and complex now with black cherry, strawberry, herbs, and a little funk showing through. Drink now but it should last and develop over the next 5-10 years.
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12/20/2020 - Ståles vinkjeller wrote:
Musar sier drikkevindu til 2035
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12/15/2020 - timothynbond Likes this wine: 93 Points
From a very questionable bottle with cork fuller soaked through and some signs of seepage. One hour decant. Transparent garnet with noticeable bricking. Interesting nose with rose petals, barnyard, cigar, some interesting spices I couldn't quite place along with some pruney and port-like notes. Medium bodied with medium low acid and fully integrated tannins. Some definite cigar notes continued on the palate, along with dried figs, cinnamon, candied fruit, some good savory-ness mid-palate and a linger finish. Maybe a bit exotic for my wife, but I found it excellent.
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12/4/2020 - Yassine23 Likes this wine:
Good, took a bit of time to open. Fairly cedary. Quite spicy. Developed.
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11/28/2020 - Mhilgeman Likes this wine: 92 Points
Delicious. Still drinking beautifully.
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11/28/2020 - wineappellation Likes this wine: 92 Points
Transparent garnet yellowish rim suggesting maturity. Lovely autumn leaves, hint of undergrowth, mint, dried black and red currant, cedar, tobacco, leather with touch of smoky, meaty and peppery. Mid weight, velvet, qquite refreshing, savoury and delightful dried red fruits. Fully mature at its best now.
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11/27/2020 - edjBoca Likes this wine: 93 Points
Elegant, complex red fruits and a good finish after an hour open.....Loved by all at TG !
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11/14/2020 - Gwjrobertson wrote: 93 Points
Now fairly mature and fully softened out. Decanted 30 mins before serving; 60 might have been better, but this is now I think too old for the long decant sometimes recommended for Musar. The cork disintegrated with every available corkscrew.
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11/12/2020 - dnnk88 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Wine Night #2 Commanderie @ GWC!: 1998 and 1999 served side by side tonight. Slight brett and funk on the nose. Cherries, spices, rose, tea. Interesting! Classical on the palate and well aged. Enjoyed this a lot tonight. Bravo! 92/93
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11/12/2020 - Collector1855 wrote: 95 Points
During a blind tasting dinner. Served double blind, the 1998 and 1999 side by side as a pair. Farmyard on the nose, a touch bretty but not overbearing. Lots of red cherry and also spices. Light and crisp on the palate. As so often with Musar, teh nose points towards Bordeaux, the palate has a Southern Rohne twist with Cincsault and Carmenere being lighter, sweeter and more red fruited than a normal Cab/Merlot blend. Both wine showed well and were similar with the 1999 may be being just a touch too bretty, costing it a point.
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11/7/2020 - mclanew Likes this wine: 93 Points
Similiar notes as the last bottle of this I had a month ago but this one was even a bit better- a little cleaner, with a little less rusticity.
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11/2/2020 - Purple Tooth wrote: 93 Points
Made the mistake of drinking this too fast. The remainder was outstanding the next day. It showed earth, barnyard notes, and sweet dried figs and prunes intermixed with eastern spices. Its well on the other side of peak but still very good. DRINK
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10/17/2020 - edjBoca Likes this wine: 93 Points
Smooth elegant mature red fruit...complex
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10/10/2020 - mclanew Likes this wine: 92 Points
Decanted for an hour. The wine is fully mature and has evolved gracefully with fully resolve tannins and a light on its feet, transparent quality. The nose shows cranberries, tobacco and a little funk. On the palate there is an interesting and complex mix of flavors ranging from cranberries, raspberries, roast meats and spices. The wine lacks a little fruit concentration in the mid palate which might reflect that its declining but otherwise holding up quite well. I would drink these soon over the next few years.
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9/24/2020 - BillBell73 Likes this wine:
This has a ton of coarse sediment so probably best to stand it up for a few days before opening and carefully decant as the sediment is easily dislodged. This is a very good Musar that’s on the feral side of the fence...there’s lots of blood, iron, smoke, and acetone along with the tart black cherry fruit. Seems like it would be a great match with a dry aged steak or wild game.
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9/22/2020 - ETT95 wrote: 92 Points
A superb wine. Colour starts to fade and is a bit cloudy, but not the aromas. It delivers intense leather and forest aromas both at nose and on palate. Structure is still strong that the acidity is not taking over. The fruit has became tertiary and it more on the ripe red cherries side. It is round and smooth on palate, not at all angular. It is best for those who enjoy old, developed wines. Should stay delicious for another 3-5 years before going down the slope, as fruit might not be sufficient to support extended cellaring.
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9/20/2020 - Theno23 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cork completely saturated, so care needed to remove, and lots of sediment, so decant carefully.
Decanted about 30 mins, but would have benefited from more.
Forrest floor, earthy, red berries, some leather. More Burgundian in style. Excellent. No idea how much longer it will be good for.
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9/4/2020 - ploher wrote:
Decanted for about 5h before drinking. Very ripe, almost slightly rotten strawberries, blood and iron, quite smoky, some barnyard and tobacco on the nose; very complex and multi-layered. Soft palate, quite evolved, more so than the 1997, with very sweet fruit; again these ripe strawberries, all somehow "honeyed", with juicy blood orange on the long finish. Reminds me a bit of a mature Nebbiolo but of course much more funky. With more time in the glass the acidity increases and the wine gets more freshness. But quite smoky for a Musar. Just gets better from glass to glass, as a top wine should. Drinking beautifully, but no hurry of course. 18.5/20
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8/1/2020 - capt_capitalism wrote: 93 Points
Pale brick / ruby.
Smells of forest floor, damp earth, mint, dried herbs, brett, mushroom.
Tastes of faint red fruit, dried cherry; oak, vanilla; mint, leather / shoe polish.
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7/15/2020 - BuckeyeBenS Likes this wine: 93 Points
Just super. Used a two prong cork remover but don't think I needed to do so. Very little penetration of the cork, so more time in the cellar if you are inclined. Sediment is present, take your time pouring. Pale red rusty color with an incredible nose. Gave this a 3 hour decant, but cheated with a little pour in the glass right away to mark its evolution. Out of the bottle there was strong stone earth, ripe berries and potent minerals, along with other softer floral notes. Given proper time to breathe everything blends harmoniously together to delight the senses. It becomes quite elegant if you have patience to give it the decant-time required. Really loved this wine. There is nothing else quite like it. Drinking fabulously.
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7/5/2020 - DanielOsman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drunk over two nights, decanted one hour on first night. Cork broke, mostly as I didn't put the cork screw in far enough.
Nose was mostly secondary and tertiary, with a small amount of red berry fruit. Sense of the earth and terroir here. Notes of tobacco, cigar box cedar wood. Palate was expressive, balanced, refined tannins and medium acidity. Reminds me more of a mature nebbiolo than a Bordeaux, with tar, blood iron, violets, roses, and tobacco.
It's smooth, complex, medium / long finish, but supple and expressive. A really lovely wine. Held up virtually unchanged overnight.
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5/4/2020 - Paul852 Likes this wine: 90 Points
You never know what to expect with Musar. This (750ml) bottle (direct from Musar's HK distributor a few months ago and stored carefully) had a horribly dried out cork which took a lot of careful effort with a two prong and a corkscrew to get out.
The bottle had been upright for 12 hours and I then decanted it for about 2.5 hours before starting to drink. On initial opening, a taste of the dregs (there was quite a bit of sediment) showed quite a strong classic Musar nose, fairly strong fruit, and the colour was quite rich.
However, after 2.5 hours there had been a big change - the colour had rapidly developed a tawny hue and appeared much more translucent, and on the palate the wine was much lighter, with acidity more to the fore than the fruit. The palate was reasonably complex but rather lightweight and not up to the food we were eating. We left half the bottle until about 5 hours after opening/decanting and it evolved further, with the acidity moderating and the fruit coming more prominent. However, although it was now well-balanced, it was still quite a delicate wine.
It seems to me that the 1998 is now in a later middle-age phase where it needs pairing with relatively subtle foods, rather than the more strongly-flavoured foods which pair well with younger vintages.
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4/26/2020 - PetrasJarasunas wrote: 93 Points
Musar is the chameleon of wine! Depending on the vintage mature Musar leans either leans to Bordeaux, to Burgundy or Rhone. This was packed with clean red berry notes of raspberry, morello cherry, some raspberry jam, and some spices. Well balanced red fruit acidity and very mellow tannins. Blindly it was like a warm vintage Burgundy or a much ypunger PN from say Austria or Pfalz. A pleasure to indulge. 93/100
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3/24/2020 - wlayne Likes this wine: 92 Points
Stood up for two hours then decanted for one. Fantastically integrated, right in the sweet spot, drink up.
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3/22/2020 - Wineloon Likes this wine: 96 Points
Possibly wine of the year so far. This was singing last night. Decanted for over an hour & then drunk very quickly with some beef koftas. Life-affirming stuff. Like a Burgundian souther’ Rhône with a bit of Nebbiolo flowers. Sweet cherry fruit, melting tannins and freshness. Delicious.
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3/7/2020 - aagrawal wrote: 92 Points
Broadbent imported. Decanted, some sediment at the bottom 0.5-1oz. A relatively pale light-medium ruby color with slight bricking; nose is highly aromatic from first pour with red fruit, complex spices, a bit of musk; palate is medium bodied, fresh vibrant high acidity throughout which is quite striking, alcohol seems medium and very well balanced (bottle says 13.5% but could easily be lower), red fruited, very slight VA which gives almost a sweet character to the red fruit despite being dry; finish is medium length. For Musar this shows surprisingly well out of the bottle, though I expect it will improve with some air time. The elegance here is striking. 92+
1.5 hours decanted: Largely unchanged. Well balanced and lovely to drink. This hasn't evolved much since my last taste in 2016, and it's at early maturity at best. Could easily go another 10 years, though may not improve much more from here.
8 hours decanted: Interestingly, not that different from when I had first opened it. Maybe slightly better knit together, but not transformative as Musar usually us. That said, it started off in a pretty good place, so I'm not unhappy that it's largely the same. Lovely bottle, in an elegant stage.
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2/23/2020 - HWG99 Likes this wine: 91 Points
Full on the nose, very complex and interesting , cherry jam, raspberry, lather, skin of animal, sour plum. Medium body one the palate, acidic finish. The aroma us very different from my last bottle but the texture us similar.
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2/8/2020 - BuckeyeBenS Likes this wine: 93 Points
If you don’t have time to decant, save this for another night. Musar recommendation is 3 hours before you enjoy. I followed their suggestion, sipping a little along the way to check it’s progress. They are right. It’s fun out of the gate, but really settles down and sings at the 3-5 hour mark. So awesome. Full of minerals, fruit, and funk. It’s totally worth your time and money. Don’t pass on this treasure from Lebanon, and don’t expect it to be like anything you’ve tried out of France or the US. Great bottle.
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1/10/2020 - rcb25 Likes this wine:
Stood up bottle 3 days prior. Decanted for 2 hours.
Right away powerful aromatic nose. Plenty of vibrant red fruit still, redcurrant, sour cherries, raspberries. Incredibly well integrated with plenty of acidity remaining as well. Still so young and vibrant. Drinking perfectly now, but can easily age another 5-10 years
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12/24/2019 - tunaguy Likes this wine: 93 Points
st estephe, cote rotie, and morey st. denis all wrapped into one unique package. a lovely drinking experience
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12/22/2019 - JWG wrote: 94 Points
This really stood out. It was really worth the flyer I took on it. Nose is big with some barnyard, smoke, complex. Palate is rich, earthy, porty, with some complexity I can't quite break out. Soft tannins round it out beautifully.
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11/29/2019 - manonthemoon wrote: 91 Points
Notes from day 2.
N dark fruit, smoke, funk,
P blueberries, dark plum, menthol, funk, spice, smoked meats
F above average in length, good mouthfeel,
Nice wine
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11/23/2019 - jordanj Likes this wine: 89 Points
pnp. A lot of lightening at the edges and throwing a lot of sediment. Fully mature. Classic Musar nose of wood, plum, smoke and a touch of barnyard (which is why I buy it in the first place). Initially, it reveled a bit more brighter candied fruit but that disapated quickly to leave mostly oak, white pepper and spice. In the mouth is still tannic with not much flesh. weak finish. Fully mature and no need to wait any longer if you have some. Not unenjoyble. The 2000 I had last year was more pronounced with more weight.
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11/23/2019 - Paul852 Likes this wine:
Today I opened three bottles for a dinner where I was curating the wines. I deliberately gave them different amounts of air to see the effect. All the wines had been upright in my wine fridge for 4 days to let the sediment settle.
The first bottle I opened I chose because it was showing a lower fill level and I was worried that it would be badly oxidised. The cork was a mess, but a Chateau Musar two-prong opener dealt with that. I decanted it (removing quite a lot of sediment) about 8 hours before we began to drink it, and put it back in the bottle about 2 hours later. The colour was a bit more brick/brown than the rich red of younger Musars, indicting some aging/oxidation, but the nose and a small sip on opening suggested that it wasn't badly flawed.
The second bottle I decanted 5 hours prior to drinking and put it back in the bottle 90 minutes later. The third bottle I decanted 2.5 hours prior to drinking and back in the bottle almost immediately. Both of these also had significant sediment (I threw out about 1.5cm of wine/sediment from each bottle).
All of the bottles had the classic Musar nose, although the first (low-fill) bottle showed less fruit. And so it continued on the palate: the low-fill bottle was clearly showing some age/oxidation, but not in a bad way - it was different: a bit less fruit, but other more complex flavours to the fore. I wonder if this is how much older Musars are, and this one had got there prematurely via a dodgy cork? I served it first and everyone liked it, albeit in a more contemplative way, teasing out the more subtle developed flavours. There was a definite oxidative note, but it added to the flavours rather than being a show-stopper.
The second and third bottles clearly were less aged without the leaky cork, showing lots of the intense Musar fruit which is so distinctive, on the nose and the palate. These were much more "classic Musar" - a bit of wow factor, very distinctive fruit, slightly barnyard, just a touch of acidity, all lingering on the palate. And the unanimous opinion was that 5 hours air was better than 3 in terms of the overall integration & smoothness.
So all in all, everyone was happy with all 3 bottles in their different ways. But it is clear that for bottles with a solid cork at least 5 hours air is a good thing.
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10/29/2019 - nttsaa wrote: flawed
Brick red color. Nose very muted. Tasted like vinegar pnp. After 4 hour decant still only vinegar.
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10/25/2019 - forceberry wrote: 92 Points
The vintage 1998 started off quite normally but the temperatures remained relatively cool until June. Quite typical, warm and dry summer. The blend is quite typical aka. one third of each Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, although the Cinsaut portion is slightly higher this vintage. 13,5% alcohol. Decanted for a few hours before tasting the wine.
Developed, pale brick-orange color with a light golden-yellow rim. Dry, dusty and savory nose with aromas of earthy spice, lingonberries, some appley tones, a little bit of crunchy cranberry, light smoky tones, a hint of bretty funk and a touch of sweet nail polish VA. Perhaps slightly lacking the vibrancy I've normally seen in this vintage. The wine is medium-to-moderately full-bodied, juicy and quite savory on the palate with flavors of brambly blackberries and boysenberries, some beef jerky tones and tangy soy sauce salinity, a little bit of phenolic smoke, light pruney tones, a hint of ripe forest fruits and a touch of smoky minerality. Nicely structured feel for its age with high acidity and still rather grippy, firm and textural tannins. The finish is quite grippy, complex and somewhat tertiary with flavors of wild strawberries, some pruney dark fruits, a little bit of salty beef jerky, light stony mineral notes, a hint of fresh, brambly blackberry and a touch of phenolic smoke.
An attractive, juicy and complex vintage of Musar, but also a classic example of the bottle variation in Musar: I've had this wine twice before and the first time it was somewhat awkard and perhaps slightly off and the other time it was among the best vintages in a vertical tasting. This time the wine was neither, but just an enjoyable example that didn't reach the heights of the best vintages, but didn't really feel off either - well, perhaps not counting the smoky tones that don't seem that typical of Musar. This was a nice and somewhat aged effort that is exhibiting some tertiary developed flavors of beef jerky and soy sauce, suggesting that the wine is either at its plateau of maturity or very close to it. Probably will keep for many more years, but I have a hunch there won't be that much development here anymore. Priced according to its quality at 39€.
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10/24/2019 - vinhonotte Likes this wine: 92 Points
Fine Wines SG - 90s Tuscany vs The World (Fine Wines SG): Lots of tar funk, barnyard, and smoked meats. Also some dried rose bush, redcurrants, and greens. Funky, but really could grow on anyone
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10/20/2019 - dron_ap wrote: 93 Points
Amazing classic Musar style here: iron, smoke, leather and bit of dirt
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10/3/2019 - ZMAng Likes this wine:
From 75cl bottle. Just decanted: Medium ruby. Nose of smoked meat, iron. Tart berry fruit, classic structure, good balance. Moderate length. Let's see after a few hours.
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9/19/2019 - Paul852 Likes this wine: 92 Points
Sadly (compared to Goldstone's earlier note) I was only at one of Marc Hochar's lesser wine dinners last week (we had the 2004 and the 2012), but elsewhere with friends on Saturday at ChomChomYomYom I offered a 1998. I had stood it upright for a few days in the wine fridge then double decanted about 3 hours prior to drinking (removing over 1cm of sludge).
The colour was immediately quite distinctive - much more brick red than the ruby of younger Musars. The nose was classic Musar with a touch of barnyard. On the palate there was a really nice balance of fruit with some nice bite and just a very light touch of tannin. The finish was moderately long and encouraged the next sip. It was universally regarded as the red wine of the evening. (Competition, by coincidence, including a Musar 2002 which was much more primary and straightforward.)
For me, unlike Goldstone, on the basis of this (my first bottle of 98) I see it as being in a good place right now.
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9/17/2019 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 88 Points
Ch. Musar Dinner with Marc Hochar (The Bunker, Crown Wine Cellars, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Pre-decanted for around 8 hours by Marc Hochar. Translucent ruby in colour and appearance....heavily sedimented. Nose is quite heavy and unevolved. Palate is quite porty and somewhat mono-dimensional. Heady but blunt on the finish. I have drank this before with Marc and his father when it was much more open and attractive. I suspect that it is in a sullen late adolescent period. Re-visit in 3-5 years or give it an overnight double decant.
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9/11/2019 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 95 Points
Immediately properly classic Musar on the nose: VA, red fruit, a touch of brett.
Really integrated on the palate. Lovely, open, soft roundness. Proper Musar.
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9/10/2019 - CamWheeler wrote: 90 Points
Negociants Australia New Release Tasting 2019: Meat, liquorice and truffle. Savoury palate with red fruit at the edges. Drinking well now but will go longer as well (5-10 years?)
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9/10/2019 - chatters wrote:
Ahh, hello Musar: Bretty, oxidised, leather, slight volatile acidity, meaty, charcuterie over sour red berries and plenty of sweet spice. Juicy acid offsets similar flavours on palate backed by silky tannins and alcoholic warmth on the finish.
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9/8/2019 - andreel Likes this wine: 92 Points
Much better than a previous bottle we tried a few months ago. This time we opened the bottle at lunch time for dinner and decanted an hour or so before drinking. Complex, long, spicy and very distinctive.
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7/12/2019 - ZMAng Likes this wine: 92 Points
From half bottle. Tawny / rusty red. Initial nose of grilled meat, then dried black fruit and mushroom. Sweet black fruit (prunes in particular), some mushroom on the palate, silky, enough acidity to be nicely balanced. Long finish.
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6/22/2019 - Templeton100 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Somebody posted previously that this is like Port. They are so right. This is a gorgeous wine, with a super long finish, very refined tannins, currently at its peak, I would imagine. Ignore the comments that this is past its best. If you have a well preserved bottle, this is a superb wine, in a traditional Bordeaux style, like they used to make them. Terrific wine!
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5/19/2019 - Pålla wrote: 87 Points
Liker musar yngre, denne blir litt vel mye stall/fjøs
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5/6/2019 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Opened to accompany grilled steaks after hiking in Rocky Mountain National Park. Bought this bottle at Cured, Boulder (thanks for the advice). Cork disintegrated, had to push it through. Medium garnet. Nose of red currant, thistle, floral notes, stone, meaty tones. Hearty layers of red currant, plum, beef blood, rock, and a certain wild sauvage element on the palate. Ample acidity and firm but smoothed tannin leading to a long finish of stony red fruit with pleasant bite at the end. Delicious and seemingly made for the great outdoors.
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4/13/2019 - mflesh wrote: 93 Points
D5. Tastes like 87 Napa. Entry of aged blackberry and pepper. A little earthy middle. Some shoe leather and dates. Hint of raisin on the finish. Soft tannin and even a little acidic. This bottle is ready to consume! First Musar for me and hopefully won't be my last.
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4/6/2019 - bobbylion Likes this wine: 94 Points
I have to try this side-by-side with the 99, but my feeling is that it is just as good. Highly complex, barnyard, smoke, polish; I cannot believe the sophistication of this after 21 years. Perfect.
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3/16/2019 - bubnos Likes this wine: 92 Points
Starter Red Flight @ Home: Musar does not do well in tastings, and even though I enjoyed a glass of this with food last week the really aggressive brett makes it hard to stand up to more modern-style wines in a tasting. The group did not like this at all and I think most people gave it something in the upper 70's. Oh well, their loss, just more for me.
My prior note still stands, with a harsher barnyard nose leading into a very smooth and round entry and a pleasantly long and spicy finish with minimal tannins.
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3/10/2019 - bubnos Likes this wine: 94 Points
Great illustration of Musar bottle variation. My local store got a case, and I rummaged through it for the best bottle- fill levels for the case ranged from mid-neck to mid shoulder (!) and color from light purplish-ruby to very pale pinkish-red. I grabbed what I thought was the "best" bottle on offer.
Coravined a glass and it's beautiful: light bricking on the rim but a much darker shade than the 97 Musar I had a few months ago, strong brett and VA character on the nose in Musar style, with exotic spices and almost-vanished tannins on the palate and a long, buttery-smooth finish. Probably at peak or maybe even a little over it, I can't see how this could improve, but there's easily 5-10 more before it really starts to fall off a cliff.
Great stuff, but I'm sure if I had picked one of the other bottles I'd probably be complaining about a totally ruined wine here. Caveat emptor!
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2/23/2019 - StainedGlass wrote: 92 Points
Medium ruby color with no sign of bricking. Fullsome nose with the earhiness and good funk you expect in Musar. Still drinking well now, Burgundean in weight but much earthy and layered. 13.5% abv. I will acquire more if I can find it becauuse it is a birth year wine for one of my kids and I think it can go another 10 years easy.
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2/17/2019 - Stewart.findlay@gmail.com Does not like this wine:
Well past it’s best
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2/14/2019 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 92 Points
What a conundrum of a wine. By far the best of three showings (one last year and one in '13) if only obtaining the extra two points based on my immediate post aerated decant tasting glass.
Wonderful rich viscosity, truffle and earth - a core of brûlée dark berries and spice and real grip producing a superb wine. Integrated charred oak. Gunflint and smoke. After the actual 90min in the decanter the intensity had faded back to 90pts and the sweeter elements were beginning to over-dominate. Perhaps this is the key to this wine, if not PnP at least decant-n-P!
Either way a wine that should be drunk up over the immediate few years.
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2/4/2019 - NickA Likes this wine: 89 Points
From magnum. This reminded me a lot of Port, in a good way. Very fruity, very rich, very moreish.
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1/28/2019 - PSPatrick wrote: 90 Points
"A taste of Libanon"-Tasting, Flight 5, Wine 3 (non-blind): The wine was medium garnet in colour and offered ripe red fruit, strawberry, plum, mild herbal and gamy notes and a touch of Brett as well as a smoked mackerel component on the nose and palate, with good acidity, ripe tannin and good length. This bottle did not live up to the bottle I enjoyed over a weekend at home about six months ago, and I preferred the 1999 today, but that only confirms my view that the Musars generally under-perform in tasting settings and always outperform if you take your time in a relaxed environment. 90+ for this bottle, keeping in mind that the wine had probably developed into a solid 92 if it had been aerated and granted the attention it deserved.
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1/23/2019 - mysterycooper Likes this wine:
My experience of this wine is 95% the same as Goldstone below.
Front end is broad, red fruited, silky smooth, light bodied burgundy in style. Back end narrows to a sweeter, focused, darker fruited affair with a dried fig, aged bordeaux intensity. Became quite leathery over time.
The cork broke and came out a bit crumbly which had me wondering if the wine was spoiled but not at all. Followed by a nice Pauillac at twice the price, but I preferred the Musar, as is so often the case. Still one of the most consistent, interesting, variable, good value, quality wines I know of. Reminded me of the 2003 but with more to it.
92/93
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1/19/2019 - Kirk Grant wrote:
This pours bricked red with a ruby core; served in a Zalto Universal Glass. On the nose it's full of florals, earth, mushrooms, oil-stained concrete floors, and well-worn leather with an underpinning of dried red fruits. The palate is light-medium bodied, with something that reminds me of aging (like when they're not quite gone-by) wild strawberries, raspberries, orange rind, chewing tobacco, and clove. A friend of mine said that the tannins felt fully-resolved to him when he had this a few weeks ago, and I think I'm going to have to agree. It's hard to see this wine getting any better at this point in its life. Yet another lovely wine of contemplation that will demand all evening to really understand. Outstanding!!
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1/16/2019 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank a bottle contemplatively with a friend over dinner from the list at ON Dining, Hong Kong. To my surprise, I agreed with the sommelier that this didn't need decanting - by contrast, the 1999 needs 4+ hours' decant. Very bright transparent jewelled ruby colour. Nose is very 'Burgundian' in the Musar spectrum....taut fresh strawberries, dried star anise, light sandalwood and none of the traditional Musar funk. Palate is similar- very clean and 'bright' in all its aspects. Perfumed in the mouth in a rose water and red Turkish Delight way which is really lovely. Elegant, feminine and sophisticated but rolling up into quite a deep and long resonance and reverberance on the finale. I suspect that this will surprise and put on more weight over the next decade....classic good vintage Musar in that aspect. Brilliant value, as always....especially as a restaurant wine. That's saying something because I could have brought a bottle from the two cases I have had cellared since release had I thought to. When I first drank this vintage ten years ago i wrote "a classic Musar which would be a good introduction for someone new to this wine". Yep, I'll stick by that!
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1/11/2019 - asheio wrote: 89 Points
Very light red. Complex, tea, red fruit, mushrooms. Light, fresh. Pure.
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12/23/2018 - Nilsenfr Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lys mursteins rød farge.
På nesen :
Sigar, lær, krydder og mørke bær.
På smak:
Slank og fruktig,ikke den samme kompakte kraftpakken som feks 2006 årgangen. Lær og mørke bær.Behagelig bløte tanniner. Fast lang ettersmak. Sannsynligvis ferdig utviklet Drikker godt nå.
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11/19/2018 - korniev wrote: 90 Points
Had it during a nice dinner with GF. As usual a perfect treat. Very unusual style and a perfect quality /price ratio.
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11/13/2018 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 92 Points
A large glass shared over the incredible artisanal cheese platter at ON Dining in Hong Kong. No detailed notes but just fabulous.....rounded, deep and pure, very resonant and just super. My guest drank a glass with his main course on my recommendation as his first initiation to Ch. Musar....hence the second!
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10/21/2018 - Aleks Che Likes this wine: 93 Points
CHE93
Such a perfect wine!
Need aeration to run away from barnyard and than it becomes like a pinot noir.
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9/20/2018 - rossi.wine wrote: 92 Points
A bit of evolution around the rim, still rather dark core. Sweet, ripe fruit, earth, tobacco, spices, hints of balsamic vinegar on the nose. On the palate lots of acidity, nice tannic grip, generous fruit, very well balanced. Very persistent finish. 91-93
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9/8/2018 - Keith Cooper Likes this wine: 92 Points
At home with friends, an evening of wines from the 1998 vintage. Served to accompany lamb shanks. It's always a privilege to drink an aged Musar and this wine brought back memories of the lovely Serge Hochar who owned and ran the winery for so many years until his untimely death a few years ago. I'd had this vintage a year earlier at the Whitewater Valley Wine Society in Hampshire, UK. On that occasion, the Musar vertical was presented by Jane Sowter, the face of Chateau Musar in the UK. I remembered her sound advice to open this Musar some four hours before we tasted it as she said it needs a lot of oxygen before drinking. She was right! It drank well after four hours, but continued to open and improve for another 3 hours over the evening. So top tip here is to open any aged Musar several hours before tasting, otherwise you may be disappointed. Ripe plums on the nose. Smooth, orange peel, burnt caramel, warming and complex - everything that you'd expect from a Musar! A wonderful experience.
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8/24/2018 - sharonandroland wrote: 93 Points
In a great drinking window now.
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8/18/2018 - PSPatrick wrote: 92 Points
The 1998 Musar was medium garnet in colour and red fruit-driven, cedary, leathery and balsamic, with fine, mostly resolved tannin, lively acidity, a good, smooth mouthfeel, and good length. The wine improved with extended aeration and became very balanced, integrated, harmonious and super-smooth on day two. It had a mature profile, but I disagree with some of the previous notes in that I am positive that the 1998 Musar will still go a long way, and maybe even live forever.
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8/8/2018 - Psdycp wrote: 90 Points
Nose is the most elegant and delicate compared to 2000 and 1999, sour cherries, hints of smoked fennel, toasted figs and seasoned leather. Need very little decanting to open up the nose. Palate is soft and balanced with ripe red fruits, licorice and dash of refreshing acidity as the core structure. Although it is light to medium-bodied in the mid-palate, it is not thin or sharp. Surprisingly, the finish has some degree of attack and lingers for a while. Tannins are so fine and well integrated. At its peak now, will probably hold for another 2-3 years if stored well.
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8/4/2018 - NiklasW Likes this wine: 89 Points
Decanted for an hour. Quite a bit of VA in the bottle, red berries on the nose, cherries, very elegant. The palate is showing a bit of age on it, the fruit is fading, the tannins are totally integrated, this is definitely starting to be over the hill. Did show better with some food, but still on the way down.
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7/7/2018 - Lenmazzone Likes this wine: 93 Points
Earthy nose with ample red fruits— without being overpowering. No forceful tannins— but still structured. Less structure than the prestige Bordeaux but more drinkable.
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6/2/2018 - pryby Likes this wine: 91 Points
When first opened this seemed quite thin and acidic - cranberry juice was the dominant aroma and flavor, along wth some brett. After several hours it rounded out and the earthy, spicy tones that I love in Musar started to appear. After 24 hours, this was a deep, soulful wine.
Based on this experience, I’d give it another 3+ years before I open another ‘98.
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6/2/2018 - jdp89 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Cork crumbly but not powdery, managed to fish out all but a few crumbs caught in the strainer. Decanted 20 min before serving, bricked and quite clear in color.
This was a very clean bottle of Musar—little Brett and no detectable VA. Nose was all dusty library, leather, tobacco, dried flowers, with a bit of dried red fruit in the mix (and a tiny bit of soy sauce). Palate continued the strong tertiary character, with soft fruit and good acid. Beautiful resolved tannin and silky mouthfeel. Finish for days.
Outstanding wine, worth every penny.
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5/27/2018 - swaap wrote: 91 Points
Nez expressif à l’ouvert de la bouteille puis 5 minutes après le vin s’ complètement refermé, il lui a fallu 18 heures pour qu’il s’exprime avec de belles notes de kirsch, goudron. La bouche est sublime et équilibrée, bonne longueur.
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5/9/2018 - Harley1199 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Life is too Short (Taberna Palo Cortado - Madrid): Possibly not the best vintage for Musar but what a bottle. Opened two hours before to be served. Very pale, translucent, with an ethereal cardinal colour.
On the nose is fragrant and of a high elegance. Accompanied with aromas of earth and oriental spices. There are also notes of flesh meat and cereals. Everything precise and well-coordinated. We speak of a complexity in a maximum degree.
On the palate it has finesse, length and memories of cherry soda. Acidity before density. Sometimes it seems like a young wine even.
Offering bottles like this Musar is still among the greatest wineries in the world. No doubts about it. By the way I am not been excessively generous with my rate. Probably the opposite.
Posiblemente no la mejor añada para Musar pero, ¡menuda botella! Abierta dos horas antes de ser servida. Color muy pálido, traslúcido, de un etéreo color cardenalicio.
En nariz es fragante y de una elevada elegancia. Acompañan aromas terrosos y de especias orientales. También aparecen notas de carne fresca y de cereales. Todo preciso y bien conjuntado. Hablamos de una complejidad en grado máximo.
Al paladar tiene finura, longitud y recuerdos a refresco de cereza. Acidez antes que densidad. En determinados momentos parece hasta un vino joven.
Ofreciendo botellas como esta Musar sigue figurando entre las grandes bodegas del mundo. Sin lugar a dudas. A propósito, no estoy siendo excesivamente generoso con mi calificación. Probablemente justo lo opuesto.
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4/21/2018 - Pålla Likes this wine: 91 Points
På høyden etter min smak, men liker 03 bedre.
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4/15/2018 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Popped and poured. Garnet color with scarlet edges. Nose of cranberry, red currant, intense floral notes, rock, and a hint of smoke. Layers of mulberry, strawberry, beef blood, tobacco, brier, and a wild sauvage element coursing effortlessly on the palate. Sharp acidity and firm tannin leading to a long finish of stony red fruit cut with brambles and slow grip. Excellent with lamb.
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4/7/2018 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 90 Points
Chanced my arm a bit buying a case seeing my '13 note!
Pale red/brown hue. Nonetheless, while fully mature, still has a mellow core of cooked jammy dark fruits and the gunflint minerality is still on display. Quite sweet on the palate, lots of earth, truffle and smoke.
Has probably seen better days - but do I care! Elegant old lady for drinking up soon.
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4/5/2018 - kehively@yahoo.com Likes this wine: 95 Points
Nice balance of ripe fruit and earth.
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3/30/2018 - cannym Likes this wine: 92 Points
Cork worked though top half crumbled bottom was secure. And very good bottle. Lovely mid ruby. Plenty fruit still, red currant, raspberry, cherry. Smoke and dried meats. Great acidity, not volatile, lovely smoothed out tannins. Long. Very elegant, heading for burgundy territory. Not hugely changed from a few years ago. Last bottle, sadly.
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3/22/2018 - pren wrote: 90 Points
LD. 接近01。有点natural wine的funk。放松。
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2/21/2018 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 93 Points
Kitchen Istanbul w/ Ben and Meg (Kitchen Istanbul, SF): This had a very short decant - just an hour as it was opened at the restaurant. It sang out as well as could be expected under the circumstances.
Classic Musarian nose - showing spicy dog fur (brett), bruised apple, balsamic, ethyl acetate, dried flowers. The fruit character is lighter black cherry and tart raspberry - consistent with my impression in the past that this is a more Burgundian style. However there was a hint of tertiary cassis - a tamari-blackberry note that's characteristic of mature Musar. The tertiary character seems to be maturing, and although not forceful right now, it may become so.
After approximately two hours, a darker, smokier, roasted blackberry note emerged - reminiscent of the reductively dark, almost burnt '72.
In the past I've characterized the '98 as a "Beautiful" styled Musar, similar to the 2000 and 2001, in contrast to the "Bold" 99,04,91, the "Atypical" 03,97, or the "Centered" 95, 94. For the '98, this may be merely a fact of its stage of maturity. It may blossom into a different character yet.
The palate was classic Musar: medium all around, with beautiful balance, integration, and length. No structural elements stood out. The tannins were melted and satiny.
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12/25/2017 - bjamesclark wrote: 90 Points
Decanted. Moderate-plus sediment detected. Light and brick red in color in the glass. The nose is moderate in intensity and showing a small amount of brett that weaves into additional notes of dried porcini, cured meats, stale cigar tobacco, pepper, old leather and dust with light touches of dried rose, dried red currant, dried cherry and raspberry.
The palate reveals vivid above moderate acidity and light resolved tannins on the medium- bodied frame. The flavor profile reveal much of what was detected on the nose; some of the funky barnyard notes that show the brett on this wine (just enough to add complexity), dried porcini powder, pepper crusted salami, dusty leather, tobacco and dried rose petals before the light dried fruit notes of currant, cherry and raspberry pitch in. The finish lingers moderately.
Overall still hanging in there and drinking quite nice however this is, in my opinion, past it's prime. Does not have the stuffing to last another 10+ years as was suggested by WA.
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11/26/2017 - CWang wrote: 93 Points
No formal note; my favorite wine of this evening's tasting dinner; elegant and fruity in the nose and on the palate with long finish; overall, 92-93 points.
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11/19/2017 - AudunG wrote: 90 Points
Light brick red color. Aromas of forest floor, coffee and mushroom. Some oxidative notes. Light and elegant mouth feeling. Some prickling acidity.
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11/17/2017 - teemuskogberg Likes this wine: 91 Points
Half a bottle
Very nice mature wine. Earthy smell and very nice taste. Long finnish
Had 4 bottles but this one was the only drinkable.
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10/24/2017 - teemuskogberg wrote: flawed
Way past its time no good at all. Very bad bottle
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9/10/2017 - HarveyLarvae Likes this wine: 94 Points
I love this wine. So damn funky they should put a picture of Bootsy Collins on the label
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7/29/2017 - sharonandroland Likes this wine: 93 Points
Clearly a lighter vintage. Makes for very pleasurable drinking currenlty. Racey, perfumed, just not as wild and intense. Perfect for leisurely enjoyment.
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5/14/2017 - Crownguard wrote: 85 Points
Moss and cork. Like resin from an pine tree. Dark mature berries. Some red berries as well. lighter than a fresh musar. Not much to tell. I am not that impressed. To much tare for me. And that is after 0/30/60 minutes in a decanter.
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5/12/2017 - CondorKhan wrote: 94 Points
Chateau Musar Tasting: Very similar to the 1999, but a bit "cleaner". Sweet fruit is up in front, and the earthy funkiness takes more of a support role. Very nicely balanced and together. Licorice and olives add nice complexity. Finish has soft tannins and higher acidity. Up to that point, WOTN. The entire 98-00 trio had been outstanding, suggesting that 18-20 years is maturity for Musar.
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4/29/2017 - DougLee wrote: 92 Points
Darker translucent ruby hue with garnet hints. Seriously evocative nose of floral blueberry, acrid schist, rocks, and meat. Layers of red currant, beef blood, sweet cassis, soy, tar, and sauvage notes coursing across the tongue with freshening acidity and tamed but firm tannin. Lovely finish of bright red fruit gripped by blood and rock. Nineteen years young and still going strong. Killer pairing with rare beef over arugula sprinkled with balsamic and parmesan.
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4/21/2017 - Henman Likes this wine: 89 Points
From a 375ml bottle. Aired in the bottle for 1,5 hours. Pungent nose of balsamico, tarry notes, some leather and perhaps a bit of soy sauce. Medium bodied with firm acidity, showing balsamico, tarry and scorched notes, some funk and a little red fruit still kicking. Almost resolved tannins. Still got some life but a little disappointing compared to the younger vintages of Musar I´ve tried. Maybe past its peak.
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4/10/2017 - starrynight wrote: 88 Points
Strong port-like nose, especially upon opening the bottle. Tannins all melted away, leaving a bit of a soy-sauce bouquet
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4/5/2017 - HWG99 wrote: 89 Points
A 375. Interesting on the noise with a good mix of berries, jam and old fine black truffle. However the acidiity is too high and lack of structure on the palate. Could be due to poor keeping for a half bottle.
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3/12/2017 - emo Likes this wine: 95 Points
Superb. A much cleaner bottle than previous ones, but still funky!
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3/1/2017 - CJM wrote: 92 Points
Clear pale garnet with significant rim browning. Barnyard, leather, chocolate. Low acida, low tannins. Fennel. Medium to long balanced finish. Glass at singlethead.
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2/24/2017 - NoTrollingerPlease Likes this wine: 94 Points
10 vintages of Chateau Musar (@Private location): *** Please see the general tasting story notes for more details ***
Glass: Riedel BDX Sommelier
Popped and poured.
Clear, medium, ruby-garnet color. Clean, medium intense, developing nose. Wonderful fine and elegant combination of herbs, red fruit and tobacco.
Dry, medium+/high, perfectly integrated acidity, medium+ very fine tannin. Medium+ body, medium+ intense, wonderful complex flavors of tobacco, red fruit, orange zests, spices, fine oak and tar. 13,5% abv. Complex, elegant, round, animating with a medium+/long finish. This is my WOTN. I would say it is start reaching its peak, but it will continue to improve. Has everything to evolve for 10+ years. Fantastic PQR!
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2/19/2017 - Batfink73 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Brick red edges in the glass provide the proof of age. Slight acertone hints on the nose soon give way to Bakewell tart, cherry and liquorice. Then a mouthful of kirsch steeped red fruit, cherry and tawny port linger on the palate for what seems an age. A delightful trip back in time and a ticket that doesn't break the bank.
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12/21/2016 - CamWheeler wrote: 90 Points
Grapemates Christmas Party 2016: Bottle 2. Meaty, VA, violet, incense and graphite. There is some sweet fruit on the palate, good balance and good interest.
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12/21/2016 - CamWheeler wrote: flawed
Grapemates Christmas Party 2016: Bottle 1. Corked.
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12/15/2016 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 94 Points
Musar Dinner (Tim's, SF): Pleasantly earthy, bretty nose, with a core of ripe tertiary cherry and dried raspberry.
The palate is more structured than I remember - elevated acid and tannins.
The finish is laden with ripe tamari-cherry and sweet-smelling forest leaves. Beautiful.
It's possible that this is putting on weight and power as it ages, as is the puzzling case with post-Inflection Musar.
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12/15/2016 - aagrawal wrote: 93 Points
Chateau Musar Dinner (Tim and Elliott's Place, San Francisco): Lighter ruby colored than the other younger Musar; nose is red fruit, soy sauce, spice; palate is bright and fresh, red fruit, medium-plus acid, wonderful freshness; finish is medium length. Really nice, easily confused wth Spanish Rioja. Very nice. 92-93
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10/15/2016 - JulianSkeels Likes this wine: 93 Points
First bottle from new case. Gave this 6hr slow-ox and double decant (which was perfect). Slight funk on pouring which receded with 30mins of air. Mature looking, but still very sweet with plenty of interesting tertiary notes. Far better, sweeter and with greater longevity than the 97 Musar a few days ago. This is mature, but has both the sweetness and acidity to improve for another 10yrs. Dominated by dried cherry and green cardamon, with sweet tobacco and hints of blood. Medium acidity - this can be enjoyed with or without food and I expect it will become richer and longer over the next 5yrs. Optimal to hold to 2020 and drink to 2030. 93+pts.
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9/24/2016 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 92 Points
Ch. Musar Dinner with Marc Hochar (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Transparent and brightly-jeweled ruby in colour. Nose is one of the spiciest of this night of 9 vintages of Ch. Musar Red.......candied. Palate is beautifully fresh, alive, vibrant, quite sweet and always reminds me of those small Chinese 'Gai Tzi' red dates. Heady and deeply resonant. Thrilling and full of greater promise for the future.
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8/5/2016 - dkstar1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
I really think that this may be my favorite wine, vintage after vintage. Top 10 overall easily. The ones with some age just totally do it for me. In a great window. Drink.
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7/29/2016 - "Rhône Rider" Likes this wine: 92 Points
1998 Ch. Musar
Oransjerød, klar med vandig kant. Medisinskap, lær, tørket frukt, røde blomster og litt tjære ved åpning. Kunne lett blitt tatt for en Barolo. Med luft strammer den seg opp og gir fra seg mere svisker, plommer, lær, tørket frukt. Fremdeles litt medisinskap. Utvikler seg stadig i glasset mere i retning moden Bordeaux. Flott balanse, frisk og elegant, bra lengde. Utrolig at viner fra et så varmt klima kan være så lettbeinte og elegante. Regner med denne er på sin absolutte topp nå. Drikk opp og nyt. Helt modne, finslipte fløyelsmyke tanniner. 92p. (Takk for til Johan 13 mnd for en fin tid i pappapermisjon! )
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7/20/2016 - dkstar1 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Outstanding. One of my favorite wines and a terrific showing. I wish I had a lot more of these. Complex and unrelenting but balanced. My kind of wine.
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7/5/2016 - Bobhelge wrote: 91 Points
From Beirut to Bodø - Chateau Musar tasting (Bodø): The 98 is another VA bomb with intense aromas of leather, barnyard, smoke and bright red fruit. Delicious concentrated forest fruit on the palate along with dark chocolate and licorice. Long red fruit flaverd finish.
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6/20/2016 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
Weekly tasting group #218; Two verticals of 7 wines: Mondivin (Hungary) and Musar (Lebanon) (@ DJ): Bouquet with red berries, plums, tea and chocolate. On the palate rose hips, chocolate, soy, caramel, green herbs, ok acidity and soft tannin. Special wine and ready now.
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6/5/2016 - phil the agony wrote: 93 Points
André à la ferme.Voilà le titre de ce vin.
Un vin très bourriquet au nez mais en bouche il est encore plus poney !
J'adore les bretts, on ne se le cachera pas !
Très animal,un peu de cuir et de tabac.Cannelle et cardamone.
Du fruits bien noirs aussi.Médicamenteux.
J'ai adoré ça.Un vin qui divise un peu plus.
17.5/20
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5/28/2016 - forceberry wrote: 95 Points
Quite translucent brick red-to-orange color with almost colorless rims. Really attractive and beautiful, rich nose with sunny aromas and some obvious VA, but no noticeable brett character. Heady, sweet notes of wizened dark cherry, plummy fruit, some dried dates, a little balsamic vinegar, a hint of acetone and a faint whiff of ammonia (think of cooking kidneys). Quite full-bodied and rich on the palate with intense flavors of ripe forest berries, juicy dark cherries, some pruney dark fruit, modest balsamico VA, a little peppery spice, a hint of garrigue and a touch of saline tang of acetaldehyde. Surprisingly acid-driven for a Musar with moderately grippy tannins. Long and complex finish that is obviously sweeter than the midpalate with an aftertaste of ripe dark and red cherries, some peppery spice, a little overripe plum, a touch of sweet balsamico volatility and a hint of bitter Morello cherry.
Supposedly a lesser vintage of Musar, but in this Musar vertical this often difficult and unpredictable vintage was showing wonderfully. Though there were lots of wonderful Musar reds, I prefered this vintage over the wonderful 1999 and 2003. Surprisingly youthful, intense and structured Musar that seemed to be a lot younger than many of the surrounding vintages. Remarkable richness and balance. Utterly delicious. Very recommended.
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4/6/2016 - peternelson wrote: 91 Points
Very pale translucent garnet-brown; brown sauce, spices, cumin, hay, cherry skins/plum skins; soft and silky, low tannins, soft entry with sour asian plum finish. Touch of animale earthiness. Almost Burg-like. This is a Cinsault (pinot) vintage. Marc Hochar tasting at Terroni.
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4/4/2016 - RajivAyyangar wrote:
Musar Industry Tasting at Wingtip with Marc Hochar (Wingtip): More open than the 2000. Voluptuous ripe red fruit. Softer structure for Musar. Similar to 2000 - floral and bretty, red cherry, tending towards Burgundian.
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3/25/2016 - chbeaumont wrote: 93 Points
Strong colour, mid garnet; initially all barnyard, then reined in hickory & woodsmoke,classically high-toned throughout; 'sweet' soft fruit, more than a hint of soy, pronounced & refreshing acidity, elegant; savoury finish a delight. Extended length. Plenty of time in hand.
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3/21/2016 - johnstrass wrote: 95 Points
The 1998 was enjoyed in 2016. This is in ways a the best of bordeaux and chateauneuf with the elegant light body of a great burgundy. I've had the 99 which is a bit more forward and also this 98. I will seek these out whenever on a list. Should cost $400 on a wine list and it is a bargain. At $100
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3/14/2016 - aagrawal wrote: 91 Points
Chateau Musar Dinner (Pera, San Francisco): Nose has plenty of brett; palate has plenty of red fruit, medium alcohol, medium-plus acid, fresh and well integrated, more secondary than others in this flight with some umami and soy sauce; medium to medium-long finish. Lovely wine. 90-91
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3/13/2016 - RajivAyyangar wrote: 93 Points
Musar Vertical with B. Broadbent (Pera SF): A bit reductive - bitter burnt papad. Burnt flowers. This is the most Burgundian of the flight, with lighter body, more elevated acid, and primarily red fruit. Dried strawberry, hints of ripe cherry.
More ephemeral than the others and difficult to pin down, but beautiful nonetheless.
Score: 9-9.5
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3/5/2016 - Millennial Drinkers wrote: 90 Points
NFN, brick + tawny in color
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3/4/2016 - ShangGuy Likes this wine: 89 Points
A surprise wine I tasted at a home dinner. Very Bordeaux like - full barnyard tasted but a bit ripe and even wild. Cork was broken so it may have been a bit spoiled, but it left me feeling that it was a good Bordeaux like wine. Would try again
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2/24/2016 - Lype Likes this wine:
Easy to approach vintage, light in Musar terms, general red berry driven flavours, ok but not the most memorable vintage (or bottle).
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2/24/2016 - forceberry wrote: 89 Points
Rather translucent cherry red color with some mature bricking. A complex and funky nose that is even a bit weird for a Musar: aromas of sunny plums and dried dark fruits, pungent ammonia (not unlike gueuze beers or cooking kidneys), some green apple slices and a hint of VA that tends more towards vinegar taint, not just sweet balsamic vinegar complexity. As the wine rests in the glass, notes of chocolate chips emerge. In the mouth the wine is full-bodied and quite acid-driven for a Musar. Luckily the ripe flavors are more typical for a Musar than the nose; flavors of succulent, plummy dark fruit, juicy dark cherry, Moroccan spices, some dark forest fruits, a little balsamic VA, a hint of acetaldehyde salinity and a touch of pungent vinegar. Lively and acid-driven finish with the acidity emphasized by both vinegary and salty characteristics. Flavors of fresh, tart forest berries, herbal greenness, some balsamic VA, a hint of sour cherry in the quite lengthy aftertaste.
A good Musar, but also suffering from a number of different characteristics that don't seem to be just part of Musar complexity, but show in such degree they are on a threshold of becoming almost faulty. Even though the wine is drinking nicely and sports lovely balance, it seems a bit awkward and out of balance. The pieces that make up this wine don't seem to fit - if only they would be less obvious, the complex Musar fruit underneath could shine and the wine would be wonderful. Most likely some bottle variation going on here.
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2/2/2016 - gilrbo Likes this wine:
A bit of barnyard on the nose upon opening, but it improved.
Somewhat thin on the palate, but it did gain weight after some hours and even more on day two. Tannins are resolved now, acidity is high and this is still lively, but I had the impression this was beyond its peak.
But I don't have so much experience with Musar yet.
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1/3/2016 - Seventy Likes this wine: 87 Points
Spicy, earthy, shroomy. Barely decanted though.
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12/29/2015 - arkenfall Does not like this wine:
I have tried the -98 year of Musar a couple of times this year and as a Muser-Fan i must unfortunatly say this was not in my taste at all. Maybe it is too old or in the "tunnel"? I have some bottles left in the cellar of this vintage and I will not try this again in a lot of years. Hopefully it will improve or this vintage has already seen it's best. Not good at all. And probably not bottle defects since I have tried more bottle of the same vintage with the same taste and experience.
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8/26/2015 - sharonandroland Likes this wine: 93 Points
Really one of the wildest vintages. Barely tame currently.
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8/25/2015 - winelegends.net wrote: 90 Points
90+?
Durscheinendes Rot mit Brauneinschlag
Leder,pilzig,Gewürznelken,leicht Brett,Pfeffer,gewisse Süsse,leicht kirschig.
Braucht wie immer einiges an Luft um gewisse volatile "Gerüche" zu überwinden.
Später noch animalisch,Rosinen,leicht malzig,dunkler.
Leicht prägend,gute Säure,mittlerer Körper,eher seidig,elegant.
Mittellanger würziger Abgang.
Sicher ein Wein mit viel eigenem Charakter der gefällt oder eben nicht.
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6/23/2015 - peternelson wrote: 93 Points
Terroni with Marc Hochar: Loved this--fumey, perfume, slight reduction wafting dried cherry, leather, savory notes and slight sweet sauteed shrooms and delicate red berries to the nose; Great balance, perfect acidity, fine tannins, long sweet tangy finish. A bit colder year, more Cinsault based. 13.3%
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6/14/2015 - NiklasW wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 30 mins. A superb example of Musar, excellent barnyard and cherry nose, the palate is elegant, refined with perfect cherry fruit, good acidity and resolved tannins. This is really excellent right now!
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5/24/2015 - the player wrote: 88 Points
Opened, decanted and let breathe for an hour and drank over another. Light ruby red, a wine that is thin both visually and on the palate alas. Not the complexity that I am used to for Musar's reds which is my favorite Lebanese wine. Cherries, raisins and some perfume on the nose, high acidity mid palate but a thin and short finish. Dommage!
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3/30/2015 - Impulse wrote: 88 Points
A pretty weak vintage for musar... We can still bet the typical nose and mouthfeel of musar, but the experiments they made in that vintage took the fun out of the wine. Good wine, but not great.
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3/29/2015 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 93 Points
My Birthday Lunch (Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, Hong Kong): Decanted for only an hour.......which is normally anathema to me with Ch. Musar but it didn't seem to affect this bottle too much except that it closed up after a couple of hours and went back to sleep.....but what a great couple of hours! Plummy and slightly dusky translucent red in colour but broadly transparent at the edges of the glass. Nose is immediately beguiling freshly laundered clean but still slightly sweaty socks (thanks, Daniel), Chinese plums, 'Gai Tsi' Chinese baby red dates, red and white Turkish Delight with the icing sugar dust still on it. Palate is super....rounded, heady, alluring, perfectly ripe red cherry and its stones.....so fresh. Amazing resonance and reverberance. Thrilling.....a fantastic Ch. Musar! The only sadness was that it closed down after a couple of hours in the glass, which reflects its still relative youth and our minimal decant. Thanks, Daniel! 93+
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2/5/2015 - RajivAyyangar Likes this wine: 90 Points
In Memoriam - Tasting Musar at Heirloom (Heirloom, San Francisco): Rich, sweet, pretty nose of baked raspberry, among the usual Musar funk. In the mouth it was fresh, spritzy, almost zippy with more raspberry. A lighter-intensity Musar.
Score: Around 9
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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: Vibrant ruby with minimal bricking at the rim.
Smell: Delicate notes of clove, cement, manure, an old wooden hope chests, and dried red fruits.
Taste: Notes of sour cherry, strawberry, clove, mushrooms, and charred meats.
Overall: Silky, light, elegant interchange with a more delicate side to Musar. Light-med body, high acidity, med tannin and vibrant fruit; along a long an thought-provoking finish. 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: 91 Points
Wine Education Service - Château Musar (LSE): Light colour, translucent.
Delicate fruit on the nose.
Delicious, fruity and silky, refreshing.
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1/17/2015 - FjordogFjell wrote: 88 Points
650 NOK. Smakt på forelesning med produsent på vin-messe. Søtlig og elegant, krydret avslutning. Jordbær :-)
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1/4/2015 - littlefoot Likes this wine: 88 Points
Whoa.... came out of the gates more than suggesting TCA. Then started to smell like a stagnant pond. Stunningly, the palate was fresh and lively and just delicious. No trace of the volatility I associate with this producer. Impressive and fun but not my style
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1/4/2015 - concord Likes this wine:
Mature and drinking delightfully well. Garnet colour. Soft and well integrated tannin. Gently spiced cherry fruit almost dances on the palate and lingers long. Almond character balanced with juicy citrus acidity. A lovely and elegant wine from a favourite producer.
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11/24/2014 - Wineguy76 wrote: 90 Points
The 1998 is a typical Musar in every sense, except perhaps slightly less backward than some of the other top vintages, and therefore fully mature today. It displays a light, clear garnet colour and offers vibrant aromatics in the form of cranberry, nutmeg and incense. It is medium to full bodied, softly textured and has the usual array of flavours with notes of caramel, indian spice, tobaccco leaf, light toast as well as the typical Musar gamey backdrop - which you either love or hate. The finish is long and spicy. The tannic structure and overall concentration of this wine are beginning to feel light, and I would therefore recommend consumption within the next five years.
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10/13/2014 - WinePT Likes this wine: 92 Points
Chateau Musar vertical tasting (Broadbent Selections, Richmond, VA): Reddish-brown color. Aromatic funky mushroom nose. Notes of cherry, earth, mushroom, small hints of pepper. The funk persisted throughout the length of the wine. The tannins are smooth and mellow, but still present on the prolonged finish, which lasted for minutes. Would be great with lamb. My WOTN.
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7/8/2014 - Askvig wrote: 93 Points
Klar varm rød. Fortsatt ung duft av modne røde bær, røyk, mineraler, trevirke, svært konsentrert.
Fyldig anslag, veldig fin frukt, deilig syre, stor god munnfølelse, lang flott ettersmak med god friskhet og mye jordsmonn.
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5/29/2014 - Kris G Likes this wine: 92 Points
ripe, a natural product, beautifully balanced, very long in the mouth, a nice acidity that's integrated with the fruit during the aftertaste
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4/6/2014 - Vicmal wrote: 88 Points
Comparing to 99, 00, 01, and 04 (so far these are the vintages that i have tasted), though drinkable, this 98 is less enjoyable, more bretty, less elegant, more black than red, shorter, less intensity. Consistently so after drinking 4 bottles over the past few months.
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2/8/2014 - cannym Likes this wine: 91 Points
Much better cork (perfect in fact) and much better bottle. Lovely mid ruby. Plenty fruit still, red currant, raspberry, cherry. Great acidity, lovely smoothed out tannins. Long. Very elegant, heading for burgundy territory.
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1/30/2014 - hadwin Likes this wine: 89 Points
WES - Château Musar Vertical (LSE Holborn): Clear and bright, low intensity, distinctly orange. Almost fleshy fruit notes, pepper and mushrooms a little more elusive. Rich, good acidity, lighter than the usual Musar style with red current fruit, perhaps a little shorter. Unusually light - possibly higher Cinsault content? Echoes of Burgundy here!
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1/30/2014 - tendring Likes this wine: 88 Points
Wine Education Service - Château Musar (LSE): Very light coloured, translucent with an orange rim.
Sweet, peppery, fruity, very fragrant.
Peppery fruit, tannins and acidity in reasonable balance, a light feel, medium length.
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1/27/2014 - KristianT Likes this wine: 92 Points
Really good. Perfect balance between fruit and tannin. We had it with fried cod with red wine sauce, and it turned out to be a great and surprising combination.
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1/21/2014 - SeattlePaul Likes this wine: 89 Points
A little bottle variance here we suspect. This one had more bretty barnyard than normal, and was missing some fruit and acid. Finish was a bit menthol heavy. Altogether unlike our usual Musar experience. Will have to drag another one out of the cellar.
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12/31/2013 - jlgnml Likes this wine: 93 Points
Welcoming in the New Year (Beth and David's in GlenviewDavid): Pinot color, spice and leather, good finish and a real delight
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11/9/2013 - Alex H wrote: 89 Points
Horse sweat , gunpowder and wild notes of forest berries and undergrowth. Reminded me of Pontet canet. First time tasting a musar and it was a good experience. Definitely a special winery.
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11/6/2013 - isaacjamesbaker Likes this wine: 91 Points
Wine Institute of New Orleans; 11/5/2013-11/6/2013 (New Orleans, LA): Showing all sorts of kick-ass Musar aromas: green olives, campfire smoke, sweet berries, sweat, musk... so complex and evolving. Silky and fresh on the palate with ripping acid. Dusty red fruit, earth, sour ale and musk flavors abound. Seems to be drinking well now, but, as usual, I'd love to see how this ages further.
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9/4/2013 - NickBurwood Likes this wine: 89 Points
Wife's birthday at The Latymer, Pennyhill Park (2 Star Michelin) with family in chef's kitchen.
Our chosen red wine to accompany the ten course taster menu. Limited note taking. Always hard to judge red wines that one would naturally give a long decant in the home environment, but felt that both bottles were showing a merest hint of leanness that implied that the wine was just tipping over the far side of its drinking plateau.
Still lots to enjoy however with the classic Musar smokey gun flint Rhonish fruit very much in evidence. Clearly, based on these bottles a lighter vintage that nonetheless almost achieves an excellent 90 mark.
Time to drink up!
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8/16/2013 - jbehrendt Likes this wine: 93 Points
A really wonderful wine. At its peak. Enjoyed this with Jim and Judy Voelz.
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7/18/2013 - cannym wrote: flawed
Light garnet, bricking. Cork was completely friable. Volatile acidity very powerful, even more than is usual. Some nice spice and cherry notes but this as a bottle clinging on to survival.
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6/13/2013 - pbmedder Likes this wine:
Marc Hochar considers the Musar Rouge ready only after 15 years, and on this evidence he is right. Drinking beautifully and with plenty of grace not seen in the 2005. Medium tawny colour. Nose opens slowly with coffee, leather, a bit Porty. Beautifully fresh, lively, savoury elements, meaty, long, high acid, soft finish. Not that full, but with plenty of structure. Very, very good.
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3/28/2013 - StefanAkiko wrote: 92 Points
Strikingly Musary character with acids taking over in this bottle. Rich, layered, very interesting. Quite a personality - as usual. Just like our previous note. Wife unimpressed though.
Decanted 1 hr before going to the restaurant. Sadly, last bottle. Wish we had some more...
At La Rochelle Akasaka w/Kosugi couple, '04 Mitolo G.A.M. and 2005 R. Weil Kiedricher Gräfenberg Ries Spätlese.
*** with some small luck, found 3 more btls. Next one ~2017 ***
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2/20/2013 - Goldstone Likes this wine: 93 Points
5 Decades of Ch. Musar Blanc.... with Serge & Marc Hochar (Dining Room, Aberdeen Marina Club, Hong Kong): Drank non-blind over dinner. Light, red cherry translucent colour but got darker with an hour or so in the glass. WOW…. fantastic, light, whispering, lifted red cherry nose: absolutely classic Ch. Musar dusky, musty, Eastern spice bazaar, cinnamon stick, etc. etc. Palate is absolutely beautiful: sharp but fruit-driven high notes of the piano…already very integrated and surprisingly so for its relative youth by Ch. Musar standards. This has developed beautifully since I last drank it nearly 2 years ago. Gorgeous to drink now…. but it is worth noting that we had this pre-decanted for around 8 hours.
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2/20/2013 - sharonandroland Likes this wine: 92 Points
HKWS tasting - 5 decades of Musar Blanc with Serge Hochar (Hong Kong): Dinner wine. Powerful, but still rough. Will need lots of time. One of the bottles initially off (similar to corked) - showed Ok at the ed of the dinner.
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1/25/2013 - jmottern Likes this wine: 94 Points
I pulled this wine out of my cellar thinking it would be bad. Bob was I wrong. This red wine had a good nose and very balanced fruit. The finish was excellent. Despite being from the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon this wine is excellent.
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12/5/2012 - sharonandroland Likes this wine: 90 Points
Lots of volatile acidity, still quite harsh - needs lots of aging and promises to be beautiful with time. After 2 days open balance tipped towards volatile acidity.
Flavlours of soy sauce, leather, cigar box - very long length
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11/6/2012 - Biggsy wrote: 89 Points
A bit of bricking, much lighter than the 05 alongside it. Nice aged savoury aromas of leather and dried meats. Quite soft on the entry with good complexity, layers of game, leather and tobacco. Still has good grip and there is a nice fresh tomato juice flavour on the finish.
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11/5/2012 - blanquito wrote: 92 Points
Recently enjoyed a 98 Musar, my first of any vintage from this estate. It was a bit light as reviews suggested it would be, but it was complex and unusual, seeming to straddle Rioja and Rhone stylistically (and maybe with some southern Italy thrown in; burgundy wasn't out of the question either). There was an animal-gamey facet I loved to go with some good density and sweet fruit, and some Italian style acidity giving it intensity. Maybe just a bit funky, with a hint of VA, it initially seemed slightly corked but that mustiness blew off with air. Overall, I found it pretty thrilling especially if this is a so-so vintage for Musar. 92-93 pts.
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11/2/2012 - sharonandroland wrote: 94 Points
great example of musar - delicious
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10/26/2012 - TheSauerKraut wrote:
this stuff is awesome.
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10/14/2012 - StefanAkiko wrote: 92 Points
Non-blind. 2 hrs decant. Cheese-burger day @home.
Impression: Outstanding with wow*2.
Dark red wine with browning hues.
Nose is fabulous with maturing fruitiness and just the right amount of animale brett, behind of cows and sweaty steeds. Promising a mature encounter of the finest kind.
On the palate this is an excellent treat! Well built construction, now at its zenith displaying: M+ acids, molten tannin, medium body, exploding with tastes and excelling in elegance. It is like a lady entering a reception with a complex, yet perfect, white multi layered dress.
Last bottle in ~2 years.
If you love brett: Welcome to the fiesta! Wine lovers that don't appreciate Brettanomyces are like cheese lovers who only enjoy string cheese and other bland lactated expressions :-)
(Wife: 93p)
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10/11/2012 - MonkeyBiz101 wrote: 90 Points
Plenty of funk, but with a showing for fruit too. Not as strong a vintage as 2009 though.
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9/6/2012 - pomelo wrote: 94 Points
Un Musar encore en très grande forme. Moins "bretté" que certaines bouteilles bues. Beau fruit encore présent, acidité typique de ce vin et tannins fondus à l'ensemble. Vin fort agréable en ce moment mais qui saura donner encore bien du plaisir à ceux qui en ont encore.
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8/7/2012 - Winevestor wrote: 90 Points
A light Musar. A little funky; very characterisic; a little muted. Hanging well, still has some years left. Preferred the 1999.
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6/9/2012 - Rupert wrote: 93 Points
A dry crumbly cork meant this was enjoyed with a sprinkling of cork, but what a wine! Almost fizzing with energy from the high acid, but with deep rich exotic fruit. 98 doesn't seem to be a fêted vintage, but this was a tip top Musar
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6/2/2012 - hennlund Likes this wine:
First time in several years I have drunk a Musar, and the first time ever I have had one this mature, so I didn't quite know what to expect. All in all, the best word to use is "elegant". The nose drew my thoughts more in the direction of a refined Barbaresco than anything else - a complex mix of flowers, earth, spices and minerals. Medium full, juicy body, balanced acids and smooth tannins. Good match with a young black grouse from the grill.
This was from a magnum, and drunk over two days. It was even better on day two and had opened up more.
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5/25/2012 - NiklasW wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for about 40 mins. Beautiful Musar, excellent red fruits and excellent barnyardy smells. The palate was elegant and tasty. Went very well with grilled pork chops and new potatoes.
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5/22/2012 - StainedGlass wrote: 92 Points
I love Musar wines, and this vintage does not disappoint. Plenty of sediment so decanting or careful pouring is in order. Medium Brick colored with pinkish white edges, with a fullsome nose and flavor of leather, raspberry, and uber barnyard funk. Sweet tannins. It is a great wine to drink slowly. Drinking well now, I think it will be stable for years but not necessarily improve. Too funky for most, I usually share this wine wine with fellow geeks and jaded palates. 13.5% abv.
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4/12/2012 - Andrewbdc wrote: 89 Points
Musar Vertical Tasting in Paris with Marc Hochar - INSEAD Alumni Wine Club
Appearance: Brick red, slightly tawny on the rim, clear
Nose: A lot less volatile acidity than the 2003, less farmyard, but still quite earthy, cherries, cloves, leather
Palette: Medium bodied, fine silky tannins, different grapes all completely integrated
Finish: Medium
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4/6/2012 - Gargantua wrote: 92 Points
Crystal leather and a beautiful Rhone-like character. Great rarefied weightlessness. Such an amazing wine, and I can't believe I found this for $36 in South Carolina on closeout. Actually, I can believe that. Paired this with Dukkah Crusted Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Molasses: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Dukkah-Crusted-Lamb-Chops-with-Pomegranate-Molasses-240666 and it was spankingly beautiful.
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2/25/2012 - sharonandroland wrote: 90 Points
Very bretty.
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2/20/2012 - Kirk Grant wrote: 92 Points
I really do love this producer's wines. I have to start this note with that to clarify that these wines seem to strike the perfect balance between the Rhone, Burgundy, and Bordeaux for me...
With that said, this is more delicate and subtle in style than other years. I had this with lamb, but can easily see this this salmon, or even sushi. Light bodied, med+ acidity, dried fruit notes on the nose and palate...with a long finish. I wish I had more than just one bottle left.
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2/5/2012 - bmagic wrote: 90 Points
Nose reminiscent of pine forests, vanilla and cranberries. Very smooth on the palette, with vibrant, juicy red fruits and a lovely sense of the forest floor; a little raspberry ripple and iron or graphite. Drinking well now; tasted with an 1 hour decant.
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1/3/2012 - Tony Molester wrote:
Decrepit cork obliterated on first pull. What garbage.
N:Tons of stink upon opening. Decanted an hour; most of the VA has blown off by now, but the brett persists. Fragrant spice, cherry and clove emerge under the acetone scent.
P: Texture is supple and fine, the wine just glides and comparisons to Rayas are starting to make sense on this respect. The palate is still intensely animal; brett pervades the spectrum of flavors without being repulsive. A soft translucent wine to ponder our existence on.
Very good wine; I prefer Musar's whites up to now.
Could keep like 5 more years. Drinking fine now. 13.5 %abv.
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12/29/2011 - kingkanu wrote: 89 Points
Decanted for 1 hour, but pretty good fromthe start. Medium body for a Musar, bricking getting into the wine now. The nose has telltale nail polish notes inbetween the dark cherry and even raspberry fruit. The tannins have all but resolved, leaving it feeling silky smooth. This tastes quite primary still and doesn't have the funky edge of Musar that we love, it's almost Burgundian in its elegance . It's a well behaved and lighter vintage of Musar, it still have the character but is missing the edge a little, I think we'll hold the others to see if it develops more.
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11/26/2011 - ikileo wrote:
Chateau Musar Vertical: Double decanted 5 hours prior
Nose: Smokey nose, lithe on the nose with fresh plums and chinese preserved plums. Some tobacco detected as well
Taste: Started out initially tart for the first split second then evolved into savoury fruit notes. At one point had a slight taste (but not the heat) of ethanol. Notes of charred meat and the preserved plums on the palate as well. Very layered with a medium length finish. Drinking well but you really need to let it breathe for a while.
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11/22/2011 - mjcchester Likes this wine: 89 Points
Mature. Fruit starting to fade, not sure there would be any benefit from further ageing. Delicious
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9/23/2011 - grafstrb wrote: 87 Points
Chateau Musar Tasting (Harrogate Fine Wine Company): -- double decanted approximately 2.5 hours before tasting --
-- tasted a single pour non-blind over approx. 10 minutes --
Garnet-colored core, with slight bricking at the edges. Intense boysenberry and leather Nose, with hints of Christmas spice. On the palate, this seems quite young, although that is certainly a result of being tasted immediately after the ’79, 91, and ’93. Lots of brett on the palate – seriously, a lot – even too much for me; along with the brett, some leather and boysenberry; devoid of the V/A that marked many of the other bottles at this tasting. Structure isn’t as nice as the ’91 or ’93. Drink now, unless you want to gamble with the brett.
B: 50, 5, 12, 14, 6 = 87
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9/8/2011 - pbjosh wrote:
Thin, warm, a touch pruney. Bit of VA, overall lite, thin, lacking in character other than flaws, I couldn't find a reason to like this.
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8/11/2011 - manonthemoon wrote: 92 Points
Had at Volt with the wife. Really nice red color with bricking setting in. Nose was really nice with some florals, a little dark berry, some graphite showing as well.
The palate showed black raspberry, some tobacco, earth, funk, and graphite.
The finish was above average in length and the acidity showed nicely as it paired the best with a squab course which was excellent.
Overall a great wine, but did start to fade toward the end of dinner so I would drink sooner rather than later.
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5/25/2011 - Wrighty wrote: 89 Points
Age had done its job, usual sweetness, a little perfume.
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5/17/2011 - Goldstone wrote: 86 Points
Dinner with Tom Eakin & Peter Kay, Peter Michael Winery (The Library, Crown Wine Cellars, Hong Kong): Popped and poured without decanting at the end of a lengthy evening. It had thrown a huge amount of sediment and was a lovely light, open, bright, transparent blood-red colour. Nose is a touch of VA and then very high notes of naill varnish remover and some distinct woodland strawberries....accessible and more like a Per et Fils than a Ch. Musar (probably as we gave it no breathing time). Palate is light... fresh strawberries, Burgundy-style...very light.....feminine ....sharp clean acidity....very light for a Musar. Muted length and uncharacteristicly little resonance on the finish, probably all because we gave it no time to breathe. Musar generally puts on a lot of weight with decanting....but I think this is definitely a lighter vintage nonetheless.
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5/5/2011 - sayornis wrote:
Great vintage, raspberry nose with blackcurrant note. 5/5.
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4/23/2011 - Arch57 wrote: 93 Points
Wow what a pleasure to get a chance to drink this wine that I had heard about over the years. Thanks to my daughter for finding a bottle in NYC and bringing it home to share this weekend!
Decanted 1 hour, this wine had a color more like a dark rose' and my wife thought it was a Pinot when she held up the glass. This had an intoxicating nose of leather, rose petals and red fruit that kept us coming back to the rim of the glass for a sniff. Ripe red fruit (strawberries, raspberries) on the palate with smooth silky tannins and a medium finish. Very balanced and easy to drink, thank you Lea!
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4/14/2011 - Dbrane wrote:
Chateau Musar Tasting (Daniel Boulud, Singapore): The 1998 had a distinct liquorish character which is pretty alluring and would be a good tasting wine. Again spices dominate but this was less rustic than the others tasted.
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4/5/2011 - julianseersmartin wrote: 90 Points
One of the "least" VA afffected bottles of musar I have ever had - was in fantastic condition. Gorgeous nose with hints of sweet balsamic and menthol. Palate extremely light footed, but very drinkable. Hard to say where this will go but plenty of enjoyment there right now.
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2/13/2011 - quickben wrote: 90 Points
Paleish red colour very fragrant nose and lovely balance of fruit and tannins now sufficiently softened but still taut enough to make this a very distinguished glass
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2/9/2011 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
Monthly Tasting Group HWS #055; Chateau Musar Vertical of 9 vintages red, 3 white plus a few extra's. (By DJ): Light carmine/brown. The bouquet is mature and shows some VA. On the palate the VA is not as present as you would expect. A lot of very juicy dark fruits, some licorice and some apple syrup. Good concentration. Ready now and for several years to come.
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1/31/2011 - andrew@carvedras.co.uk wrote: 92 Points
Good rim showing - not too intense a colour and a classic farm nose. Very good fruit and tannin balance with excellent acidity too. Does not need food, enjoyable with and without. A classic Musar - a joy to drink.
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1/20/2011 - drwine2001 wrote:
Mini-Vertical: Chateau Musar (Arlequin Wines, San Francisco): Deeper than the 2001, pale edge but less brown than the younger wine. Less obvious VA on the nose. Completely different feel-more body and harmony. Complex mix of chocolate notes, sappy black cherry, herbs, and earth. This is greener in flavor than any of the other vintages. Excellent length, firm acidity. My favorite of the 4 reds tasted. Could hold a little longer but very good now.
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1/14/2011 - sayward wrote: 90 Points
This wine was quite nice. a lot of bordeaux flavors in this wine. tanins make you pucker a little, but i would buy more.
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12/31/2010 - ekenneth wrote: 94 Points
Wow. This was just what i was looking for; smooth, silky, medium bodied with strong, vibrant fruit, a little bricking, funky, good length. This is what I envision when I think of Musar.
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12/5/2010 - pomelo wrote: 93 Points
Tabac, cuir. Beau fruit, mais cette fois-ci on ne peut pas dire que le vin est "bretté".
Superbe bouteille
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10/30/2010 - NiklasW wrote: 91 Points
Decanted for 30 min and had with dinner (roast beef with a wild mushroom sauce). Oh boy, this bottle would definitely be the controversial one, either ya love it or ya hate it. VA in evidence, and it doesn't blow off, sweet red fruits, very intriguing on the nose. On the palate, this gives lots of crunchy red fruit, not much tannins (but perhaps the food neutralizes them?), quite delicious. Yes, this is a Musar as it should be, very eccentric, very unique, very Musar. Love it.
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10/15/2010 - Kirk Grant wrote: 92 Points
Color: garnet with slight bricking
Smell: a complex nose of rustic tones, red fruits, floral notes, with an underlying hint of granite, minerality, and cement.
Taste: Vibrant red fruits, tobacco, earth, faint cedar, and something that hints at a dusty cement floor or an old, oil stained garage floor.
Overall: Incredible wine that is tremendous, complex, and just at the start of it's life. Medium fruit, medium tannin, medium + acidity, and a long sensual finish that lingers with grace on the palate.
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8/7/2010 - Colima74 wrote: 92 Points
Served blind, I guessed older Bordeaux. But it had a bit more bright red fruit than most older Bdx. A little funky for LC at the beginning, but I thought it was showing extremely well. Lots of interest, and at 13.5 abv, we easily finished the bottle with spaghetti and meatballs.
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7/3/2010 - Captain Haddock Likes this wine: 91 Points
Translucent crimson. Pleasing barnyard and volatile acidity on the nose. Quite sweet - ripe cherries, and an earthy quality. Longish finish. Drinking very nicely now.
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7/3/2010 - vinzen cellar wrote: 91 Points
Surprisingly good- barnyard on the nose, balanced with black cherries and starting to develop cooper coloring along the rim
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6/16/2010 - Benj wrote: 83 Points
The "Grand Cru" tasting with Bacchus Wine Society (Merton College, Oxford): Nope, not this one. Barnyard and bin-liners on the nose, warm oak and a little VA. Not great, a little vinegary but no more than other Musars. £25
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5/5/2010 - ekenneth wrote: 93 Points
Another great Musar. This one was balanced; big red fruit with with burgundy-like structure and softness.
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3/5/2010 - swyang wrote: 93 Points
Considerably more mature than the 2000 tried a week ago. This has the secondary elements to offer.
As always, beautiful light violet color, so attractive nose of small red berries, yet dark core following. On the palate so pure, so beautiful tangy texture, offering plenty of fruits, just right amount of spices, leather, etc... after a couple of hours in the decanter the texture and taste which starts off with medium gets the fat with air and becomes much fuller, and similar with other vintages as well.
I love Chateau Musar.
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2/28/2010 - Colima74 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very surprising, but very nice surprise. If I had been served blind, I would have guessed Pinot Noir. Though not light in color, this is quite light on the palate with spice and red cherry notes that are also on the nose. Extremely smooth and easy to drink, this bottle was in a very very good place this afternoon. With homemade Persian lunch.
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2/18/2010 - cannym wrote: 90 Points
Lovely mid ruby, tending to mahogany. Lovely nose, red berries, spices and some exotic floral tone. Lightish, very smooth tannins, very elegant style, definitely of the burgundian tendency. Taste profile closely followed the nose, bits of barnyard around too. Good length. Drinking well now but no hurry.
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2/10/2010 - Rupert wrote:
Musar @ Mohsen (Mohsen, Warwick Road, London): No recollection of this one.
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2/10/2010 - SimonG wrote:
Musar @ Mohsen (Mohsen, Warwick Road, London): A lovely, fresh wild strawberry nose. Quite light-flavoured, pretty acidic and simple. **
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1/10/2010 - swyang wrote: 93 Points
a beautiful wine! Ruby red color, which is always more attractive to me than darker, almost black.
Stunning nose of Red berries, gray pepper, wet stones, minty. And on the palate such a beautiful
presence, in refinement, silky, and gliding on the palate with waves of aromas above. Almost a Burgundian
pleasure!!
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11/4/2009 - Canuck wrote: 89 Points
TWG Monthly Lunch - November (The National): Still youthful
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10/30/2009 - rexmerlot wrote: 87 Points
Lighter in color. Strawberry, earth, and spice to the nose and palate. Slightly acidic. Very different wine. I will have to try again to give my full opinion.
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10/15/2009 - tendring Likes this wine: 80 Points
Wine Education Service - Château Musar Vertical (Imperial College): Very light in colour and not showing the expected development.
Quite floral and light on the nose, with cherries and tobacco in the background.
Spicy, fruity, sweet attack, soft tannins, a simpler, gentle wine, medium length.
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10/15/2009 - hadwin wrote: 88 Points
WES - Château Musar Vertical (Imperial College London): Medium intese but darker than the '99 showing more development. Mature garigue nose followed by blood and spice notes. Rich velvety mouth feel with the secondary notes following through - coffee but still black fruit underneath. Slightly heavier tannins than the '99. Others tasted some stalkiness.
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7/1/2009 - BailliSacks wrote: 92 Points
Light color, wonderful nose of macerated strawberry. Signature Musar. Quite acidic, but with gentle fruit sweetness. Goes beautifully with the lilac bush outside the window.
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5/10/2009 - Dusty Bear wrote:
Coffee, cedar and earth on the nose. Red berries, earthiness, bright acidity on the palate. Musar is always the perfect match for rosemary and dijon encrusted rack of lamb, and this proved to be no different on this evening.
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4/27/2009 - Vino Me wrote: 89 Points
CWM Gourmet Dinner #4 (Morocco) (Scubarex house): Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with some Carignan and Cinsault. This estate is the most famous producer in Lebanon and this wine is well known for aging gracefully for 15+ years. Chateau Musar was started in 1930. The grapes are grown at 3000 feet in gravely soil. Solid red color. Fruitier than the 1993. Some cinnamon and a creamier texture. In it's prime. 89 points.
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4/19/2009 - poptart_nyc wrote: 91 Points
very rioja like, in a way. trancendent in the aroma and mouthfeel-so fresh and light. finish wasnt crazy- but elegance makes up for it. i could do many more of these.
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3/24/2009 - VinoEmo wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 1 hr prior to drinking. Traditional Musar nose with scents of cedar wood, bright red fruit, and a bit of VA. This is the last of the '90's that I have yet to taste from Chateau Musar....and once again they did not disappoint! Who is their winemaker now? The rim showed signs of bricking and as you work your way towards the core it turns into a ruby/mahogany color...absolutley beautiful. On the palate, this wine seems to have much more acidity than the '95 and '99. Red fruit dominates and tastes of cedar, raspberries, and leather are tasted thorughout the palate and something else that I cant really pin down, but alls I know is that I like it . Soft velvety tannins lead to a long lingering finish that remind of where I was when I first had my first Musar. This is an extrordinary wine and I look forward to tasting it again in the future.
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1/27/2009 - vespasian wrote: 91 Points
More colour than the 1999. Enticing nose. Sweet red fruits and spice along with smoky gamey notes. Could almost be Northen Rhone! Elegant and delicious. Great finish. Really, really good.
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12/14/2008 - FieldingYost wrote: 86 Points
Barnyard and little else on the nose, maybe some Eastern spices; almost completely taken over by brett? Leathery and spicy, this needs air to settle out. It tastes quite mature, and there is fruit here, but it take some patience. Drink now.
Having had a couple of other vintages of this wine, this is the weakest. It is fading.
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10/13/2008 - THaas wrote: 87 Points
Leathery, gamy notes on the nose. Surprisingly nimble and light in the mouth; has hints of curried lamb (which would, incidentally, make a heck of a food pairing with this).
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5/19/2008 - tomandlu wrote: flawed
Not decanted. Light garnet-red color. Nose and palate odd, maderized. There were hints of elegance and complexity hiding in the background.
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5/14/2008 - Kirk Grant wrote: 91 Points
Easterly Trade Show Tasting
Color: ruby red
Smell: Earth, concrete, sweet dried red fruits, cranberries, chewing tobacco, and cedar.
Taste: Tart red fruits give way to juicy strawberries, cherries, cedar, and earthy mushroom notes.
Overall: A more delicate style than the '97 or '95...almost Burgundian in it's light bodied style.
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5/14/2008 - Goldstone wrote: 90 Points
An Afternoon with Serge Hochar, Ch. Musar, China Club, Hong Kong: Lighter colour. The first wine of the day to display traditional Musar VA. Super, classic Musar nose with cedar wood and lots of fruit. Beefier on the palate than the 2000 or the 1999: lots of Marmite and Bovril but somehow still a lighter style of Musar. More resinous than the 2000 or 1999. Chewy. Slightly rustic and less refined but that may be it going through its adolescence. Definite "in your head" qualities. Lots of personality.......a classic Musar which would be a good introduction for someone new to this wine.
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4/12/2008 - Stickan wrote: 91 Points
Very good fruits, smooth taste, very integrated tannins, good fruity aftertaste. It opened up a little more after 1 hour. I really liked this wine, drink now. Decanted for 1 hour.
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3/2/2008 - roygui wrote: flawed
brett brett brett !
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2/28/2008 - Colima74 wrote: 90 Points
Light in color, almost identical to the 1995 also opened. A little hard on opening, but over the evening this opened up to become quite nice. Not up to the level of the '97 or the '99, it turned out to be better than the '95 which started out better (more bright fruit..but then it fell off). There are very interesting wines that are old world in style with lots of complexity and unexpected flavors.
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2/3/2008 - J Pas wrote: 89 Points
Decanted 1 hr, leather and oak on the nose, smooth with rasberry and plum finish. Nice wine. Buy again.
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1/24/2008 - GrandeSerataFuori wrote: 89 Points
Badly dried out cork, which crumbled, but the wine was OK. Somewhat like a rioja or burgundy, this is in a good stage of its maturity right now. Had the '97 Musar last night and this was a bit darker in color, but less interesting to me. Nose of soft wood and well-worn leather, with some red fruit i couldn't nail down. Went terrifically well with a home-made lebanese dinner or on its own. Lots of fine sediment in the last pour. Have one in my cellar that could go now, or wait up to a few years.
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1/12/2008 - GuBe wrote: 90 Points
Furðu ljóst á litinn. Berjailmur. Kröftugt bragð, sérstaklega berjabragð, fjósakeimur. Alllangt eftirbragð.
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12/6/2007 - Weinlakai wrote: 87 Points
Compared to the 1995 Musar which I like a lot, this wine shows too much acidity right now. It also doesn't have the finish of great examples of Musar. I'm not sure whether it is still too young or the '98 just simply a rather bad example of Musar.
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11/16/2007 - Keith Cooper wrote:
This was the third in a vertical tasting of four vintages (2000, 1999, 1998 and 1993) at the Chateau Musar tasting held at the Whitewater Valley Wine Society and hosted by Jane Sowter of Chateau Musar (UK). The 1998 was darker still and whilst nine years old, it felt just right to drink now – well balanced with velvety tannins, long length and hints of raspberries on the palate.
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10/21/2007 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 88 Points
Chateau Musar Vertical (Tabla): A different aromatic profile than all the rest, with a sweet dusting of cocoa powder. Nice wine, but difficult to find motivation to drink it with all the older wines on the table. This, and the '97, are really too young to open.
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10/21/2007 - bsherwin wrote:
Chateau Musar Dinner with Serge Honchar (Tabla): Young and brutallly unforgiving, this wine does show its pedigree with some nice element that suggest tremendous potential. The nose is primarily cedar and leather with some hints of darker fruits behind. Closed and tannic, it has ample structure to carry whatever fruit chooses to emerge down the road.
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8/11/2007 - rob1869 wrote: 90 Points
Garnet rim and translucent light ruby body; initially a bit of menthol but later more pronounced cedar and leather; relaxed medium body with just a little grip; medium+ length; very attractive and easy to drink.
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8/5/2007 - Rupert wrote: 90 Points
Characteristic sweet medicinal nose, a touch volatile, but gamey and herbs, full and savoury, but with the sweetness coming through at the end. Lovely wine
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7/27/2007 - kousgaard wrote: 88 Points
This is good value for the money. I have this wine a few times before and I never get disappointed...
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7/6/2007 - cvvhrn wrote: 85 Points
Dinner at Dads with Cousins from Ireland (Dads House): The wine was okay. Perhaps it took a hit as the other red of the night was a most phenominal 97 BV Reserve. Hints of berries and fruit on the nose with a muted palate. Decent finish.
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3/6/2007 - hoob wrote: 86 Points
An OK Musar after a few hours of decanting, but I miss a little freshness and perfume that I think are present in e g the 93 and the 99. (Then again, I know I shouldn't compare vintages of Musar, since each one is a unique wine...). Quite Rhôneish on the palate, and drinking well now.
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12/24/2006 - AdamJP wrote:
Quite light. Not sure if it’s supposed to be like this, or if it’s a bit dodgy. No sediment. Average.
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3/17/2006 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 90 Points
Old-fashioned and exotic, medium weight, Italianate, lovely length.
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1/1/2006 - honest bob wrote: 79 Points
Sweetly artificial oaky brew. Inferior dregs in a posh bottle at an inflated price. 79P
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10/25/2005 - AndrewSGHall wrote:
A day of Musar with Gaston Hochar: Just brought to the US recently. Suprisingly foward, lush and fruity. According to Gaston, a very dull and steady vintage from the winemaker's perspective. Nice fruit, medium body. Maybe the stuffing to go, but a lot to reccomend this now. Nice finish develops over time and much later, as well as some complex tobacco and tar notes.
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10/20/2005 - winefool wrote: 92 Points
WS New York Wine Experience Grand Tastings; 10/20/2005-10/21/2005 (Marriott Marquis NYC): Pale garnet. Unusual aroma of gooseberry and red fruit with a hint of heat. Spice red fruit on the palate. Nice enough.
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1/29/2005 - Rupert wrote: 91 Points
Two bottles drunk on successive nights. This has so much going for it. Heady fragrance, sweet fruit, complexity. Almost burgundian. Less medicinal and bretty than in some past vintages.
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