It has been internationally recognized for decades, celebrated by the finest publications, and awarded wine’s most prestigious titles, but the name Château Musar still escapes many. It’s always a pleasure for us to offer a truly noble wine that isn’t the sole preserve of the elite, but the times are changing: The world has become aware of the magic radiating from this historic Lebanese estate—and Musar’s once-massive library has taken a major hit because of it. From New York, LA, Hong Kong, Paris, and London—you’ll find top Michelin-starred restaurants and wealthy collectors hoarding vintages dating back decades.
So when their importer approached us with a minuscule drop of today’s ‘98, our first question was, “Where’d you find this?” Turns out, straight from the cold, stone cellars of Château Musar. To their credit, they’ve tried in earnest to hold back old stocks and trickle them out over the years, but there’s no competing with worldwide demand: This represents the last chunk of ‘98 that will leave their cellar for public consumption. Musar’s shockingly affordable library releases are ever-evolving red wines that draw from the best traits of Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Italy’s Piedmont. Does it sound impossible for a single wine sound to possess all this? Then you haven’t tried a decades-old Château Musar before. We can offer up to six bottles per person today, so now’s your chance.
Bordeaux is a useful comparison in that Château Musar’s founder, Gaston Hochar, was of French descent and studied winemaking in Bordeaux. His son, Serge, who died at age 75 in 2014, also studied in Bordeaux, under famed enologist Émile Peynaud. And yes, Musar utilizes a healthy dose of Cabernet Sauvignon to create their ethereal, long-lived reds. But again, Château Musar is really unlike anything else. Grown in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, near its eastern border with Syria, and vinified just outside Beirut, Musar wines aren’t just a good story—what’s in the bottle is for real.
Of course, there was Lebanese wine during ancient times, but viticulture had been all but abandoned when Gaston Hochar established Musar in 1930. His first good customers were French soldiers (France occupied Lebanon at that time), but the wines didn’t really catch on internationally until the late 1970s when they were “discovered” at a wine fair in the United Kingdom. At this point, it was Gaston’s son, Serge, making the wine. Having spent well over 18 years perfecting their flagship red, the worldwide acclaim that Serge had worked for came with a bittersweet taste: Lebanon was embroiled in a decades-long civil war. Somehow, the Hochars continued to produce wine throughout the gut-wrenching conflict, literally trucking their grapes through war zones and, occasionally, using their cellar as a bomb shelter. That’s what prompted Decanter to award Serge their inaugural “Man of the Year” title in 1984 and, much later on, a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from a German publication.
Serge Hochar, who originally took over the winemaking in 1959, was widely known and loved in the wine community for his charm and his philosophical bent—given what he went through to make wine, he was entitled to his cryptic pronouncements. He was a ‘natural’ winemaker before that was a thing (organic vine work; native yeast fermentations; minimal use of sulfur), and he was also inclined to hold wines in his cellar for many years before releasing them. As he once quipped to the British wine writer Andrew Jefford: “The value of our stock is ten times our annual sales.”
This 1998 is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, and Carignan grown in gravelly soils at high elevations. These elevations temper the otherwise arid Mediterranean climate of the Bekaa Valley. Additionally, some of the vines here date back to the 1930s and yields are EXTREMELY low. All this creates a wine with the ultimate marriage of subtle power, complexity, and grace. In the winery, the grapes underwent a months-long, variety-separate, natural fermentation in concrete vessels before being transferred into French oak barrels for one year. The individual varietal wines were then blended together and sent into cement tanks yet again...for another year! The wine was finally bottled, unfined and unfiltered, in August of 2001. Following, they were stored in their cellar for four years until being released to the public in 2005. However, our small batch didn't leave until this year! It’s a classic, if not extreme, example of Hochar’s willingness to effectively age the wine before selling it to you.
This 1998 Château Musar pours a hazy garnet that moves out to a slight brick orange on the rim—it may look mature, but there is still so much life to be had in this 21-year-old wine! Its aromas will fool you as well: Heady perfume may lead you to think lush and voluptuous on the palate, but there’s only elegance and finesse to be had. You’ll discover redcurrants, black cherry, red and black plum skin, tobacco leaf, cigar wrapper, dusty herbs, pepper, damp soil, and raw leather that unfurl in beautifully consistent waves. It’s one of the most balanced decades-old reds you can find in this price range! Again, Musar will hint at perfumes and flavors that are similar to classic wine regions of France and Italy, but ultimately it is a uniquely beautiful creature. One thing is for sure: If blind-tasting, one smell will instantly take you to a high-end price range, yet even with undercover international acclaim and 21 years of age, this remains shockingly affordable. That’s the beauty of Musar. Serve in Bordeaux stems after decanting for 30-60 minutes and prepare to be blown away by its intricacies. This is one for the ages. Enjoy now and over the next 15+ years.
