Lebanon’s Château Musar is one of the greatest—and a compelling argument could be made for the greatest—estates in modern history. Their soul-stirring and seemingly ageless library releases have dazzled sommeliers and collectors for decades on end. We’ve offered many of these over the years, to great response, but somehow we’ve not had anything featured for almost two years now. My mistake! Naturally, the wine world has become increasingly aware of the wizardry radiating within this historic Lebanese estate: No matter the country, you’ll find top Michelin-starred restaurants and collectors demanding/hoarding vintages dating back decades, and Musar’s expansive reserves have taken a major hit because of it. But what I didn’t know, or had forgotten, is that some vintages of Musar are excellent with just a few years of age. That is 100% the case with this 2017, it was delicious after a couple hours of air, and downright gorgeous on day two. Of course it will age gracefully for decades, which is why you should take advantage of the sharp pricing and stock your cellar today!
For better or worse (and generally better) Chateau Musar is often compared toBordeaux. Though there are many obvious differences, it’s still 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.
Some may be surprised to hear it, but there was definitely Lebanese wine during ancient times, however 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.”
As mentioned, I find the 2017 vintage to be extremely compelling–elegant, balanced, deep, complex, and yet also delightfully drinkable. The growing season began with above average rain and snow in the Bekaa Valley, and ended with above average heat and therefore lower yields than originally expected. The result is a wine of sappy, red and black fruits that is layered with savor and spice. Morello cherries, wild raspberries, kirsch, mint, cedar, thyme, tobacco leaf, and saline minerals all dance and weave together on the palate. If you want to crack one in the next few years (and I recommend it!) just be sure to give it a good one to two hour decant and serve it in large Bordeaux stems. Enjoy with anything grilled or roasted, like the below recipe for Kafta.
