COLOUR
Red
TYPE
Still
VINTAGE
2019
GRAPE
Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan
PRODUCER
Château Musar
REGION
Bekaa Valley
CHARACTERISTICS
Body
Full
Sweetness
Dry
Acidity
Medium - High
Finish
Long
Intensity
Pronounced
Tannins
AROMAS & FLAVOURS
ABOUT THIS WINE
Founded in 1930 by Gaston Hochar in Lebanon, Château Musar is one of the most legendary and resilient wine estates in the world. Located in the high-altitude Bekaa Valley, the vineyards sit at over 1,000 meters above sea level on gravelly soils over a limestone base. The estate gained international fame under the leadership of Serge Hochar, who was named Decanter's first-ever 'Man of the Year' in 1984 for his heroic efforts to continue winemaking during the Lebanese Civil War. Today, the third generation of the Hochar family continues to run the estate with a non-interventionist philosophy, producing wines that are celebrated for their longevity, complexity, and unique character.
ALCOHOL
13.5%
AVG. PRICE
€48
STYLE
Classic
VEGAN
YES
SULPHITES
When to drink
Now or Later
Ideal temperature
16-18°C
INTERESTING FACTS
Fact 01
Serge Hochar was named Decanter's first 'Man of the Year' in 1984 for making wine during the Lebanese Civil War.
Fact 02
The wine is aged for seven years at the estate before release, including four years of maturation in bottle.
Fact 03
The 2019 vintage was shaped by record-breaking winter rainfall of over 1,000 mm, creating a highly precise wine.
FOOD PAIRING
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WINE MAKING PROCESS
The winemaking process at Château Musar is highly traditional and non-interventionist. The grapes—Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, and Carignan—are harvested by hand in the cool morning hours. Each variety is fermented separately with ambient yeasts in raw concrete vats at temperatures kept below 30°C. Six months after harvest, the wines are transferred to untoasted French oak barrels from the Nevers forest, where they age for 12 months. The components are then blended and rested back in cement tanks for another year before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. The bottled wine is aged for an additional four years in the winery's deep stone cellars in Ghazir, resulting in a release seven years after the harvest.
