It seems everyone has a Musar story. Whether you’re a collector of the classics or you came to wine by way of hip, offbeat regions, chances are you’ve had a moment of realization and awakening... Read More
It seems everyone has a Musar story. Whether you’re a collector of the classics or you came to wine by way of hip, offbeat regions, chances are you’ve had a moment of realization and awakening over a bottle of Musar opened at exactly the right moment in its long, extraordinary life. I’ve noticed winemakers across the world love to pop aged Musar bottles with friends, too; for the people dedicating their lives to the pursuit of ageworthiness, these wines are a North Star.
Simply put, these beloved wines from Lebanon's Bekaa Valley have enchanted wine lovers for generations and singlehandedly put Lebanon, an ancient-world winemaking heritage site, on the modern wine map.
Founded by a 20-year-old Gaston Hochar in 1930, Chateau Musar was the inspired culmination of both Lebanon’s 6,000-year winemaking tradition and Hochar's travels in Bordeaux. Chateau Musar Rouge is a varying blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault from bush vines (current average age is 40 years) on gravelly soils over limestone. The Chateau Musar Blanc is a blend of ancient indigenous grape varieties Obaideh and Merwah. The Obaideh grows on mountain foothills and stony, chalky soils, with the Merwah planted on calcareous gravel on Mount Lebanon's seaward side. Yields are a miniscule 10 to 20 hectolitrers per hectare.
These wines created a new category all their own, and their capacity to age spoke for itself: over the years Musar has proven that whether red or white, these wines will develop and improve for decades. (How many wineries have—and, quite credibly, need—a guide to opening bottles over 15 years old on their website and YouTube channel?)
This world-renowned affinity for beautifully matured bottles is especially impressive as we approach an incredible milestone: this year marks 95 years of Musar, and by the time the current releases start to hit their drinking window, we’ll be toasting the winery's centennial.
