Chateau Musar

Lebanon

2014 Musar Jeune Blanc
SEP 15 Golden. Yellow apples, honey and yellow fruits. Freshish acidity, fruity, rounded, some nuts, somewhat oxidised style, bit flat. Warm vintage in Lebanon. 83

2012 Musar Jeune Red
SEP 15 Ruby. Dark fruits, juicy, spicy and intensely fruity nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, juicy, ripe, fruity, somewhat sweet. 85

2012 Musar Jeune

NOV 15 Enkel, fruktig, avrundet. 84

2011 Musar Jeune White

FEB 13 Pale lemon yellow. Tropical, apples, touch of bananas and vanilla. Fresh acidity, elegant balance, creamy texture, good length. 87

2010 Musar Jeune Red

FEB 13 Bright ruby. Fruity nose, blackberries, licorice but also ripe redcurrants to freshen it up. Freshish acidity, fruit driven, easy but lovely and balanced. Good length. 85

2009 Hochar Pere et Fils Red
SEP 15 Bright ruby. Scented, red berries, intense, exotic spices, light VA, liquorice nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh, leaner, somewhat thin body but scented and opulent in a lighter style. 87

2008 Château Musar
DEC 15 Mørke frukter, kirsebær, lakris, på grensen mot noe volatil, intens duft, eksotisk krydderbasar. Frisk syre, modne tanniner, fruktig, intens, sødmefull og livlig, kan gjerne ligge noen år, lang. 90

2008 Château Musar

OCT 15 Deep ruby. Dark fruits, anise, cherries, leather, exotic spices, ripe and intense. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruity, ripe, intense, dark berries and spices, long. 91

2007 Chateau Musar

SEP 15 Rubinrød. Parfymert, mørke bær, lakris, eksotisk, intens, flørtende duft men noe fremtredende alkohol på duft. Frisk syre, modne tanniner, lakris, kirsebær, intens, sødmefull, fruktig, rik, noe mer alkohol enn vanlig, lang. 90

2007 Château Musar
SEP 14 Ruby, garnet rim. Cherries, highly scented, some VA, spices, liquorice and plums stones. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh and lively, red berries, cherries and anise palate, good length. 89

2007 Hochar Père & Fils

FEB 13 A different story than most producers serve you when they haven’t made a vintage, the 06 of this one wasn't made because of war. 'Single Vineyard' from two vineyards in the village of Aana near Bekaa Valley at a 1000 meters altitude. Cinsault, Carignan and Cabernet Sauvignon. Bright ruby. A bit of VA notes that blew off in the glass after ten minutes giving licorice, raspberries and ripe cherries. Slightly floral. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruity palate, leaner style and refreshing, slightly warm finish. 88

2006 Chateau Musar Blanc
SEP 15 Golden. Honey, oxidized, scented, heavy nose, like a Turkish bazar, wood polish and plastic. Medium acidity, fruity, rounded, rich, different, yellow sweet fruits, long. 90

2005 Château Musar

FEB 16 (Demi) Ruby. Intense, dark berries, cherries, leather, exotic spices, cigars, layered and nuanced nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh, fruity, nuanced, quite playful, long finish. 93

2005 Chateau Musar

MAR 13 Slightly more VA than most bottles, still the lovely cherries and licorice and fruitier style of the vintage. Refreshing and transparent. Long. 90

2005 Château Musar

FEB 13 Ruby. Typical cherries, leather and stone fruit. A slightly leaner and firmer bottle. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, very long. 92

2005 Chateau Musar
FEB 13 Ruby. Needed a bit of air to get rid of some banana notes. Licorice, ripe cherries, blackberries, scented and exotic spices. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, refreshing and lively, fruity for Musar and refreshing. This is even more nuanced than my last few bottles. Lovely. 93

2005 Château Musar

DEC 12 Deep ruby. Fruity and full nose for Musar but cherries, anise, somewhat scented and, well, VA is wrong, but towards, a touch. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fuller body, lovely balance. Slightly sweet and sour as usual. Long. 93

2005 Château Musar Blanc

MAY 16 Towards golden. Nuts, oxidised, very oxidised palate.

2005 Chateau Musar White

FEB 13 Towards golden. Intense nose of beeswax, some grapefruit, touch vanilla, rich nose, honey. A bit lazy acidity, waxy and creamy texture, quite lovely together with gravlax with cucumbers and a mild mustard sauce. Late harvested wine (dry), in October, vineyards high in the mountains and the wine is only 12% alcohol. Quite long. 89

2002 Chateau Musar
MAR 15 Rubinrød. Røde bær, krydret, fiken og dadler, noe vanilje, solbærtoner, parfymert duft, elegant. Frisk syre, modne tanniner, frisk, livlig, mer struktur og tanniner enn vanlig (høyere cab s andel), nesten noe tørrende finish, lang. Bør ha noen år til i kjelleren, i alle fall fra magnum. 91

2002 Château Musar
FEB 12 Ruby. cherries, anise, stone fruit, slightly on the sour side, some VA. Fresh acidity, some spritz, the glass needs to stand for about fifteen minutes to lose it, shaking the bottle gives a pressure, so a slight refermentation or something has occured in the bottle. But after the spritz has gone, it's a typical, and lovely Musar. I haven't encountered this in the 02 before, but it's been a while since my last bottle. Without the spritz. 89

2001 Chateau Musar
NOV 12 Pale ruby, garnet rim. Licorice, cherries, figs, layered and scented. Some VA. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, elegant body, quite fruit driven, good length. 89

2001 Chateau Musar
SEP 10 (Magnum) Bright ruby, elegant cherry and redcurrants, with some leather and spices. A tiny touch volatile, just to make it more fun, elegant tannins, high and mouthwatering acidity, great balance and good complexity, very elegant and pure. Musar is always better in magnums! 90

2000 Chateau Musar

FEB 13 Gorgeous bright garnet red. Cherries, touch of licorice, some red currants, scented and floral. Fresh acidity, lovely balance, elegant, really lovely and as fresh as a bottle probably four years back. A bit more together and polished, really lovely. Long. 91

2000 Chateau Musar
OCT 09 (Magnum) Ruby red, thin garnet rim. Floral, perfumed, some violets and roses, minerals, tobacco and leather, slight hint of volatility. Very nice acidity, soft tannins, fantastic fresh fruit and body, great balance and the best Musar I have tasted. Great bottle, long fresh aftertaste. 93

1998 Chateau Musar

FEB 13 (Magnum) Opened for about eighteen hours. Deep ruby, garnet rim, lots of sediments. Floral, cedar, spicy, scented, licorice, figs and prunes. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, elegant and slightly fruit sweet, elegant and refreshing, long finish. Lovely. Norway is one of the only markets to have this in magnum. 92

1996 Chateau Musar

AUG 09 Lyst rubinrød med teglrød kant, meget rasepreget duft bak noe volatilitet, paprika, sedertre, hint av vanilje og tørt løv. Elegant syre og avslepne tanniner, fresh finish. 86

1995 Chateau Musar

FEB 13 Ruby, garnet rim. Cherries, licorice, VA, somewhat floral and scented. Sweet and ripe feel, plums and figs, fresh acidity, tannins polished off, up front and still nuanced, a vintage with a lot of everything, lots of VA, lots of alcohol and it's a bit warm in the finish, but also lovely. Long. 91

1995 Château Musar

AUG 11 Fill bottom neck, and that was one of the very top fills in the case, many at top shoulder. I found this a bit worrying for such a young age, but anyway. This bottle turned out very fine. Bright ruby, thin brick rim, some VA, but not excessively for Musar, leather, anise, plums and figs. Evolved style, drinking very well now. Acidity on the fresh side, especially with a somewhat lean body, but mouth-feel is rounded enough, it's leaner towards a slightly sharp finish. Tannins ripe, good length. 90

1993 Château Musar
JAN 12 (Served blind) Bright ruby, brilliant garnet rim. Some VA, cherries, redcurrant's, leather, layered. Rounded texture, fresh acidity, ripe tannins, mouthwatering, elegant and fruit driven. Some VA sort of carries the whole thing about. 92

1993 Chateau Musar

JAN 10 Soaked cork, B level fill. Bright ruby with brick rim. Slightly volatile and perfumed, hints of floral, violets and roses, some spices, sweetish cherry and morellos notes, quite complex, fresh and livelly acidity, mature tannins, elegant and long finish. 88

1991 Château Musar blanc
DEC 14 Pale amber. Nuts, dried fruits, light VA, apricots, wood polish. Fresh acidity, leaner, fairly intense, wood and nuts, dried fruits, good length. 89

1990 Château Musar
JUL 15 Brightish ruby, garnet rim. Tar, roses, faint exotic note, some VA, anise, red berries, cherries, floral and scented. Medicinal. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, VA, leaner, fresh and lively, red berries, playful, long. 90

1988 Chateau Musar

FEB 13 Ruby with thin brick rim. Licorice, figs, prunes, cedary, lots of exotic spices and some VA. Layered. Fresh acidity, few ripe tannins, gamey and thyme, fruity and long. Again lovely. 92

1986 Chateau Musar White

FEB 13 Bright golden. Intense, minerals, some lime and lemons. Lazy acidity, fruitier, more elegant and lovely balance compared to last bottle. Creamy texture, orange, vanilla and just a touch of nuts. Long. Serve it at same temperatures as a red wine. Actually not my style as I have problems with whites with this level of acidity, but this one worked for me. 91

1986 Château Musar White
JAN 13 Towards golden. Touch of apricots, minerals, yellow plums and stone from fruit. A bit lazy acidity, some bitterness and wax on the palate, creamy. Long finish. 90

1974 Château Musar
NOV 13 Late release from Musar. Bright garnet, broad orange rim, lots of sediments. Leather, anise, figs and almost flinty minerals beneath, dried red berries nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fresh, lively palate, cherry stones and leather, bit drying in the finish, this bottle is drink now. Long. 90