Chateau Musar: a ten-year vertical tasting 1988-1998

No wine website could consider itself complete without a Chateau Musar article, after all this is one of the most discussed and written about wines in the world.

For the background, take a look at www.chateaumusar.com.lb. Although it celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2005, this Lebanese wine only appeared in the UK in 1979. Since that time the cult of Musar has grown with each vintage release.

Why cult? It’s completely individual and extremely variable in taste, yet it is also modestly priced and older vintages are easily available. The vintages never seem to be quite the same twice and as Musar ages and changes there is always something new to discover.

Chateau Musar is an organic blend based on 50-80% Cabernet Sauvignon, plus Cinsault and Carignan. Serge Hochar’s winemaking philosophy is to let each wine develop its own character with minimal intervention, so there is no fining or filtering. He is on record as saying that “the Cabernet is the skeleton, the Carignan is the muscles and Cinsault the skin”.

The actual composition of the blend and even the vineyards used vary each vintage. Occasionally there might even be a little Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre or even Merlot added.

If this all sounds like winemaking on a whim, it most certainly is not. Rather it is tireless experimentation. Followers of Musar would expect nothing less.

Some pigeonhole the Musar style as Bordeaux or a Southern French blend. One or two even find something Burgundian about it. The reality is that it is simply a unique expression of Lebanon and a wine quite like nothing else.

The base wines spend 12-15 months in French oak, before being blending together and matured in vat for 3 years. After bottling it then spends another 3-4 years before release, generally at around 7 years of age. Hochar believes these wines need long ageing to be at their best, so he does part of that for you. Although approachable on release, Musar repays further keeping and will develop over another 10-15 years. Some vintages will go more than that.

Musar is characterised by high levels of Volatile Acidity (VA). VA is recognisable on the nose by a pronounced smell of nail polish or acetone. While most wines will have VA, it is usually at such a low level as to be either undetectable or just imparts some lift. When present in high concentrations it is usually considered a huge fault, as the action of oxygen and acetobacter start to turn the wine to vinegar.

But for Musar VA is the essential component in its character and adds complexity. Serge Hochar actively encourages VA, which is probably helped by the inevitable oxidation resulting from transporting the grapes 30 miles from the Bekaa valley vineyards to the winery near Beirut.

It’s a controversial style that polarises opinion. It’s like Marmite, you’ll love it or hate it. While I would reject most wines for VA at this level, this deliberate use is an essential part of the style, and Musar does have the body, tannins and alcohol to cope with it. One things for sure, you’ll always remember where you were the first time you tried it.

All this makes a vertical tasting of Chateau Musar a popular and not infrequent pastime.

In preparation, these eight wines were double-decanted (most throw large sediments) for around an hour before tasting, and all were tasted in age order, youngest first.

1998
Deep garnet, still plenty of primary fruit and a spicy length. A little development showing, an attractive aniseed tone on the nose and a leathery note appearing on the palate. Come back in 2 or 3 years.

1997
Light brick red, no real development yet. Spirity nose and plenty of VA overlaying deep red fruits. Smoky. Impression of power and alcohol. Silky texture. Medium length with cinnamon spice and pepper finish. Tight and not ready but much potential here for the long haul.

1996
Gamey nose with less VA, lighter style and a silky mouthfeel, finesse and subtlety. Only 13%. In style reminiscent of the southern Rhône. Very enjoyable now, if less typically Musar.

1995
Cabernet, Carignan and Cinsault in equal measure. Deeper colour, some browning on the rim, a really big VA on nose and much richer than the 1996, with more development. Baked cherry fruit and a smooth integrated harmony. Spices and cinnamon, even orange peel. Tobacco on the finish. Very complex. A good introduction to the world of Musar.

1994
Even browner than the 1995. Savoury, meaty nose. Palate beginning to go raisiny and leathery, very sweet dried black fruit texture. Drying finish and alcoholic heat. Less enjoyable and suggests won’t make old age.

1993
Much lighter garnet colour, orange ageing rim. Medium weight, less alcohol at 13.5%. Lots of fruit, red berry, blackberry, loganberry. Spice, cedar and balance. Good harmony yet plenty of structure left. Excellent.

1991
Light brick red, tawny flecked core but rim has just a hint of orange. Tea on the nose. Still plenty of power, layers of red fruit and a long length with herbaceous notes. Does this have more Cabernet? More austere but lovely.

1988
Deep garnet but browning orangey rim and core flecked with age. Perfumed nose is less intense, some VA, but mild by Musar standards, with leather and smoke. Good acidity, tannins all smoothed away by time resulting in great balance. Spicy (nutmeg and cinnamon) peppery red fruit palate. Reminiscent of Christmas cake. Very long with an attractive medicinal edge to the finish.