Chateau Musar 2015

Lebanese heritage of viticulture, charted right the way back to Phoenician times, over 4,000 years ago, has had a dramatic influence on the way the vine is grown in modern day Lebanon, including what Chateau Musar does.

1930 was the year when the founder of Chateau Musar Gaston Hochar planted his first vines after returning from Bordeaux. During the war Major Ronald Barton of Château Langoa-Barton and Leoville-Barton stationed in Lebanon, during which Gaston Hochar and him became fiery friends. Their friendship strengthened the winery’s links with Bordeaux, and the process influenced much of Musar style.

Chateau Musar’s red vineyards are situated towards the southern end of the Bekaa valley, north of Lake Qaroun and about 30 km south-east of Beirut. They lie near the villages Aana and Kefraya on a range of gravelly soils over limestone. The soil is naturally suited to high quality viticulture. The wide range of soil types and aspects results in wines of distinctive character and blends of appealing complexity.

The grapes used to make Chateau Musar Red are Cabernet Sauvignon and Southern Rhone varieties of Cinsault and Carignan from long established, mature vines yielding a maximum of 30 to 35 hectolitres per hectare. The ancient and indigenous white grapes of Obaideh and Merwah which prefer slightly cooler conditions to the reds are grown in vineyards at even higher altitudes on the mountain slopes,some 1,500 metres abovesea level.

Every wine at Musar is produced naturally with a ‘non-interventionist’ wine making philosophy and the winery was the first in Lebanon to implementorganically certified viticulture in 2006 for its Chateau Musar red and white grapes.

2015 vintage saw a mild June and July were followed by rising temperatures throughout August, and a heatwave into September
which resulted in further losses in the vineyards by the time it came to harvest.

Cabernet Sauvignon was picked on 3rd of September with 65% losses to the crop, then Cinsault started on the 8th of September with losses of 70% in the vineyards of Aana, and 40% in the vineyards of Kefraya. Finally, Carignan picked on 11th of September which was 50% down from the average. Overall, one of most challenging vintage for a generation.

The blend of 2015 is made by a equal portion of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan. Each varietal was fermented with natural yeasts in concrete vats, then aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. The wine was blended in January 2018 and bottled in July and August of that year.

If opening one to taste now, the wine would have a deep ruby colour and an aroma of fresh hedgerow berries, such as bramble, blackcurrant and cherry, also more complexity coming through later with leather and delicate, peppery-spice notes. The flavours are similar, with some soft vanilla, warming spice and a cocoa note. The wine can age gracefully for at least 15 to 20 years.