Chateau Musar 2000

Musar is one of the legends of the wine world, and unknown outside Lebanon until ‘discovered’ in the 1970s. Founded by Gaston Hochar in 1930 and brought to prominence by his son Serge, the wine was made for many years in the middle of a war zone. The wine can last for decades, but the indomitable Serge passed away at the end of 2014.

When tasted in early November 1999, the wines were tannic, concentrated and powerful, but very well balanced. Now at 20 years after the vintage, the 2000 holds on to its primary fruit whilst really starting to reveal the classic Musar identity, balancing out the characteristic sweet spice and desiccated fruit notes with more evolved elements of leather, tar, tobacco and a hint of game. These complex aromas and flavours are lifted with a fresh lick of acidity that will ensure the wine will continue to age gracefully for years to come.

A Cabernet Sauvignon year. One of my clients called it a lioness of a wine. Closer to a fine Bordeaux but it will age gratifyingly well for a very long time. And you can drink it with pleasure now: all that soft, velvety, peppery, spicy, earthy, even chocolatey quality is already there in spades - Simon Hoggart, The Spectator, February 2007

Garnet red with a tawny rim, lovely rose petal freshness on the nose, stunning for a 19 year old wine, beautifully textured palate, length, finesse and a harmonious finish - Steven Spurrier, September 2019

Reasonably mature. Brick red rim, autumnal faded red bowl. Mouth-watering acidity on the nose that can be smelt a foot away. Lovely aromas of damp autumn forests, decaying leaves and wood combine with a slightly chocolatey sweetness. A little spirit developed over the course of the evening: almost a Drambuie or Grand Marnier character. Slightly sweet on the palate with very long, classic autumnal Musar notes, soft, mature and Old World, braced by that lovely acidity. Still full flavoured and crisp on its long, lingering aftertaste, finishing with notes of liquorice and sherbet - Bartholomew Broadbent, October 2019

Opening
For vintages beyond 15 years of age, we recommend the use of prongs.

Decanting and serving
Bottled unfined and unfiltered, Chateau Musar Reds are suitable for vegans; they’re also richly-textured and likely to ‘throw a crust’. This is a common feature of most fine wines and is especially true of Musar Red vintages over a decade old. Ideally, bottles should be standing up the night before opening to allow the sediment to settle. After careful decanting (and discarding of sediment, usually in the last centimetre of the bottle) the wine should be allowed to breathe for an hour and served at 18°C with roasts, grills (especially lamb), casseroles, game, and mature cheeses.