TN: 2004 Chateau Musar (Lebanon, Bekaa Valley)

• 2004 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (2/18/2017)
  Purchased off the wine list at Mamnoon. Garnet hue. Healthy nose of cassis, plum, blackberry, stone, and cedar. Lively, sinewy red currant and mulberry fruit with briar and hints of char on the palate. Freshening acidity and firm but smoothed tannin. Longer finish of red and black plum fruit with craggy stone elements and satisfying grip. Very nice showing, my first experience with Chateau Musar. (92 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

If you liked the 2004 I’d suggest that you try to find some from 1998, 2001, and 2008 for a Musar similar in style. Because Musar is a blend of Carignan, Cinsault, & Cabernet Sauvignon they can shift stylistically in vintages. While I always love Musar I find I lean closer to the vintages that seem the most elegant to my palate. If you’d like to find another good year…I’d also strongly encourage seeking out some 1999’s or 2005’s.

Kirk

Thank you for the very useful information. I might have access to some 1999 so I will try that different style.

Cheers,
Doug

I hope you enjoy the 99 as much as I have. I like the 2004 very much but the 99 is really great.

Thanks Peter. I hope I can close the loop on this one.

Cheers,
Doug

'99 is my favorite vintage post-'95 so far. I might change my mind as some of the really young vintages develop, but the '99 really impresses me every time.

Give the 2007 a try. Very young, but for me the best Musar after 2000. I have not had any pre-2000 vintages…but all since then.

If you’re looking for a good “daily drinker” I’m drinking the 2003 Hochar (Musar) right now and it rocks for the price.

Thanks for all the helpful comments. Looks like I can obtain the 1999 and 2005. Excited to try one of the 1999’s soon. Will look for 2007.

Cheers,
Doug

I don’t know what volumes are, but unusually we seem to see more of the top wine than the Hochar and more of that than the cheaper Mosaic/Jeune labels. We used to like picking up a bottle of the Hochar as a taster of what the Musar of that year would be like. So often it was a slightly lighter / safer version of main wine, and as such a useful guide to the yet to be released vintages of the main wine.

I think the Hochar is good value, but then so is the Musar!

Any musar, try it at least once where you can revisit it periodically over a long evening. No wine I know of transforms so many different (and great) ways with air as Musar. It’s like you got to have 3 or more great wines out of one bottle.

FIFY