1994 Chateau Musar- Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (11/28/2012)
Color: Ruby core leading to a brick red hue closer to the rim
Smell: Earth, dried red fruits, dried firewood, cement floors, potpourri, manure, dried orange rind, and roses
Taste: Soft and subtle notes of dried red fruits, cinnamon, cherry, wild strawberry, and burnt orange peel.
Overall: Another Outstanding bottle. I love this wine. It is so wild and unique that no other wine could be mistaken for it. Light body, med+ acidity, med+ fruit, med+ tannin, and a depth and complexity that many other wines would love to emulate.
Good to hear it is showing well. I love Musar in general, but '94 and '95 have recently been a bit difficult IMO (especially the '95 has been unpleasantly lactic in aromas). But light bodied? What do you normally drink? Tar? My memories of this is that it is a pretty sturdy wine even by Musar’s standards, and Musar is never really a light wine!
Thanks for the great note Kirk. I’ve only had a few of these, and only one left in the cellar. A '99 that based on your comments might sit there for a few years. I can understand “light”, in comparison to some of the Napa Cabs that often accompany our meals. But even with that context, I’d probably put the few Musars I’ve had into the “mid weight” category.
I don’t think I’ve ever had 94. 91 and 95 are brilliant, I wish they could be obtained at reasonable prices still. Hell, Musar from any vintage is getting harder and more expensive to obtain with each passing year, while in the UK, they practically give it away. Very annoying.
I think the color of Musar is pretty light for a red, and while the wine has loads of flavor, it’s not of a heavy/dense/rich kind of style. I can see how someone would use the term “light bodied,” in a positive way.
This was the worst bottle in a case of 94’s that I bought up here. It had a low shoulder fill level. The owner of the store made it very clear that all the wines were leaking on some level…and none in the case had more than a low neck fill level. However, in my thoughts…Musar is a “bullet-proof wine”. When I speak of it being a light body wine…I’m talking more about the mouthfeel and less about the boldness of flavor. I know I haven’t has as much experiences with Musar as you have…but I’ve had a decent amount of them from the 80’s & 90’s…and I’d NEVER think of it as a full bodied wine unless you start getting into them REALLY YOUNG. It’s always been more of a medium or light-medium body wine. I think of wines like Clio, Sine Qua Non, and Insignia as full bodied wines. I hope that makes more sense of my note.
Ok, everything is relative, and this is a timely reminder that so called objective terms in wine are actually very subjective. I have tried a Clio but not the others you mention. I felt it was oversized and I really couldn’t get it down (I know that’s rare for a Finn! ), so in comparison to that, I can well understand your comment. But for me Musar’s level of body is about the maximum I can enjoy so for me it still is a full bodied wine.
Love me some Musar and I’ve had this vintage several times in the past year. All bottles showed fantastic, even from one that was base neck. Got one bottle left of the '94.
Another reason I did not buy Powerball tickets: my luck is so poor that my flaw rate for Musar reds hovers around 50%. To me, these are frequently dirty wines that often do not come close to meriting the press they receive. Based on my own experience, I have to say that if they were from CA or Tuscany, not one would pay them any attention.
These do have a style that not everyone enjoys. Based on my own empirical data, people either are in the love-it camp or the hate-it camp. Doesn’t seem to be much between those camps.
Sounds like another great showing for the '94. I’m glad to hear it. For the worst-looking bottle of the bunch, it seems like this showed at least almost as well as the couple of best-looking ones, or am I misinterpreting your note?
Recently enjoyed a 98 Musar, my first of any vintage from this estate. It was a bit light as reviews suggested it would be, but it was complex and unusual, seeming to straddle Rioja and Rhone stylistically (and maybe with some southern Italy thrown in; burgundy wasn’t out of the question either). There was an animal-gamey facet I loved to go with some good density and sweet fruit. Maybe just a bit funky, with a hint of VA, it initially seemed slightly corked but that mustiness blew off with air. Overall, I found it pretty thrilling especially if this is a so-so vintage for Musar.
That makes sense…and I’m there with you on the Clio. I think of body as the weight you feel in the mouth. Full body is like milk light body closer to water. Both feel very different in the mouth…so for me when I think of musar it’s a lighter to medium body wine. Does that make sense about how I look at and think about the body in a wine? As for pleasure…i think that’s where knowing the difference between quality and personal preference is important. I know the Clio is a “well made” wine. Yet stylistically it’s not a wine I can get behind the more I drink wine…I can still comment on the quality of the wine for the style it’s in…but it’s not something I like or would choose to drink regularly. I hope that helps…I know I’ve always enjoyed your notes on Musar…and would love to hear some other producers that you think are as equally interesting.
Yep…you nailed it. I’ve had other bottles with better fills that were more out of balance. I think it’s got to be the VA…but some just weren’t drinkable. I’ve found it to be an average of about 1 or 2/case on these leaking 94’s. Which I’m fine with given the fair price.
Unlike many I taste with…98 has been a favorite of mine. I know others were more impressed with the 99’s but I think where the 99’s have power and depth the 98’s have a subtlety to them that is more to my liking. I wish I could find more 98’s in the $35-$40 range.
Initially I was a bit skeptical about the 1998 but in recent years I’ve become a fan. It is a relatively light style of Musar but it is very pretty and IMO is drinking very well though it is a young wine.
My memories of this is that it is a pretty sturdy wine even by Musar’s standards, and Musar is never really a light wine! 
), so in comparison to that, I can well understand your comment. But for me Musar’s level of body is about the maximum I can enjoy so for me it still is a full bodied wine.