TN: 1999 Chateau Musar (Lebanon, Bekaa Valley)

WINE TALK
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  • 1999 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (1/2/2015)
    Opened in memory of Serge Hochar. Opened, decanted through an old style aerator, and then started drinking it after about 45 minutes. I was reticent to open the bottle because I wanted to hold it for a few more years, but the passing of Mr. Hochar compelled me to open it, and I was not disappointed.

The Cedars of Lebanon were evident. Actually there or mind over matter I cannot say, but I noticed cedar on the nose from the first whiff of the cork when it was pulled. There was initially some sulphur funk on the nose in the decanter, but it disappeared after five minutes. The nose then morphed to soft cedar and the palate was the beginnings of tertiary sweet red fruit and cedar with no tight astringent tanins. The flavors got better in the glass over the course of 30 minutes, with more fruit emerging. Extremely, and surprisingly, smooth. A bit of spiciness. Outstanding, but still on the upswing. Hold the next bottle for 3-5 years. (91 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

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I’ve gone big (by my modest standards on 99 and 01). Still young and more primary fruit, but they should be great ones down the road.

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'99 is, indeed, a fantastic one. R.I.P. Mr. Hochar. [cheers.gif]

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[cry.gif]

Thanks for the note.

So lame we did not make this happen Musar Los Angeles/Orange County area visit? - Special Wine Guests - Serge Hochar 6/10/13 - 6/14/ - WineBerserkers

But for the locals we could still do this. Hagop has some really old Musars.

Jason

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I would welcome such a dinner.

I agree that the 1999 is quite nice. I bought a few bottles dining at Rosine’s.

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Doug & I had the '86 about two weeks ago…it was in a brilliant spot. These wines really shine with age on them. I have a magnum of '99 that I assume I’ll open when I retire in about 17 years. If a Musar dinner were to be done…it would be best to have a few bottles from every decade both white and red for folks to really see how the wines change with time. Whites really shift with time into something other-worldly.

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“Back in the day,” Frank Prial introduced the United States to Musar with an article in the NY Times in the late 1970s or early '80s. I bought a few of the reds and drank the last one after about 20 years. It was wonderful. Although I communicated with Mr. Hochar a few times by email in the last decade, every time I had an opportunity to meet him in New York, I had a conflict.