Although I go to Chateau Musar-themed tastings quite often, 2022 was a bit atypical year in the sense that we did not have just one, but actually two Musar Blanc verticals!
The first two, documented here and here, were just “normal” tastings, arranged by just one person per tasting. This third tasting, on the other hand, was a BYOB-tasting where people brought with them bottles they had in their cellars - the vintages 2009 and 2012 were supplied by me.
What’s really noteworthy is that there was quite a bit of overlap with the vintages we tasted - for example we had 2007, 2006, 2004, 2001 and 1999 in all three tastings! As Chateau Musar is quite notorious for its bottle variation, it seems to ring quite true when you have multiple verticals in quick succession - several of these vintages fared better in some tastings than in others. However, some vintages - like the 2005 and 2001 - are absolutely spectacular in how they seem to be at the top of their game, no matter when or where they are tasted!
And as we all hopefully know, Musars always need some air. I think that one of the reasons why several vintages performed relatively poorly in our 2nd vertical was because the wines didn’t have much air before they were presented to us. Our solution for this problem was to instruct everyone bringing any bottles to open them and double-decant them at around 2-3 p.m. so that the wines would be well-aerated and ready by the time we started at 6 p.m.
The person who was bringing the 2003 vintage told that it was pretty worrisomely dark and showing risky signs of premox upon double-decant, so we managed to procure a backup bottle in time - which was a good thing, because the first one was over the hill already (which seems pretty obvious when you look at the picture), while the second one was just singing! We also had a bottle of Windchaser Grüner Veltliner, but the bottle didn’t make it to the lineup photo, unfortunately.
Finally, the host had also cooked up a superb Levant-inspired buffet table with all kinds of delicious fare that (unsurprisingly) went really well with the wines. I didn’t remember to take a photo of the buffet table, but hopefully a photo of my plate does some justice to the stuff we had!
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2021 Windchaser Grüner Veltliner - USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley (17.9.2022)
100% Grüner Veltliner from Anderson Valley. 13,2% alcohol. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. Tasted blind.
Youthful pale yellow color. Sweetish, yellow-toned and subtly lifted nose with aromas of ripe white peach, some creamy tones, a little bit of fresh nectarine, light nuances of juicy pear and a hint of something vaguely funky. The wine is ripe but also remarkably fresh, tangy and almost electric on the palate with its bracing acidity and light-to-medium body. There are bright flavors of lemony citrus fruits and sharp Granny Smith apple tones, some saline mineral notes, a little bit of creamy richness, light funky notes of something vaguely wile, barely ripe nuances of crunchy pear and herby greenness and a touch of incisive steely minerality. The racy acidity lends great sense of freshness to the wine and intensity to the flavors. The finish is crisp, racy and quite palate-cleansing with flavors of tart green apple and almost unripe pear, some saline mineral notes, a little bit of creaminess, light steely nuances, a sweeter hint of ripe white peach and a touch of herbal character.
A very nice, crisp and fresh cool-climate white with great sense of structure and lovely intensity to its crunchy fruit. I had no idea what this could be or where it was from, so my guess was a cooler-vintage Chablis from some hands-off producer. Well, it turned out that I was pretty wrong - but so was everyone else. There wasn't really anything people normally associate with Grüner Veltliner here, but that fortunately didn't stop this wine from being a lovely, brisk white. Good stuff, recommended.
(91 points) -
2014 Chateau Musar Blanc - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (17.9.2022)
Made with Obaideh (60%) and Merwah (40%) grapes sourced from ungrafted, low-yielding vineyards that are 50 to 90 years old, located at the altitude of 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) above sea level. The vintage 2014 in Beqaa was exceptionally dry, continuing from dry end of 2013, showing no rain, snow or cold weather. For the first time ever since the records began, there was no snow on the peaks of Mount Lebanon. These dry weathers continued into the summer, and by August the vines were already suffering from lack of water. Fortunately the high altitudes of the vineyards protected the grapes from the summer heat and they could be harvested much later in the season than the red varieties; Obaideh on the 2nd of October and Merwah a week later, on October 11th. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts in new French 225-liter barriques (Merwah) and stainless steel tanks (Obaideh) and aged for 9 months afterwards. 11% alcohol. Tasted in a Musar Blanc 2014-1998 vertical.
Medium-deep lemon-yellow color. Ripe, fragrant and subtly funky nose with layered, slightly restrained aromas of orange blossom and fresh peach, some ripe Golden Delicious apple nuances, a little bit of juicy tangerine, light mineral notes of wet rocks, a hint of leesy creaminess and a touch of phenolic spice. The wine feels fresh, crisp and youthful on the palate with a medium body and a slightly viscous texture. There are bright flavors of zesty citrus fruits, some steely mineral tones, a little bit of waxy sauvage character, light crunchy notes of fresh golden apples, a mineral hint of wet rocks and a fragrant, floral touch of orange blossom. The overall feel is relatively light and delicate for a white Musar, but not lacking in freshness or intensity - thanks in part to the rather high acidity, which makes the wine feel enjoyably balanced with good sense of structure. The finish is clean, fresh and quite lively with a long and relatively intense aftertaste of ripe citrus fruits, some waxy tones, a little bit of fresh Golden Delicious apple, light mineral notes of wet rocks, a hint of crunchy quince and a touch of beeswax.
A very tasty, balanced and promising vintage of white Musar. The overall feel is still quite youthful, but at least the wine doesn't feel underwhelming or weird - as the vintages 2013 and 2012, that were tasted alongside this wine, did - but instead comes across as quite classic in style, showing good sense of depth and harmony. The overall feel is a bit on the light side for a white Musar, but so is the ABV here - clocking in at just 11%. However, the wine doesn't feel like it is lacking in ripeness or intensity, so I guess a combination of ripe fruit, complexity and this modest level of alcohol can be considered a boon! All in all, I have a feeling that with enough age, this wine will turn out to be the best of the last three vintages we tasted in our vertical (ie. 2012, 2013 and 2014). Great now, will get better. Priced according to its quality at 41,87€.
(92 points) -
2013 Chateau Musar Blanc - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (17.9.2022)
Made with Obaideh (60%) and Merwah (40%) grapes sourced from ungrafted, low-yielding vineyards that are 50 to 90 years old, located at the altitude of 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) above sea level. The vintage 2013 in Beqaa began quite wet and snowy, followed by a cool April, resulting in an exceptionally verdant May. The summer was quite normal until a spell of exceptional heat in August, boosting the sugar levels in the grapes. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts, partly in oak and partly in stainless steel, and aged for 9 months in a combination of new French 225-liter barriques (25%) and stainless steel tanks. 11,5% alcohol. Tasted in a Musar Blanc 2014-1998 vertical.
Medium-deep lime-green color. The nose here is - well - quite striking. The first thing I've written down is honestly "WTF! :D" - I pick up youthful, very odd and quite over-the-top aromas of gooey gummi bear candies and sneaker insoles, woolly lanolin, some rubbery tones, a little bit of perfumed floral character, light sweet notes of pear jam, a hint of tangerine juice and a touch of latex. The nose seems quite sweet, even candied, and intermingling with odd, at times somewhat rubbery notes. The wine feels moderately full-bodied and quite mellow on the palate with youthful and somewhat sweet-toned flavors of tutti frutti candies and rubbery notes of unused sneakers, some ripe citrus and apricot nuances, a little bit of wool that seems to gain prominence as the wine breathes and opens up, light latex tones, a sweet hints of apple jam and candied gummi bear character and a touch of stony minerality. The medium-to-moderately high acidity keeps the wine in balance, but doesn't really make it feel structured or particularly refreshing. The finish is long and juicy with somewhat odd flavors of ripe golden apples and tutti frutti candies, some rubbery notes, a little bit of zesty citrus fruit, light chalky mineral tones, a hint of wet rocks and a touch of woolly lanolin.
This was by far the weirdest white Musar I've ever tasted and completely unlike any other vintage we had in our vertical. Although there was quite a bit of variation between the wine, you could've still picked the other vintages as white Musar in a blind tasting setting. This vintage, however, was so atypical for a white Musar that never in my life I would've guessed that this was Musar! The wine didn't feel rubbery in a reductive kind of way - more like in a weird, somewhat industrial feel, further accentuated by those sweet and rather dominant notes of soft gummi bear candies and tutti frutti. Although the wine was wonderfully low in alcohol, the overall feel didn't come across as particularly light or delicate. Furthermore, the relatively modest acidity made the wine lack in zip, freshness and flavor intensity. I have no idea if this bottle was representative of the vintage, but the overall style was so atypical, that if the other bottles are going to be like this, I have no idea if this wine is going to get any better with further aging. Although this was a very young bottle, I don't feel Musar Blanc opened "too early" should taste like this - after all the surrounding vintages 2012 and 2014 that were opened at the same time performed much better and were noticeably more true to the style!
(82 points) -
2012 Chateau Musar Blanc - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (17.9.2022)
Made with Obaideh (60%) and Merwah (40%) grapes sourced from ungrafted, low-yielding vineyards that are 50 to 90 years old, located at the altitude of 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) above sea level. The vintage 2012 in Beqaa began cool and snowy, followed by a rainy April, a promising May and a hot summer, starting with a hot June and a heatwave in July. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 9 months in a combination of new French 225-liter barriques (25%) and stainless steel tanks. 12% alcohol, 2 g/l residual sugar, 3,9 g/l acidity. Tasted in a Musar Blanc 2014-1998 vertical.
Pale, limpid and somewhat neutral lemon-yellow color. The nose feels rather dull and inexpressive for a white Musar with relatively little in the way of fruit - there are aromas of woolly lanolin and some sawdusty notes of untoasted oak, a little bit of fresh red apple, light mineral notes of stone dust, a hint of white peach, a primary touch of candied tutti frutti character and a whiff of leesy creaminess The wine feels somewhat ripe and balanced but also moderately restrained on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and flavors of leesy yeast and saline mineral tones, some dull notes of damp wool, a little bit of fresh red apple, light nuances of ripe citrus fruits, a primary hint of tutti frutti candy and a mineral touch of wet rocks. The medium acidity keeps the wine in balance, but doesn't give much freshness or sense of structure to the wine. The finish is quite long but also a bit dull with flavors of ripe citrus fruits, some juicy red apple, a little bit of stony minerality, light woolly notes of lanolin, a hint of tangy salinity and a touch of untoasted wood.
A decent but ultimately somewhat dull and underwhelming vintage of Musar Blanc. Fortunately this bottle was much better than we had earlier this year that seemed to suffer from lightstrike or something else that made the wine feel slightly stinky. This one was very clean for a white Musar, but also surprisingly low-key as well, lacking quite a bit in the fruit department. Furthermore, the acidity came across as quite modest for the wine as well, resulting in a wine that is sort of recognizable for the label, but lacking all the qualities that normally make it so great. Although this bottle was a lot better than the one we had prior to this, I still haven't gotten a feeling that this would turn into something more remarkable with further age. Until I get to taste an impressive 2012 Musar Blanc, I'm going to call 2012 as a middling vintage for both red and white Musar. At 41,87€, this wine feels a bit expensive for the quality.
(88 points) -
2010 Chateau Musar Blanc - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (17.9.2022)
Made with Obaideh (60%) and Merwah (40%) grapes sourced from ungrafted, low-yielding vineyards over 50 years of age, located at the altitude of 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) above sea level. The vintage 2010 in Beqaa was very dry to boot with very little snow or rain during January and February. Very promising spring was followed by a 3-week heat wave starting in mid-July, reaching peak temperatures of 48,5°C, causing many vines in Beqaa to shut and dry the grapes in vines. However, the higher-yielding white varieties avoided the heat and the grapes were harvested at only 11,5-12,5% potential alcohol. The wine is fermented on indigenous yeasts in a combination of new French 225-liter barriques and stainless steel tanks; left to age in oak barrels for 9 months before bottling. 12% alcohol. Tasted in a Musar Blanc 2014-1998 vertical.
Pale, almost strikingly youthful yellow-green color - for a white Musar, that is. The nose feels fragrant and sweet-toned with attractive, youthful aromas of fresh apples and sweet white peaches, some creamy oak tones, a little bit of waxy funk, light sweeter notes of apple jam, a nutty hint of slivered almonds and a perfumed touch of orange blossom. The wine feels clean, firm and focused on the palate with a medium body yet still somewhat concentrated and even a slightly oily texture. There are quite intense flavors of ripe Granny Smith apple and fresh red apple, some stony mineral tones, a little bit of sharp lemony character, light saline mineral nuances, a hint of waxy funk and a slightly bitter touch of phenolic spice. The pronounced acidity lends great sense of freshness, precision and structure to the wine. The finish is crisp, firm and lengthy with a somewhat tangy aftertaste of saline minerality and lemony citrus fruits, some crunchy Granny Smith apple tones, a little bit of creamy richness or beeswax, light stony mineral notes, a hint of fresh white peach and a subtly nutty touch of slivered almonds.
This wine turned out to be a complete antithesis of the wine I had 2½ years ago - to the extent I even wondered how it is even possible! That wine was noticeably funky, quite reminiscent of a lambic beer more than your classic white Musar, and had a surprisingly soft and mellow backbone of acidity. This bottle, instead, had remarkably high acidity, granting the wine wonderful sense of focus and freshness along with tremendous sense of intensity to the fruit. I dismissed the first bottle as something completely uninteresting and a vintage to forget, whereas this bottle was remarkably youthful for a white wine 12 years old, shoving tons of potential for further aging. As the wine came across as not only super youthful, but also somewhat straightforward in character, I get a feeling this wine is going to need years and years of further aging before it is starting to show its best. Perhaps another 15 to 20 years? Just as the 2010 red, there seems to be quite a bit of bottle variation here, so I guess this wine can be anything ranging from disappointing to very promising!
(93 points) -
2009 Chateau Musar Blanc - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (17.9.2022)
Made from the Obaideh (65%) and Merwah (35%) grapes (old Lebanese clones of Chardonnay and Sémillon, respectively) sourced from ungrafted, low-yielding vineyards over 50 years of age, located at the altitude of 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) above sea level. The vintage 2009 in Beqaa began very dry with very little snow or rain until March. Low humidity throughout the season and the first grapes were harvested very early, in the beginning of September. However, right after the beginning of the harvest torrential rains arrived and the remaining grapes managed to collect some of that water. Nevertheless, the white varieties didn't suffer from the rains and were among the last grapes to be harvested at the latter half of October, with low pH and high acidities. The wine is fermented on indigenous yeasts in a combination of French 225-liter barriques and stainless steel tanks; left to age in oak barrels for 9 months before bottling. 12% alcohol. Tasted in a Musar Blanc 2014-1998 vertical.
Bright, youthful lemon-yellow color with subtle lime-green highlights. The nose feels somewhat restrained, slightly sweet-toned and very youthful with aromas of honeydew melon, some cantaloupe, a little bit of fresh golden apple, light sawdusty wood tones, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of lanolin. Overall the nose feels very fruit-driven, albeit a bit on the reticent side, and I really can't find any of those nutty or oxidative notes so many notes in CT mention. On the contrary, this is very much on the youthful side of things. Contrasting the nose, the wine is quite rich and, ripe and expressive on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and quite complex flavors of ripe white peach, some beeswax, a little bit of saline minerality, light cantaloupe tones, a sweeter hint of apple jam and a leesy touch of creaminess. Just like the nose, the wine feels youthful and quite fruit-forward, but also enjoyably nuanced and even somewhat concentrated on the palate. The bright high acidity lends terrific sense of balance and structure to the wine. The finish is long, ripe and rich with a quite intense aftertaste of juicy white fruits and beeswax, some saline mineral tones, a little bit of cantaloupe, light sweeter notes of apple jam, a hint of sharp lemony character and a touch of nutty complexity.
A very tasty, balanced and - above all - promising vintage of Musar Blanc that is still brimming with bright, youthful fruit, zippy acidity and surprising sense of concentration. The wine has evolved relatively little considering it is already 13 years in age - but that seems to have been the case with all the recent vintages of Musar Blanc, starting with the 2006 vintage. I do have to point out that the "youthful" character of this wine is quite relative - this doesn't feel like a Pinot Grigio made last year, but instead wine that has been aged in oak and bottles for some time. However, to me it doesn't feel like a wine +10 years old and I definitely can't find any obvious oxidative tones or Sherried character so many other people in CT have mentioned! Tasting these wines in succession, I think that this (or any other surrounding vintages) shouldn't exhibit any obvious oxidative tones and if a white Musar feels sherried, it sounds the bottle might not be in a sound condition. This bottle was definitely representative of the 2009 vintage and I feel this wine is a very promising vintage, but still miles away from its peak - not as far away as the superb 2010 vintage, though. If I had to make a guess, I'd say this wine needs another 10-15 years to show its best and will keep for even longer. Solid value at 39,90€.
(92 points) -
2007 Chateau Musar Blanc - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (17.9.2022)
Made with Obaideh (65%) and Merwah (35%) grapes sourced from ungrafted, low-yielding vineyards over 50 years of age, located at the altitude of 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) above sea level. The vintage 2007 was an uneven vintage with a sudden spring frost disturbing the growth cycle; cloudy and rainy May preventing 30% of flowering; and a three-week heat wave in August hastening the ripening process before the harvest. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 9 months in a combination of new French 225-liter barriques (25%) and stainless steel tanks. 12% alcohol. Tasted in a Musar Blanc 2014-1998 vertical.
Quite youthful, medium-deep greenish-yellow color. The nose feels juicy, quite lively and somewhat youthful, but also surprisingly low-key with pretty understated aromas of ripe nectarine-driven notes of stone fruits, a little bit of something waxy, light crunchy notes of fresh white peach, a sweet hint of apple jam and a woolly touch of lanolin. The wine is firm, balanced and moderately acid-driven on the palate with a medium body and somewhat understated flavors of ripe red apple, some woolly tones and subtly sawdusty notes of untoasted oak, a little bit of juicy citrus fruits, light mineral notes of stone dust and cold gun steel, a hint of fresh white peach and a touch of leesy creaminess. The moderately high acidity keeps the wine quite nicely in balance and lends it some sense of structure. The finish is savory and quite long with flavors of fresh red apple and white peach, some ripe citrus fruit notes, a little bit of leesy character, light steely mineral tones, a hint of waxy funk and a touch of wet rocks.
Just like before, this was a nice wine, but quite an underwhelming effort for a white Musar. Fortunately this was a much better effort than the dull, uninspiring bottle we had earlier this year - originally I thought the wine had just started to fall apart sooner than I anticipated, but seeing how that bottle has been an outlier from the four bottles I've had of this vintage over the past six years, it must've been just an off bottle. All in all, I think this is a wine that just needs a lot of age to show its best, but even then this is a rather low-key effort for a white Musar; tasting it between the noticeably more expressive vintages 2006 and 2009, it becomes obvious that this just isn't up to the par. There's nothing wrong with the wine and it's very possible this will turn out to be a much better wine with another decade or so in a cellar, but I have my reservations whether this wine will ever reach the level of quality found in other, better vintages. Seeing how this wine always leaves me with a somewhat lukewarm impression, I must say that for me, 2007 is an off vintage for both red and white Musar. Priced more or less according to its quality at 39,19€.
(89 points) -
2006 Chateau Musar Blanc - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (17.9.2022)
Made with Obaideh (65%) and Merwah (35%) grapes sourced from ungrafted, low-yielding vineyards over 50 years of age, located at the altitude of 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) above sea level. 2006 was a very difficult vintage, but not that much because of the climatic conditions – which were remarkable by themselves, feeling like a never-ending spring with only 10 days of summer weather – but due to the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel. Although it seemed that there wouldn't be any opportunity to do harvest the fruit at all, everybody still carried on normally despite the volatile conditions and fortunately a ceasefire came before the harvest. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 9 months in a combination of new French 225-liter barriques (25%) and stainless steel tanks. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted in a Musar Blanc 2014-1998 vertical.
Quite developed, deep golden yellow to pale amber color. The nose feels rich, somewhat evolved and slightly concentrated with nuanced aromas of bruised apple and chopped walnuts, some fresh notes of quince, a little bit of developed creamy character, light lifted notes of eucalyptus and minty greenness, a sweet hint of ripe white fruit and a toasty touch of brioche or roasted oats. The wine feels firm, lively and quite intense on the palate with a rather full body and quite focused flavors of ripe citrus fruits, some evolved nutty tones, a little bit of beeswax and marzipan, light creamy tones, sweet hints of quince jam and ripe red apple and a touch of tangy salinity. The acidity feels moderately high, which is more than enough to keep the wine balanced and enjoyably structured. The finish is long, crisp and moderately evolved with layered, savory flavors of crunchy quince and bruised apple, some almond-driven nutty tones, a little bit of developed creamy character, light saline mineral nuances, a sweeter hint of wizened peach and a touch of beeswax.
This is a very lovely and harmonious vintage of white Musar that is slowly inching towards greatness. Back in 2016 I wrote how this wine will never be one of those truly stupendous vintages of white Musar, but still definitely showing some potential for serious goodness - if not greatness - residing within it; now, six years later, I still think the same way and I also think that the wine is on the right tracks, steadily evolving in the right direction. This 2006 seems to be developing at a slightly faster pace than the 2004 vintage (which seems to be aging on a geological timescale) and it doesn't really show the magnificent intensity, depth and complexity of the 2005 vintage. However, this was the 4th time I've had this wine in the past six years, and every time it has been slightly better than the last, so no doubt this wine will continue to evolve for many years more; there's really no need to open any bottles now, even if the wine is quite wonderful already. A fine wine and a steal at just 25€.
(93 points) -
2005 Chateau Musar Blanc - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (17.9.2022)
Made from Obaideh (65%) and Merwah (35%) grapes sourced from ungrafted, low-yielding vineyards over 50 years of age, located at the altitude of 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) above sea level. Unlike in most European wine countries, the 2005 was an atypically cool and humid vintage in Lebanon, resulting in harvest delayed more than a week from normal schedule and with wines showing lower than average alcohol and higher acidity. The wine is fermented on indigenous yeasts in a combination of French 225-liter barriques and stainless steel tanks; left to age in oak barrels for at least 9 months before bottling. 12% alcohol. Tasted in a Musar Blanc 2014-1998 vertical.
Medium-deep golden yellow color. Rich, sweet-toned and moderately evolved nose with seductive aromas of honeydew melon, some marzipan, a little bit of ripe apricot, light notes of beeswax, a hint of something vaguely funky, a perfumed touch of orange blossom and dried flowers and a whiff of poached pear. The wine feels like a conundrum on the palate: while it is moderately full-bodied and quite concentrated, it is also very brisk and remarkably light on its feet as well, its racy acidity lending the wine exceptional structure and an almost electric feel to it. There are focused flavors of lemony citrus fruits and crunchy Granny Smith apple, some creamy tones, a little bit of beeswax, light sweeter notes of honeydew melon, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of toasted spices. The overall feel is somewhat evolved, but still very energetic and full of life. The finish is firm, brisk and lengthy with intense and quite complex flavors of lemony citrus fruits and tangy salinity, some crunchy Granny Smith apple tones, a little bit of beeswax, light stony mineral notes, tertiary hints of chopped nuts and creaminess and a touch of savory old wood.
This is consistently one of the greatest Musar whites I've tasted. While I've had Musar whites better than this, there has always been some bottle variation, whereas this wine has never received anything lower than 95 points from me - and this was the 5th time I tasted this wine! Truly an exceptional effort that has been quite a concentrated wine all the way from the beginning, but has only acquired more depth, layers and complexity with age. Although the wine is aging at an almost glacial pace - it has been surprisingly similar for the past seven years I've been following its evolution - I feel there is still quite a bit of room left for further development. A magical wine that can be drunk or kept for years more, so very highly recommended. This has been outrageous value at 30,90€.
(96 points) -
2004 Chateau Musar Blanc - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (17.9.2022)
Made with Obaideh (65%) and Merwah (35%) grapes sourced from ungrafted, low-yielding vineyards over 50 years of age, located at the altitude of 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) above sea level. A very cool vintage: snow didn't melt until March, spring lasted until June and the ripening period was slowed down by constant cooler breezes. The white grapes never developed much sugar (hovering around 12% potential alcohol) and were rather low in pH, showing balanced levels of acidity. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 9 months in a combination of new French 225-liter barriques (25%) and stainless steel tanks. Released in 2012. 12% alcohol. Tasted in a Musar Blanc 2014-1998 vertical.
Intense yet relatively pale golden yellow color. Very clean, vibrant and remarkably youthful nose - for a 18-yo white wine - with aromas of tutti frutti candies, some woolly notes of lanolin, a little bit of ripe Golden Delicious apple, light stony mineral notes, a crunchy hint of fresh peach and a woody, almost sawdusty touch of untoasted oak. The wine feels surprisingly youthful but also slightly viscous on the palate with a relatively lithe medium body and somewhat light, understated flavors of ripe red apple, some wooly tones, a little bit of stony minerality, light notes of cantaloupe, a sawdusty hint of oak and a touch of crunchy green apple. The overall feel is firm and balanced with the moderately high acidity. The finish is long, fresh and moderately acid-driven with a dry aftertaste of lemon juice, some cantaloupe, light woolly tones, a little bit of stony minerality, a hint of creamy oak and a touch of coconut.
Just like the bottle I had in early 2020, this was a remarkably youthful effort - coming across as almost backward between the more evolved 2003 and 2005 vintages - but also feeling somewhat more restrained and low-key in comparison, lacking in complexity and intensity. Although the wine opened up slowly and became slightly more expressive with air, this time no amount of air managed to transform this bottle into a different wine altogether. This is a nice and thoroughly enjoyable white wine on its own, but - just as the red 2004 - a slightly disappointing vintage for a Musar, knowing how exceptional these wines can be at their best. All one can do here is hope that the wine would develop more depth and complexity once it emerges from this indefinably long youthful phase, but I suspect it will take quite a long time, seeing how it is aging at an almost glacial pace, and I doubt the wine isn't going to gain any more richness or sense of weight with further age. This is and will always be a lighter and more delicate vintage. Priced according to its quality at 39,60€.
(90 points) -
2003 Chateau Musar Blanc - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (17.9.2022)
Made with Merwah (65%) and Obaideh (35%) grapes sourced from ungrafted, low-yielding vineyards over 50 years of age, located at the altitude of 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) above sea level. The winter of 2003 was the rainiest in 15 years in Beqaa, but after April, no rain fell. A long heat wave in May decreased yields by 30%, concentrating the acidity and sugar levels in the remaining grapes substantially. However, July and August were cooler than normal, delaying the ripening process. Still, the harvest was carried out by normal schedule. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 9 months in partly new French 225-liter barriques, bottled in September 2004. 12% alcohol. Tasted in a Musar Blanc 2014-1998 vertical.
Deep, luminous golden-yellow core with an even deeper amber core. The nose feels ripe, rich and quite sweet-toned with vibrant aromas of honeydew melon, some marzipan, a little bit of beeswax, light creamy notes of panna cotta, a hint of apple jam and a touch of tinned pineapple. Contrasting the quite lush and opulent nose, the wine turns out to be surprisingly fresh and brisk on the palate with a medium body and dry, focused flavors of lemony citrus fruits and sharp Granny Smith apple tones, some peachy notes of ripe stone fruits, a little bit of saline minerality, light nutty nuances of slivered almonds and chopped hazelnuts, evolved hints of panna cotta and browned butter and a crunchy touch of quince. The high acidity lends great sense of freshness and structure to the wine. The finish is long, lively and somewhat evolved with focused flavors of chopped nuts, some lemony citrus notes, a little bit of bruised apple, light almondy notes of marzipan, a hint of tangy salinity and a creamy touch of panna cotta.
In our Musar Blanc vertical we had one worryingly dark bottle of the 2003 vintage, so we had an extra bottle if that happened to be shot - it was this bottle. Fortunately we had this bottle at hand, since that dark 2003 was way past its prime, whereas this wine was as gorgeous as the one we had in February: fresh, focused and structured, wonderfully combining still quite youthful citrus fruit notes with more evolved nutty tones. And just as last time, I was again surprised how its high acidity is almost at odds with the rich, ripe and developed aromas and flavors. This is a fantastic vintage that is slowly getting close to its plateau of maturity; it isn't going to take that much longer for the wine to reach its peak, but I have a hunch that this wine is going to keep fine for many more years. In 2020 I was worried if this wine was advancing faster than I anticipated, but I guess there's just some serious bottle variation and the bottle I based that assessment on was a prematurely advanced bottle. At just 29,70€, this wine has been a real bargain.
(95 points) -
2003 Chateau Musar Blanc - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (17.9.2022)
Made with Merwah (65%) and Obaideh (35%) grapes sourced from ungrafted, low-yielding vineyards over 50 years of age, located at the altitude of 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) above sea level. The winter of 2003 was the rainiest in 15 years in Beqaa, but after April, no rain fell. A long heat wave in May decreased yields by 30%, concentrating the acidity and sugar levels in the remaining grapes substantially. However, July and August were cooler than normal, delaying the ripening process. Still, the harvest was carried out by normal schedule. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 9 months in partly new French 225-liter barriques, bottled in September 2004. 12% alcohol. Tasted in a Musar Blanc 2014-1998 vertical.
Deep, syrupy-brown color. Quite heavily oxidative nose with aromas of nutty rancio and dusty old wood, some bruised apple tones, a little bit of rancid peanuts, light earthy notes and a hint of dried flowers. The wine feels old, tired and moderately oxidative on the palate with a medium body and dry, tertiary flavors of dusty earth and nutty rancio, some sharp lemony tones, a little bit of rancid peanut, light bruised apple tones, mineral hints of wet rocks and salinity and a touch of crunchy quince. The wine is bright and high in acidity, lending the otherwise quite old and tired wine and fresh and crisp overall feel. The finish is old, dull and tired with a light, acid-driven aftertaste of chopped nuts, some cardboard box, a little bit of lemony citrus fruit, light stony mineral notes, a tangy hint of rancio and a touch of bruised apple.
This was way past its peak - and it was quite evident way before we even opened the bottle, as Musar Blanc is bottled in clear glass. Well, fortunately we were all set for disappointment here, as we had a backup bottle of 2003 that was in a pristine condition - very unlike this bottle. All in all, it seems obvious that this was a premoxed bottle and didn't perform as it should've.
(NR/flawed) -
2001 Chateau Musar Blanc - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (17.9.2022)
Made with Obaideh and Merwah grapes sourced from ungrafted, low-yielding vineyards over 50 years of age, located at the altitude of 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) above sea level. A very cool vintage: snow didn't melt until March, spring lasted until June and the ripening period was slowed down by constant cooler breezes. The white grapes never developed much sugar (hovering around 12% potential alcohol) and were rather low in pH, showing balanced levels of acidity. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 9 months in partly new French 225-liter barriques. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted in a Musar Blanc 2014-1998 vertical.
Very deep, luminous and intensely-colored golden yellow appearance. The fascinating, evolved nose shows rich and complex aromas of browned butter and toasted brioche, some bruised apple tones, a little bit of roasted chestnut, light peachy tones of very ripe stone fruits, a hint of sweet smoke, a touch of wild honey and a whiff of creaminess. The wine is rich, complex and very oily - even slightly viscous - on the palate with a rather full body and bold, developed flavors of browned butter and roasted nuts, some bruised apple tones, a little bit of beeswax, light smoky notes of popcorn, hints of dried apricots and wizened exotic fruits and a touch of cooked cream. The medium-to-moderately high acidity is a bit on the lower side for a Musar, but it feels high enough to keep the wine quite effortlessly in balance and lends it some sense of structure despite the rich texture. The finish is ripe, rich and very long with complex flavors of toasty brioche and oxidative nuttiness, some beeswax, a little bit of acacia honey, light saline mineral tones, a hint of lemon curd and a touch of dried exotic fruits.
This was my sixth bottle of 2001 Musar Blanc and fifth bottle that was nothing short of exceptional. Even though I normally prefer Musar whites that are less ponderous and show more freshness, this is still a fantastic, beautifully evolved and quite tertiary white wine that manages to show some vibrant fruit despite its advanced age. This seems like a vintage that has evolved a bit faster than some of the surrounding vintages - based on not only this bottle, but an observation over six bottles - but while some felt the wine was getting a bit too advanced, I thought the wine was either at its peak or close to it. While not a youngster anymore, I think this wine will either keep for at least a handful of years more, or evolve even further from here - not by much, mind you. In our vertical tasting this was my favorite wine with the slightly fresher and more delicate, but similarly fantastic and beautifully evolved 1998 vintage. At just 30€ this has been an absolute bargain.
(97 points) -
1999 Chateau Musar Blanc - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (17.9.2022)
Made with Obaideh (2/3) and Merwah (1/3) sourced from ungrafted, low-yielding vineyards over 50 years of age, located at the altitude of 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) above sea level. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts in concrete tanks; left to age in oak barrels for 6 to 9 months before bottling in 2000. 12,5% alcohol. Tasted in a Musar Blanc 2014-1998 vertical.
Quite deep and slightly hazy golden yellow color with a subtly coppery core. The nose feels relatively restrained and understated with evolved, slightly sweet-toned aromas of slivered almonds and chopped nuts, some cooked cream tones, a little bit of dusty old wood, light notes of bruised apples, a hint of beeswax and a lambic-like touch of phenolic spice. The wine feels silky, elegant and subtly oily on the palate with a moderately full body and surprisingly rich and ripe flavors of honeydew melon, some waxy tones, a little bit of vague toasty character, light sweeter nuances of juicy apricot, a hint of marzipan and a touch of oxidative nuttiness. The moderately high acidity feels quite balanced, keeping the rather rich and somewhat voluptuous body in check, whereas the alcohol feels at times slightly pronounced - more so than one would expect from a wine labeled to be just 12,5% ABV. The finish is rich, silky and slightly warm with a ripe, complex aftertaste of honeydew melon, some apricot, a little bit of apple jam, light browned butter tones, an oxidative hint of chopped nuts and a creamy touch of panna cotta.
A rich, somewhat voluptuous and pleasantly evolved Musar Blanc. On its own this would've been quite a stunning wine, but now it was drunk between two stunning vintages - the remarkably fresh 1998 and the wonderfully complex 2001 - making this wine pale slightly in comparison. The nose here did show some lovely sense of evolution and structure, but it still didn't reach the level of depth and complexity of the 2001, nor the brisk freshness and focus of the 1998. Still, this is a fine example of aged white Musar from the rather opulent end of the spectrum. A great wine, even if it isn't probably the most representative vintage. A superb purchase at just 44,10€.
(94 points) -
1998 Chateau Musar Blanc - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (17.9.2022)
Made with Obaideh (2/3) and Merwah (1/3) sourced from ungrafted, low-yielding vineyards over 50 years of age, located at the altitude of 1,200 meters (4,000 feet) above sea level. The wine is fermented with indigenous yeasts and left to age in oak barrels for 9 months before bottling in 1999. 12,5% alcohol. Total production 30,000 bottles. Tasted in a Musar Blanc 2014-1998 vertical.
Deep, luminous golden yellow color with a slightly bronze-hued core. The nose feels rich, evolved and wonderfully complex with intense aromas of bruised apple and roasted nuts, some honeyed tones, a little bit of orange marmalade, light stony mineral nuances, a hint of toasty spice and a touch of dried yellow fruits. A classic aged Musar nose. The wine is evolved but also surprisingly brisk on the palate with a medium body and intense, quite acid-driven flavors of lemony citrus fruits and bruised apple, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of toasted spices or even toasted bread, light evolved waxy tones, hints of wizened nectarine and dried exotic fruits and a touch of honeyed richness. The quite high acidity lends remarkable sense of freshness, structure and precision to the wine. The finish is long, complex and quite acid-driven with bright yet quite developed flavors of bruised apple, some lemony notes of citrus fruits, a little bit of wizened yellow stone fruits, light nuances of beeswax, an oxidative hint of roasted nuts and a touch of dried pineapple.
A beautifully evolved, complex and quite structured vintage of Musar Blanc. This was my third time having 1998 Blanc (second time within a period of one year!) and I'm quite sure this was the best bottle so far - the last time I had this the wine was nothing short of excellent, but this time the wine showed even more freshness and focus than before. Although the wine is showing some aged complexity, I feel there is still some room for further evolution - especially with bottles that are still as full of life as this one! In our vertical this wine was on my tied 1st spot with the slightly softer but even more complex and sumptuous 2001 vintage. I believe if somebody says this is not their kind of wine, but to me, this is basically everything I want my aged Musar to be. So highly recommended.
(97 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
