It’s time for our biannual Musar tasting (you can read that both as “biennal” or “semi-annual”, because we seem to have a Musar vertical every 6 to 24 months).
Basically every time a new vintage of Musar is released or somebody acquires a new Musar bottling, we seem to have a great excuse to have yet another Musar vertical. This time the reason was that we hadn’t tasted the new 2017 vintage next to the older vintages, so Musar vertical time it is!
If somebody is interested, here are some reports on our previous Musar sessions:
Chateau Musar vertical, pt. 1: 2016-2005
Chateau Musar vertical, pt. 2: 2004-1991
Chateau Musar Blanc vertical 2010-1992
Chateau Musar Blanc 2011-1994 vertical (2 out of 3)
Chateau Musar Blanc vertical 2014-1998 (3 out of 3)
Chateau Musar 2012-1997 vertical
We also had two blinds before drinking through the vertical of grand vin. Naturally they, too, were wines by Chateau Musar.
Some observations:
- For some reason, we’ve had now quite a lot of premoxed Musars in our verticals. Typically Musars can easily age for 30-40 years, but in our recent verticals we’ve had now quite a lot of surprisingly evolved bottles of different vintages less than 15 years old. And these haven’t been vintages that have been evolving at a rapid pace, but instead randomly one vintage here, another one there - just like as you would expect with premox.
- For the above reason, we’ve thought of having not a Musar vertical or horizontal, but a Musar “isocal” (or “homocal”, or whatever is a suitable term). A tasting in which we would taste a bunch of Musars from just one vintage and see how much bottle variation there can be!
- 2012 continues to be a disappointing vintage. It’s not super bad, it’s just so atypical for a Musar - and not in a good way. It feels like a Musar that is trying to be an Amarone or a dry Port. Ugh.
- The jury is still on the fence with the 2017, but I’m starting to feel like the streak of vintages from 2013 to 2017 is a consecutive stretch of great vintages. When Musar is young, IMO it is quite hard to get a good feeling of the nature of vintage right away, but you really start to get a better picture how the vintage is once the wine gets past its 10th birthday. At the moment you can feel that the vintages are evolving slowly in different directions, but none of the vintages feels disappointing at the moment, fortunately. I haven’t been particularly thrilled by the 2009 and 2011 vintages, but so far I’ve loved every single vintage between 2013 and 2017 - I really hope they continue to evolve in the right direction!
- 2020 Chateau Musar Musar Jeune Red - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (13.1.2024)
After a very rainy start of the year, the vineyards in Bekaa Valley had an ideal growing season - up until August, when a heatwave reduced the yields by 40%. A blend of Cinsaut (50%), Syrah (35%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) from organically farmed vineyards. Each variety was fermented spontaneously and separately in concrete tanks, in which the varietal wines remained until March 2021, when the wines were blended together. The blended wine remained in concrete vats until the summer of 2021, when the wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered. 14,5% alcohol and 6,5 g/l acidity. Tasted blind.
Dark, rather opaque and not particularly young nor aged black cherry color. The nose feels quite ripe and sunny with dark-toned aromas of juicy, plummy dark fruit, some spicy tones, a little bit of savory spice, light raisiny tones, a hint of leathery funk and a touch of cassis. The wine feels dark-toned, somewhat solar and slightly evolved on the palate with a moderately full body and dark-toned flavors of wizened dark plums and other dark fruits, some earthy tones, a little bit of raisiny fruit, light juicy blackcurrant nuances, a hint of leathery funk and a touch of gravelly minerality. The overall feel is quite firm and structured, thanks to the high acidity and the ample, moderately grippy tannins. The finish is long, sunny and moderately tannic with a ripe aftertaste of wizened dark fruits, some meaty tones, a little bit of gravelly minerality and earth, light raisiny nuances, a hint of leathery funk and a touch of ripe blackcurrant.
A stern and surprisingly serious but also quite noticeably sunny vintage of Musar Jeune - usually this wine comes across as lighter and more playful in character, emphasizing the lighter, more red-toned flavors of Cinsaut. This time the wine is pretty dark-toned and structure-driven, but also somewhat marked by the heatwave with its sunny dried-fruit flavors. This wine came across as very Lebanese from the get-go, but it didn't feel like the grand vin of Musar, so I guessed that it's a Lebanese wine, but not a Musar. Well, yes and no: the wine was Musar - just not the Musar I was thinking of! All in all, a quite nice and impressive effort - although I could do without those somewhat raisiny dried-fruit flavors. Priced according to its quality at 21,99€.
(90 points) - 2020 Chateau Musar Levantine de Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (13.1.2024)
A recent addition to the Musar lineup, sitting between Musar Jeune and Hochar Père et Fils. A blend of Cinsaut (65%), Tempranillo (25%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) sourced from a single organically farmed vineyard. Although the 2020 vintage was otherwise ideal, the heatwave in September resulted in the loss of 40% of the fruit. The varietal wines for Levantine were vinified separately; they were fermented spontaneously and aged on the lees in concrete vats until blended in early 2021. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered in July 2021. 14,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.
Youthful, somewhat translucent and wonderfully luminous dark raspberry red color. The nose feels quite fruit-forward and sunny with aromas of cherries and black raspberries, some gravelly mineral tones, a little bit of tobacco, light reductive nuances of gunpowder smoke, a hint of wild strawberry, a touch of blueberries and a whiff of plummy dark fruit. The wine feels ripe, dark-toned and juicy on the palate with a medium body and quite dry flavors of black cherries, some tobacco and licorice root, light sunny notes of wizened dark plums, a little bit of strawberry, a raisiny hint of dried fruits and a faint touch of balsamic VA. The overall feel is pretty balanced and harmonious, thanks to the moderately high acidity and ripe yet firm medium tannins. The finish is ripe, juicy and gently grippy with a rather long aftertaste of cherries and wild strawberries, some dark plummy tones, a little bit of balsamic VA, light licorice root notes, a hint of tobacco and a touch of gravelly minerality.
A pleasant, vibrant and youthful "baby Musar" that didn't feel this time as obviously Lebanese as before. Tasting this blind next to Musar Jeune 2020 (also blind) - which felt rather Lebanese, albeit not that "Musar" - I felt this Levantine smelled more Italian and tasted maybe a bit more Grenache-y in comparison. Still a nice wine, but nothing particularly memorable. However, I'd say this wine seemed much more youthful compared to the 2020 Musar Jeune, which seemed a bit more evolved. I guess this Levantine is going to age more slowly and perhaps also needs some aging before it starts showing its best, although I'm not sure which wine will be the better one in the end - 2020 Levantine or 2020 Jeune. All in all, a pleasant drop and priced according to its quality at 18,90€.
(89 points) - 2010 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (13.1.2024)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. 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 the vines to shut and drying the grapes on the vine. Carignan and Cinsaut survived the heat wave quite well, but Cabernet Sauvignon was badly affected, making the harvest very small in part of very limited quantities of high-quality Cabernet grapes. Fermented spontaneously in concrete, aged in oak barrels for a year. Blended together in 2012, left to marry for a year and bottled in 2013. 2010 Musar was made in very limited quantity due to the small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon available. 13,5% alcohol, 2 g/l residual sugar and 6,3 g/l acidity. Decanted for a few hours before tasting the wine.
Deep, somewhat translucent and moderately evolved plummy-red color. The nose feels moderately sweet-toned and surprisingly evolved for its age with slightly oxidative aromas of wizened black cherries, some sweet black raspberry notes, a little bit of beef jerky, light balsamic notes of VA, a hint of tobacco, a touch of strawberry jam and a funky whiff of horse stables. The wine feels ripe, somewhat evolved and quite dark-toned on the palate with flavors of gamey meat and old leather, some wizened black cherries and sweet plummy fruit, a little bit of balsamic VA, light ferrous notes of blood, funky hints of barnyard and phenolic spice and a sweeter touch of strawberry jam. The acidity feels high, which seems to be pretty typical of this vintage, but the somewhat grippy medium-plus tannins have started to resolve to some degree. The finish is long, somewhat evolved and moderately grippy with a savory aftertaste of wizened dark fruits and ripe black cherries, some tobacco, a little bit of balsamic VA, light funky notes of leather and phenolic spice, a hint of earth and a touch of jammy red fruits.
While this was a firm, sophisticated and tasty Musar, I was surprised how evolved this particular bottle was for its age. The 2010 we tasted less than a year earlier didn't seem to be particularly evolved, just in a great spot back then - whereas this bottle had already started to show some oxidative qualities! Although a fine and harmonious wine in its own right, I feel a bit wary, since I have regarded 2010 to be a great Musar that will not only keep but also evolve and develop for many, many years more - this bottle didn't feel like that. I can only hope that this was just bottle variation - which seems to be quite prevalent with this particular vintage! While not as great a bottle as the best 2010 Musars have been, this was still solid value at 41,95€.
(92 points) - 2011 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (13.1.2024)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2011 in Beqaa was very difficult with a cool yet dry beginning, followed by very rainy April and May, delaying the grape maturation. The grapes were still underripe by the time they are normally harvested and ultimately the harvest was finished only by mid-October - the latest in the history of Musar, save for the vintage 1983. Fermented spontaneously in concrete, aged in oak barrels for a year. Blended together in February 2015, left to marry for a few years and bottled in summer 2015. 14% alcohol, 2 g/l residual sugar and 5,7 g/l acidity. Aerated in a decanter for a few hours before tasting the wine.
Quite dark and opaque blackish-red color with a somewhat evolved maroon hue. The nose feels surprisingly old and slightly oxidative with aromas of beef jerky and rancio, some raisiny tones, a little bit of dried dark plummy fruit, light leathery tones, a meaty hint of rillette and a touch of sous-bois. The wine feels ripe, silky and somewhat mellow on the palate with a moderately full body and surprisingly evolved, slightly sweet-toned flavors of wizened dark plums and raisiny dark fruits, some oxidative notes of beef jerky and rancio, a little bit of strawberry jam, light earthy tones, a hint of tobacco and a touch of forest floor. The acidity feels high, whereas the ample tannins come across as quite resolved and mellow. The finish is long, harmonious and a bit tired with a savory and moderately evolved aftertaste of wizened dark plums and red prunes, some oxidative notes of beef jerky, a little bit of ripe strawberry, light balsamic notes of VA, a hint of raisiny dark fruit and a touch of earth.
In our Musar vertical this was already the second bottle that was way more evolved than I anticipated! I've had tons of 1990's Musars that have not showed any obvious oxidative qualities, so why these 2010's Musars are now coming across as old, tired and oxidative? I really hope these are only victims of bottle variation, not something worse. Yet still, this was an enjoyable effort with good sense of depth and lovely freshness from the acidity. However, it was pretty obvious that this bottle wasn't showing its best. To me, 2011 has never been a great Musar vintage, but more of a middle-of-the-road vintage. Nothing exceptional, but nothing worth complaining about. This bottle was like that, but only in a shape I'd expect the wine to be 15-20 years from now. While I liked the wine, my score reflects how the bottle didn't really live up to the expectations. Perhaps slightly pricey for the quality at 39,90€.
(88 points) - 2012 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (13.1.2024)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. 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. Normally the grapes are harvested variety by variety, but this year the harvest was done vineyard by vineyard. Fermented spontaneously in concrete, aged in oak barrels for a year. Blended together in February 2015, left to marry for a few years and bottled in summer 2015. 14,5% alcohol, 4 g/l (or 6,8 g/l, depending on the source) residual sugar, 6,7 g/l acidity and pH 3,5. Aerated in a decanter for a few hours before tasting the wine.
Deep, dark and rather opaque blackish-red color with a maroon dried-blood hue. The nose feels very ripe, solar and slightly porty with sweet aromas of wizened black cherries, some raisiny tones, a little bit of pruney dark fruit, light marmaladey tones, volatile hints of balsamico and nail polish, a touch of leathery funk and a whiff of dried figs. The wine feels ripe, mellow and slightly jammy on the palate with a full body and rich, slightly off-dry flavors of sweet dark fruits, some raisiny and pruney tones, a little bit of pipe tobacco, light balsamic notes of sweet VA, a hint of cherry marmalade and a touch of blueberry jam. The acidity feels moderately high and the tannins come across as ripe but still moderately grippy. The finish is ripe, juicy and gently grippy with a rich, slightly sweet-toned aftertaste of cherry marmalade and jammy red fruits, some dark plummy tones, a little bit of tobacco, light raisiny nuances, a hint of balsamic VA and a touch of prunes.
A conspicuously rich, sweet-toned and even rather porty vintage of Musar. When I tasted the wine upon release, it felt rather sweetly-fruited already back then, but also more vibrant with its youthful overall character. However, as the wine has aged, it has lost its sense of freshness and vibrancy, coming across just quite porty and raisiny - something not unlike a Lebanese Amarone. These qualities can be quite noticeable even when the wine is tasted alone, but the porty nature of this vintage really gets exacerbated in a Musar vertical tasting where the sweet, sunny flavors really jump at you amidst all the dried, more classically styled vintages. This is not a bad wine per se, but not really made in a style of Musar that I like - it is just too rich, sweet-toned and high in alcohol for my preference. I guess it's possible this wine can make fine old bones after all, but seeing how the wine isn't really evolving in a direction I like, I wouldn't hold my breath. Feels a bit pricey for the quality at 39€.
(87 points) - 2013 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (13.1.2024)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. 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 sugars of Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan - but not Cinsaut, for some reason, which was ultimately harvested later than the other two varieties, ie. on normal schedule in late September. Fermented spontaneously - and at an atypically slow pace - in concrete, aged in French oak barrels for a year. Blended together in the spring of 2016, left to marry for a few months and bottled in summer 2016. 14% alcohol. Aerated in a decanter for some hours before tasting the wine.
Deep, dark and more or less fully opaque black cherry color. The nose feels ripe, dark-toned and quite attractive with aromas of black cherries and dark plums, some dusty notes of sun-baked earth and old wood, a little bit of balsamic VA, light juicy notes of ripe raspberries, a hint of phenolic spice, a vague touch of barnyard and a funky whiff of stinky cheese. The wine feels firm, velvety and textural on the palate with a full body and intense flavors of ripe dark forest fruits and sweet black cherries, some phenolic spice, a little bit of dusty sun-baked earth, light juicy notes of fresh figs, hints of kirsch and cherry pits and a savory touch of meaty umami. The high acidity lends good sense of freshness, structure and intensity to the wine whereas the ample yet ripe tannins lend nice firmness to the mouthfeel. The finish is long, ripe and juicy with a rather intense aftertaste of sweet dark berries and fresh figs, some balsamic notes of VA, a little bit of tobacco, light nuances of cloves and bitter almond oil, vague bretty hints of smoky phenolic spice and barnyard and a touch of cherry marmalade.
A ripe and juicy but also wonderfully firm, harmonious and intensely flavored Musar. A very classically styled vintage. Although the wine is not nearly as funky and bretty as the older vintages (1990's and beyond) have been, there's still a faint touch of brett in addition to the sweet, balsamic nuances of VA, which both contribute to the very classic Musar-y feel of the wine. I think that upon release the wine felt somewhat cleaner with no obvious signs of brett, but the wine has started to develop those vague funky overtones during its time in the bottle - which is something I don't mind one little bit! Although not a super impressive stunner, I feel this is consistently one of the better recent vintages and the wine is evolved in the right direction. Of the three bottles I've tasted thus far, I'd say this was the best one yet - although only by a fine margin. Solid value at 39,99€.
(93 points) - 2014 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (13.1.2024)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2014 in Beqaa was exceptionally dry, continuing from the dry end of 2013, showing no rain, snow or cold weather. These dry weathers continued into the summer, and by August the vines were already suffering from lack of water. Cabernet suffered the most from the lack of water and Carignan was somewhat affected, too. Cinsaut, as usual, didn't have any problems and matured as usual. The wine was fermented spontaneously, all varieties separately in concrete tanks. Due to the atypically high sugar content, the start of the fermentation of Cabernet and Carignan was sluggish and took a long time, whereas Cinsaut fermented pretty normally. The fermented varietal wines were aged in oak barrels for a year, blended in January 2017, then left to marry for a few months and bottled unfined and unfiltered in summer 2017. 14% alcohol, 4 g/l residual sugar, 6,7 g/l acidity. Aerated in a decanter for some hours before tasting the wine.
Deep, dark and fully opaque black cherry color with a faint, youthful blueish hue. The nose feels very ripe, quite sweet and rather dark-toned with aromas of juicy figs, some licorice tones, a little bit of juicy blueberry, light solar notes of wizened black cherries and sun-baked earth, a sweet hint of balsamic VA, a perfumed touch of fragrant floral spice and a whiff of raisiny fruit. The wine feels ripe, dry-ish (but not entirely dry) and slightly concentrated on the palate with a full body and intense flavors of dark plums and raisiny tones, some developed notes of wizened black cherries, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light earthy nuances, a hint of balsamic VA and a touch of sweet bilberry. Despite being rather solar and even slightly sweet-toned, the wine still retains good sense of balance, structure and harmony, thanks to its high acidity and moderately grippy tannins. The finish is juicy, somewhat tannic and slightly warm with a long, intense aftertaste of ripe black cherries and dark plummy fruit, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of balsamic VA, light licorice tones, a sweet hint of dried figs and wizened bilberries and a touch of floral lift.
With its very solar and slightly sweet-toned overall feel, this vintage bears a little bit of semblance to the rich, sweetish 2012 vintage. However, where the 2012 vintage comes across as somewhat porty and clumsy, lacking in freshness, this 2014 vintage comes across as much more harmonious, balanced and structured in style. Although I love a drier, leaner style of Musar, this is a very impressive and thoroughly enjoyable example of the somewhat sweeter-toned, more solar style of Musar. Of the three bottles of this vintage that I've tasted, this has been the best (a bottle in 2021 was very impressive, but had a tiny bit of CO2 fizz; a bottle in early 2023 seemed surprisingly evolved and even a bit tired). Great stuff, good value at 40,98€.
(93 points) - 2015 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (13.1.2024)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2015 in Beqaa was one of the most challenging vintages in a very long time, starting with plenty of rain and snow, followed by a week in April when nighttime temperatures dropped to sub-zero levels, destroying most if not all the buds on vines. New green shoots started appearing in May and growth continued through a humid June and very warm July and August. A heatwave in August caused further losses in the vineyards and finally fruit was harvested over the first two weeks of September. Cabernet was harvested first, on 3rd of September with 65% losses to the crop. Cinsaut was harvested on the 2nd week of September with 70% losses to the crop in Aana and 40% in Kefraya. Carignan was harvested on 11th of September with losses to the half of the fruit. The wine was fermented spontaneously, all varieties separately in concrete tanks. The fermented varietal wines were aged in oak barrels for a year, blended in January 2018, then left to marry for a few months and bottled unfined and unfiltered in the summer of 2018. 14% alcohol, 5 g/l residual sugar and 5,7 g/l acidity. Aerated in a decanter for some hours before tasting the wine.
Luminous, moderately translucent and quite youthful ruby-red color. The nose feels savory and a bit restrained but also enjoyably nuanced with aromas of ripe dark berries, some fresh cherries, a little bit of loose pouch tobacco, light fragrant notes of exotic spices and spice cake, a hint of wild strawberry, a funky touch of leather saddle and a lifted whiff of ethery VA. The wine feels surprisingly dry, sinewy and robust on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and intense flavors of crunchy red currants and sour cherries, some wild strawberries, a little bit of stony minerality, light tart notes of lingonberries and fresh red plums, a hint of old dry leather and a touch of spice cake. Despite the ripeness, the wine is pretty firm and structured due to the high acidity and the rather grippy tannins. The finish is long, dry and quite grippy with an intense aftertaste of fresh red plums and crunchy redcurrants, some sour cherry bitterness, a little bit of stony minerality, light licorice tones, a hint of wild strawberry and a touch of earth.
Now this vintage has really started to blossom! Only a year ago seemed quite youthful and very promising, but not particularly impressive at that moment. However, now, the wine shows more depth and intensity, coming across as a very classically styled Musar with great sense of focus, structure and intensity of flavor. However, just as last time: I found the wine also very clean in overall character, showing very little of VA and almost no bretty phenolics! And even though I love that Musar funk a ton, I still found this vintage very impressive and quite irresistible. I'm very happy that this wine really seems to be aging in the right direction and most likely has the stuffing to make beautiful old bones with enough time. Good value at 40,98€.
(93 points) - 2016 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (13.1.2024)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2016 in Beqaa started with a good deal of rain and snow, followed by a warm April. May was relatively rainy as well, boosting vine growth. June and July were very warm and pretty dry, resulting in accelerated ripening. Cabernet was harvested first, in mid-August - earlier than ever before. Carignan and Cinsaut matured at a slower pace and were harvested in early September. The wine was fermented spontaneously, all varieties separately in concrete tanks. The fermented varietal wines were aged in oak barrels for a year, blended in February 2019, then left to marry for a few months and bottled unfined and unfiltered in the summer of 2019. 14% alcohol, 3 g/l residual sugar, 6,5 g/l acidity, pH 3,48 and 127 mg/l total SO2. Aerated in a decanter for some hours before tasting the wine.
Slightly evolved and moderately translucent pomegranate color. The nose feels sweet, somewhat restrained and quite clean with rich yet a bit delicate aromas of strawberries, some cherry marmalade, light lifted notes of sweet nail polish VA, a little bit of boysenberry, savory hints of leather and pipe tobacco, a touch of red licorice and a fragrant whiff of something vaguely perfumey. The wine feels clean, ripe and relatively airy (for a Musar) on the palate with a medium-to-moderately full body and slightly understated flavors of ripe redcurrants and fresh red plums, some sweet black cherry tones, a little bit of pipe tobacco, light notes of licorice root, a hint of sour cherry bitterness and a touch of peppery spice. The structure relies more on the high acidity, although the ample yet ripe medium tannins bring some nice sense of firmness to the mouthfeel. The finish is somewhat grippy and ripe yet more savory than sweet with a long aftertaste of redcurrants, some juicy red plums, a little bit of boysenberry, light lifted notes of nail polish VA, a hint of licorice root and a touch of sour cherry bitterness.
A nice, sophisticated and a bit restrained vintage of Musar that shows good sense of elegance and more red-toned rather than dark-toned flavor profile. Our previous bottle in early 2023 seemed surprisingly evolved and even slightly tertiary, making me worry a bit for the wine and I chalked it up to bottle variation - and sure enough, this bottle performed exactly as a young Musar should. Instead of coming across as open and expressive (like, say, the vintage 2014), this is still holding a bit back, coming across as still a bit grumpy and reticent. I think the bottle I tasted rather soon after release (in mid-2022) performed maybe a tad better, but this is still a nice and enjoyable vintage of Musar with lots of upside. Most likely the wine reaches its drinking window in a few years, but it'll take much more for the wine to hit its peak. Priced according to its quality at 44,95€.
(91 points) - 2017 Chateau Musar - Lebanon, Bekaa Valley (13.1.2024)
A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsaut, one third of each. The vintage 2017 in Beqaa started with a good deal of rain and snow, followed by a slightly cool April, delaying the opening of the buds. The temperatures soared in late July and this heat continued until mid-August, reducing yields and prompting for an early harvest. Cabernet was harvested first, starting on 22nd August, followed by Carignan and Cinsaut that were harvested in early September. The wine was fermented spontaneously, all varieties separately in concrete tanks. The fermented varietal wines were aged in oak barrels for a year, blended in early 2020, then left to marry for a few months and bottled unfined and unfiltered in the summer of 2020. 14% alcohol, 4 g/l residual sugar and 6,7 g/l acidity.
Surprisingly translucent and rather dark ruby-red color with a slightly evolved brick-red core. The nose feels sweet, quite youthful and rather ripe with clean aromas of sunny red fruits, some juicy strawberry tones, a little bit of tobacco, light dusty notes of sun-baked earth, a hint of redcurrant jam and a touch of fresh red plums. The wine feels dry, firm and quite silky on the palate with a medium body and pretty youthful and fresh flavors of juicy red plums, some ripe redcurrant and wild strawberry notes, a little bit of tobacco, light blueberry tones, a hint of stony minerality and a sweet, lifted touch of ethery VA. The wine is impressively structured with its high acidity and rather assertive and grippy tannins. The finish is long, dry and rather tannic with a juicy aftertaste of black raspberries, some gravelly mineral tones, a little bit of crunchy redcurrant, light notes of tobacco, a lifted hint of sweet, ethery VA and a touch of sour cherry bitterness.
This is an impressively structured, intensely flavored and surprisingly clean vintage of Musar with no obvious bretty tones and only a tiny bit of sweet, ethery VA. The tannins feel surprisingly ample and grippy, making this probably the most tannic Musar vintage of the 2010's thus far. Although the wine is still very young and rather tightly-knit, not really showing its best in a long time, this is still a very impressive effort all the same, showing great potential for development and improvement. Most likely this will become a very fine wine with enough age, but I wouldn't be surprised if it took another 20 years or even more. Solid value at 51,95€.
(92 points)
Posted from CellarTracker
