TN '64 Chateau Musar

[Karena Shannon]

This is what we settled on---how often do you get to try a wine older than you are?---from the fine list at the Albion River Inn Restaurant. Further details about the restaurant are in the “Touring” folder.
Our server did an excellent job removing a troublesome cork that first crumbled, then got stuck in the bottle, without getting any of it into the wine. Color was a medium red, with just the faintest hint of brown at the edge. Swirling and time yielded a complex nose emphasizing cinnamon, raspberries, leather, and cedar (kinda’ appropriate, considering..) Tannins were fully resolved, but the wine still had adequate structure in the mouth to handle the perfectly cooked rare fillets of dead cow. Finish was quite lengthy. Overall, a very elegant wine, heading towards a more “Pinot-ish” stage of its life. Well worth the money and an excellent experience. Is there a more underappreciated Cab producer in the world than Chateau Musar?

[Jason]

It is interesting wine, very true. Also strange because of the land involved and the use of Cinsault in the blend. But I have to say that I think the wine would lose some of its mystique if it was'nt made in a war torn Lebanon. Maybe the wine is just over my head who knows? It also has a reputation of changing wildy with age and making tasters eat their words.Check out Oz Clarkes "New Classic Wines" for a blurb.