2003 Chateau Musar

[andrawes76]

2003 Chateau Musar from Lebanon. Great quality, tannin and acid balanced, just the right amount of fruit. Not a heavy Bordeaux style, so Id say definitely Pessac Leognan styled. Very pleased!

[winoweenie]

????!!!!!Serge musta' changed his style 180*. Have had his wines dating back to the incredible 59 and can't remember one of them suckers resembling any Bordeaux I'd experienced. WW

[TheEngineer]

I would agree with that WW. Its got its own distinctive set of spices and most of the bottles have enough VA to be good enough to teach a class on the subject alone

[Thomas]

Engineer,

Thanks for saying that about the VA. I view it as a flaw; many wine geeks think it is an "interesting" characteristic.

[winoweenie]

Not only VA but PTA, CPA, USA, AND enny other A's you can dream up. The 03 musta' just been released. Look for it to become kicker in 2023. WW

[andrawes76]

Had no idea they went back as far as '59! Thats incredible but it makes sense that Lebanon would produce great wines given the terroir and the history of wine making in the ancient times (Thomas, we know all about that heh?) :-)

[Thomas]

Certainly do, Alex. Lebanon is among the oldest wine-producing neighborhoods on earth.

[winoweenie]

During the civil war both sides revered Musar so much they actually declared truces so the grapes could be picked and the wine made. Yeppo AA this is one old nineyard in the Bekka Valley that has made wine countinously since the 40s'. I felped a friend set up a distributorship in Denver back in the early 80s and I split a container of old Musars with him when he brought in his 1st shipment. So many epic bottlings that it was overwhelming but the ones that stood out were the 59, 62, 65, 66, 70, & 72. Wont even get into what Serge charged us as it would make us both ill. WW

[andrawes76]

Tasted this wine again last night. yes, its distinct but it has the Pessac nose and a lovely palate. I honestly feel that of all the 2003 vintages I have tasted, the 2003 vintage of Chateau Musar is magnificent and the most memorable. Such an elegant finish this wine is perfectly balanced.

[TheEngineer]

Gonna hafta hunt a few down then there Alex! Thanks for the heads up!