Chateau Musar

(2025) Musar's typical blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan, aged six years before release. I thought this was a fabulous young Musar, brimming with aroma and flavour already which is quite primary in character, so there is surely more to come with cellaring. Plush with cranberry and ripe, rich blackcurrant, a hint of mint in there too. Such sweet and mouth-filling fruit, caressing the tongue with medium-bodied and quite silky texture, hints of earth and smoky minerals, but really all about smooth and plush flavours over moderate tannin and particularly juicy acidity. A fine rendition of this classic in a relatively forward style, but it will age. Watch the video for more information.

This is a blend of Cinsault (45%), Syrah (45%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%). The grapes, which were grown in organically certified vineyards, were fermented in concrete vats. Once the wine was blended, it rested in more concrete vats until it was bottled in 2018. “Musar Jeune,” which is unfiltered, is as dark as midnight, with dense berry flavors, light tannins and lively acidity. Lebanon’s viticultural region, the Bekaa Valley, lies almost 20 miles east of Beirut and is about 75 miles long and almost 10 miles wide. With wet, occasionally snowy winters and warm, dry summers this is the kind of climate in which grapes thrive.