Chateau Musar Red 2016

The 2016 vintage exhibits a deep ruby color with high viscosity. The nose is dominated by red cherries, plums, carob, and figs, accompanied by a hint of eastern spice. On the palate, kirsch and plums are joined by blackcurrant and chocolate. The tannins are velvety soft, contributing to the wine's depth and fruit concentration, culminating in a long finish. The 2016 harvest demonstrated the undeniable effects of global warming, with rising annual temperatures and successive years of low rainfall leading to drier soils. These factors can influence grape maturation and the winemaking process. However, with much-needed rainfall and nearly perfect climatic conditions in 2016, there is great confidence in the potential of this vintage for decades to come.

Seven years in the making, Chateau Musar Red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, and Cinsault from vineyards near the Bekaa Valley villages of Aana and Kefraya on gravelly soils over limestone. Planted from the 1930s onwards, yields are low from these mature bushvines (average age: 40 years): Between 15 to 35hl per hectare.

In 1930, at just 20 years old, Gaston Hochar founded Chateau Musar, inspired by Lebanon's 6,000-year winemaking tradition and his travels in Bordeaux. His 'wines with noblesse' greatly impressed senior officers in the army following the French mandate of the 1920s. Major Ronald Barton, of Château Langoa-Barton, stationed in Lebanon during World War II, became a great friend, strengthening the links between Chateau Musar and Bordeaux that remain to this day.

The wines of Chateau Musar are unique expressions from a country with an ancient winemaking culture, as vines have been cultivated in Lebanon's high-altitude Bekaa Valley for over 6,000 years.