Chateau Musar White 2017

Pale lemon colour and a nose of apples, fresh hay with a hint of vanilla and grapefruit citrus notes. There are orange flower notes to the nose which follow through to the palate with sweet basil, peach and tarte tatin flavours which will develop as the wine ages. Our tastings after the harvest at the winery revealed an elegant Obaideh and a ‘wild’ Merwah, perhaps a perfect combination of styles and genuine reflection of the terroir and the ease with which they have adapted to Lebanese conditions over centuries.

Aperitif, Cold cuts, Grilled fish and seafood, Lebanese Mezze, Light cheese - Goat cheese, Pasta and pizza.

In their youth, Chateau Musar Whites display a yellow-gold color, subtly oaky character, and creamy texture. The wine is rich yet dry, intensely citrusy, and carries honeyed nuances. This style is unique and has been compared to ‘dry Sauternes’ or mature white Graves. As the wine ages, it develops tawny hues and mellow, spicy characteristics. The cellars at Ghazir hold bottles of this wine dating back to as far as 1954.

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.