South African & International Fine Wine
Live Auction, 14 September 2019
Session One
Incl. Buyer's Premium & VAT
About this Item
Chateau Musar, founded in the Bekaa Valley in 1930, is easily Lebanon's most famous wine producer. Gaston Hochar set up the vineyard after traveling through Bordeaux, and today the old vineyards are planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsaut, Carignan and indigenous Lebanese grapes Obaideh and Merwah.
In 1959, Hochar's son Serge took control of the vineyards, having returned from Bordeaux where he was studying enology. The vineyard suffered during the Lebanese Civil War (two vintages were lost or damaged), and Hochar began to look beyond the domestic market. The wine began to gain recognition after Michael Broadbent MW wrote about them in Decanter magazine in 1979 and by the time the war ended in 1990, just a small fraction of Chateau Musar wines were sold locally.
The 1959 Chateau musar was first vintage of the late Serge Hochar and is often said to have been his favourite. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan from high up in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, this eccentric but legendary wine seems to have many parallels with Chateau Libertas in its styling and aging. The region is however unique, flanked by snow-covered mountains at 1000m above sea level. The estate also managed to escape many wars.
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Critics Ratings
Musar is renowned its honest styling and longevity. The 1959 initially showed some earthy and musty notes, blowing off to reveal wonderful sweet fruit and exotic spice. There is generous sweetness on the palate, perhaps even residual sugar, rounding off the wine but also giving it life and enjoyment. The palate is composed, long and comforting with generosity and enjoyment. This bottle was recorked and relabelled at the property in 2012 and will keep for another few decades. - Roland Peens 94/100 (2015)
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