Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan
75cl * Organic, Vegan & Sustainable * 13.5% ABV * Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
Chateau Musar undoubtedly is one of the world’s wine icons. Since it’s founding in 1930 by Gaston Hochar, the Hochar family have acquired a reputation for producing outstanding wines inspired by Lebanon’s 6,000-year winemaking heritage. It was the late, great Serge Hochar, Gaston's son, who perfected the formula for Chateau Musar’s Red and helped build iconic status, becoming Decanter Magazine’s first ‘Man of the Year’ in 1984.
Flanked by snow-covered mountains, and nestled at 1000m above sea level, the serenely beautiful Bekaa Valley is blessed with 300 days of sunshine a year, fresh mountain breezes and an average temperature of 25°C. Remote and unspoilt, the Musar vineyards were ‘organic’ by default before the term was coined.
Hochar Père et Fils Red has often been described as the ‘second’ wine of Chateau Musar, as its style does bear some resemblance to the flagship wine but the comparison stops there as its vineyards, blend and ageing places are very different. Four years in the making, Hochar Père et Fils Red is a blend of Cinsault (50%), Grenache (40%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%), sourced from a single vineyard near the Bekaa Valley village of Aana, characterised by its deep soils over limestone.
A fragrant and deeply coloured vintage, full of generously ripe and brambly fruit. There are black cherry, plum and blueberry notes on the nose and palate with a touch of spice. The 2019 vintage has great ageing potential although the tannins are already soft, ensuring its immediate appeal and approachability upon release in the spring of 2022.
“It has the DNA of the grand vin and is akin to fine Chateauneuf-du-Pape in its complexity, with delicious cherry notes flooding out from the Cinsault.” Jonathan Ray, The Spectator Magazine February 2022
After careful decanting (and discarding of sediment, usually in the last centimeter of the bottle) the wine should be allowed to breathe for an hour and served at 18°C with roasts, grills (especially lamb), casseroles, game, and mature cheeses.