# Château Musar Red (2003)

- **Producer:** Château Musar
- **Colour:** red
- **Type:** still
- **Grapes:** Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan
- **Region:** Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
- **Style:** Classic
- **Alcohol:** 14.0%
- **Average price:** €75
- **Vegan:** Yes
- **Contains sulphites:** Yes
- **When to drink:** Now or Later
- **Serving temperature:** 16–18 °C
- **Aromas & flavours:** cherry, plum, blackberry, black pepper, vanilla, cloves, cedar, leather, game, forest floor, mushroom, dried fig, prune

## About this wine

Château Musar is one of the most iconic and resilient wineries in the world, founded in 1930 by Gaston Hochar in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. Operating from a 17th-century castle in Ghazir, the estate achieved legendary status under the late Serge Hochar, who was named Decanter's first-ever Man of the Year in 1984 for his dedication to winemaking during the Lebanese Civil War. The estate's vineyards are situated at high altitudes in the Bekaa Valley, where gravelly soils and a Mediterranean climate provide ideal conditions for low-yield, highly concentrated grapes. Musar's red wines are celebrated globally for their remarkable aging potential, unique vintage variation, and complex, rustic character. The 2003 vintage was marked by a very hot summer, resulting in a rich, concentrated, and highly expressive wine.

## Interesting facts

- Château Musar only missed producing a vintage twice (1976 and 1984) during the 15-year Lebanese Civil War.
- The winery releases its red wines a minimum of seven years after the harvest, allowing them to develop complex tertiary characters.
- The late winemaker Serge Hochar was named Decanter Magazine's first-ever 'Man of the Year' in 1984 for his bravery and dedication.

## Food pairing

The 2003 Château Musar Red possesses high acidity, resolved but structured tannins, and a complex array of savory, gamey, and dried-fruit flavors. These characteristics make it an exceptional partner for rich, gamey meats and earthy dishes. The wine's natural acidity cuts through the fat of lamb and duck, while its tertiary notes of leather and forest floor harmonize beautifully with mushrooms, truffles, and slow-cooked stews.

## Wine making process

The winemaking philosophy at Château Musar is defined by minimal intervention. Grapes are hand-harvested by local Bedouins in the Bekaa Valley and transported across the mountains to the winery in Ghazir. Fermentation takes place spontaneously with native yeasts in concrete vats. The wine is aged for 12 months in French oak barrels (Nevers) before being blended. After blending, the wine is transferred back to concrete vats for another year before bottling. Crucially, Château Musar Red is bottled unfined and unfiltered, and then aged in the winery's deep cellars for an additional four years. It is only released seven years after the harvest, ensuring it has developed significant complexity before reaching consumers.