Saina Nieminen
Saina Nieminen
Musar disappeared from the Finnish market some time ago, but I splurged and ordered a few bottles of recentish vintages to try. Next month, I hope I shall be able to make a slight detour from my Syrian trip, to visit Lebanon as well to get more precise bearings on the recent years of this property I usually love.
First up was an astonishingly good Hochar Pre & Fils 2003 - astonishing because the numerous "second" (or third or fourth) wines have always seemed drearily inferior to the Chteau wine - this has so far been the only Hochar P&F that has shown a clear family resemblance to the Chteau wine. It is a single vineyard wine from the village of 'An, some 10km or so south of Chtoura (where the famous Ksara winery is). IIRC, 2003 wasn't a heat-wave in the Biq'-valley, but was a bit cooler than usual. But it was also drier and sunnier than normal, and this weather maybe is the reason why this wine combines both sweetness of fruit and a general "southern", warm feel to brightness and vivacity? Lovely stuff.
The we had the Chteau Musar Blanc 2001, a blend of Marwah and Obaideh, from the last of four consecutive heatwave vintages. But maybe due to the influence of altitude - this is from some of the highest vineyards I have heard of, at c.1200m - this didn't seem like a hot year wine (unlike the '01 red I have previously had, which did show a bit too much influence from the sun). But it is a fruity wine by Musar Blanc's standards, so much so that the oxidative notes which are there have to be actively searched for! It smells wonderfully like apricots and earth; rich and full bodied despite only 12,5% abv. The acidity for the white tends to be about 4,5-5 g/l, so it is technically a low acid wine, but it is still refreshing. Unending aftertaste, of wonderfully pure, mineral and apricotty fruit. A truly wonderful wine.
And finally we opened the Chteau Musar Rouge 2002 which might just be the most exciting young Musar I have had. But since it has been a while since this wine has been available (or affordable) in Finland, there is a possibility that my emotions make this seem greater than it really is.
The year started out abnormally cool, but the end of the growing season was hot, but not so hot (or not hot long enough) that the acidity would have plummeted. It is a year with much of everything: fruit, alcohol (14%), acidity, tannins - and amazingly enough with such a combination, nuance and elegance, too. There is nothing raisiny or overripe as there was with the red 2001, yet it has the ripe, sexy, funky, savoury style of the 1991. Wonderful grip. I have previously thought of Musar's structure as more acid than tannin driven, but this has almost Nebbiolo-like palate-cleansing tannins. The wonderful acidity makes this very moreish. I always thought that having much fruit, much alcohol, much acidity and much tannin was a combination that made wine difficult to drink, but this wine proves me wrong. Lovely stuff.
First up was an astonishingly good Hochar Pre & Fils 2003 - astonishing because the numerous "second" (or third or fourth) wines have always seemed drearily inferior to the Chteau wine - this has so far been the only Hochar P&F that has shown a clear family resemblance to the Chteau wine. It is a single vineyard wine from the village of 'An, some 10km or so south of Chtoura (where the famous Ksara winery is). IIRC, 2003 wasn't a heat-wave in the Biq'-valley, but was a bit cooler than usual. But it was also drier and sunnier than normal, and this weather maybe is the reason why this wine combines both sweetness of fruit and a general "southern", warm feel to brightness and vivacity? Lovely stuff.
The we had the Chteau Musar Blanc 2001, a blend of Marwah and Obaideh, from the last of four consecutive heatwave vintages. But maybe due to the influence of altitude - this is from some of the highest vineyards I have heard of, at c.1200m - this didn't seem like a hot year wine (unlike the '01 red I have previously had, which did show a bit too much influence from the sun). But it is a fruity wine by Musar Blanc's standards, so much so that the oxidative notes which are there have to be actively searched for! It smells wonderfully like apricots and earth; rich and full bodied despite only 12,5% abv. The acidity for the white tends to be about 4,5-5 g/l, so it is technically a low acid wine, but it is still refreshing. Unending aftertaste, of wonderfully pure, mineral and apricotty fruit. A truly wonderful wine.
And finally we opened the Chteau Musar Rouge 2002 which might just be the most exciting young Musar I have had. But since it has been a while since this wine has been available (or affordable) in Finland, there is a possibility that my emotions make this seem greater than it really is.
The year started out abnormally cool, but the end of the growing season was hot, but not so hot (or not hot long enough) that the acidity would have plummeted. It is a year with much of everything: fruit, alcohol (14%), acidity, tannins - and amazingly enough with such a combination, nuance and elegance, too. There is nothing raisiny or overripe as there was with the red 2001, yet it has the ripe, sexy, funky, savoury style of the 1991. Wonderful grip. I have previously thought of Musar's structure as more acid than tannin driven, but this has almost Nebbiolo-like palate-cleansing tannins. The wonderful acidity makes this very moreish. I always thought that having much fruit, much alcohol, much acidity and much tannin was a combination that made wine difficult to drink, but this wine proves me wrong. Lovely stuff.