Château Musar Rouge 2017
Château Musar
Serge Hochar's legendary estate has produced wine through civil war and political upheaval, and this 2017 vintage shows why the world took notice decades ago. The blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, and Carignan aged in French oak is released only when deemed ready. Copper's role here is quieter — in winemaking, trace copper contact during fermentation helps manage reduction — but the result is a wine of haunting complexity.
Kit Aromas
Nose
Mature cherry and dried berry mingle with cedar and a distinctly gamey, almost leathery note. There's a subtle floral quality — dried rose petals — and a warm vanilla undertone from years in French oak.
Palate
Medium-to-full bodied with a texture that's silky yet firm. Blackcurrant and cherry drive the fruit expression, supported by toasted spice and a savory, herbal complexity. A hint of mint freshness provides lift. The wine has the structured warmth of a mature Bordeaux-style blend but with an unmistakable wildness.
Finish
Long and evolving, with cedar, cherry, and a gentle earthy resolve.
- Varietal
- Cabernet Sauvignon
- Blend
- Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan
- Vineyards
- Estate vineyards in the Bekaa Valley, 1,000m elevation
- Alcohol
- 14%
- Organic / Biodynamic
- No
Food Pairing
Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with sumac and za'atar
From the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon, where the Hochar family has made wine since 1930 — often under extraordinary duress — Château Musar's reds are fermented in concrete vats and aged in French oak barriques, with the winery famously releasing vintages only when they've reached maturity.
Be the first to comment.
Leave a comment
Tenuta delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso San Lorenzo 2021
Tenuta delle Terre Nere
Marc de Grazia's Terre Nere estate produces some of Etna's most expressive contrada wines, and San Lorenzo is a standout: old Nerello Mascalese vines rooted in ancient lava flows deliver a wine of rare transparency. This is not fruit-driven in the obvious sense — it is terroir speaking through fruit. Think Burgundy by way of a volcano.
Domaine de la Côte Pinot Noir Sola Tierra 2021
Domaine de la Côte
Rajat Parr and Sashi Moorman's Sola Tierra block sits on diatomaceous earth soils that produce some of the most transparent Pinot Noir in California. This is a wine of direction rather than power — it knows exactly where it's going and arrives with grace. If you're still looking for California Pinot that can stand alongside Burgundy Premier Cru, start here.
Château Pibran Pauillac 2019
Château Pibran
Château Pibran punches well above its price in the 2019 vintage. Owned by AXA Millésimes (who also own Pichon Baron), it benefits from the same meticulous attention and top-tier terroir. The tension between ripe fruit generosity and classic Pauillac austerity makes it both immediately enjoyable and cellaring-worthy.
Luciano Sandrone Barbera d'Alba 2021
Luciano Sandrone
Sandrone's Barbera is always a masterclass in restraint and fruit purity. The 2021 vintage delivered ideal conditions in Piedmont, and this wine captures the variety's defining bright acidity alongside ripe, generous fruit. It over-performs for Barbera d'Alba — the kind of bottle that reminds you why this grape deserves a permanent place at the table, not just as Barolo's understudy.