Chateau Musar, 2000

Get to know: Chateau Musar, 2000

Tasting Note

Producer Tasting Note - "The colour is a deep dark red, perhaps darker than usual at Chateau Musar. The nose is a complex intriguing mixture of figs, prunes, leather, dark tea, tobacco, black olives with spices and a certain earthiness. On the palate, you will find ripe black cherries, figs, damsons-even chocolate and olives. There is good acidity with nice smooth tannins resulting in a wine which full-bodied, rich and velvety with very long length. In summary we feel that the 2000 vintage is a serious wine with serious ageing potential but with a very approachable and open style which makes it perfect for drinking now as well as cellaring. Perhaps more Bordeaux like in character than in previous vintages." - Chateau Musar

Producer Info

The Hochar family's philosophy of respect for the environment means that the 180 hectares of Musar vineyards are managed with minimal human interference and all the wines are made naturally. Chateau Musar was the first producer in Lebanon to achieve organic certification for its vineyards in 2006.

The 2000 vintage of Chateau Musar is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan approximately 1/3rd of each. It was fermented in cement vats and then aged for one year in French nevers oak barriques. It was blended and bottled at the end of the third year following the harvest and aged for a further 3 to 4 years in the cellars of Chateau Musar at Ghazir before its release in May 2007.

Bottled unfined and unfiltered, Chateau Musar Reds are suitable for vegans; they’re also richly-textured and likely to ‘throw a crust’. This is a common feature of most fine wines and is especially true of Musar Red vintages over a decade old. Ideally, bottles should be standing up the night before opening to allow the sediment to settle. After careful decanting (and discarding of sediment, usually in the last centimetre 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.