Half Bottle: Chateau Musar 2019

Winemaker's notes:

"Dark, broody and spicy and blood red in colour. The aromas are blueberry, cranberry and blackcurrant with black olives and a touch of cloves, these follow through to the palate with added cherries, plum and spice. There is also a note of black pepper and it finishes with a good level of acidity and fine integrated tannins. It is a well-balanced wine, mature and ready for drinking upon its release at 7 years of age and has excellent ageing potential." 

Cabernet Sauvignon (33.3%) - Cinsault (33.3%) - Carignan (33.3%)

2019 - 13.5% abv

The Vintage: 2019 was an abnormal year in Lebanon with record rainfall in December, January and February – in the Bekaa Valley levels exceeded 1000mm compared to the 400-600mm average. After several years of drought however, this was a welcome relief as both viticulture and agriculture had long suffered from a lack of water, and the vintage offered perfect conditions for the classic Musar grapes of Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Carignan. What’s more, and intriguingly, Musar find that fermentation seems to be enhanced in rainy years, with natural yeast fermentation and malolactic fermentation completed by early November.

After 12 months in cement vats followed by another 12 months in French oak, blending took place in the Summer months of 2021, with bottling taking place the following Summer. Then came the long pre-release bottle-ageing that is Chateau Musar’s signature.