Château Musar, Bekaa Valley

Organic

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Serge Hochar
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The Lebanese Cult Wine

Without a doubt, Château Musar is Lebanon’s top wine estate. Established by Gaston Hochar in 1930, the estate had consistently produced high-quality wines that have faced adversity and war. The wines are a testament of the sheer will and determination by the Hochar family, who had been producing exceptional wines every year except for 1976 and 1984.

Located in Ghazir, Bekaa Valley, 15 miles north of Beirut, the vineyards benefit from an altitude of 1,000 meters. Subsequent cool nights help lengthen the ripening process, and step that is crucial for the grapes. Their famous red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault. Serge Hochar, who has been involved with the winery since 1959 stated that the Cabernet Sauvignon provides “the bones and the skeleton to the wine, the Carignan the flesh and the muscle, and the Cinsault the silky smooth finesse”. The wines are truly unique, as Hochar blends the varietals only after they have spent three years in barrels. He then waits another four years before releasing the end result. This provides time for each variety to unfold its own character and results in extremely long-lived wines, with the best examples lasting for 20 - 30 years.