Château Musar Serge Hochar 1989

The vineyards of Château Musar are located at 1,000 metres of altitude on the fertile plain of Bekaa whose slopes are sheltered by Mount Lebanon and the Anti-Lebanon mountains. With no frost, freezes or disease, the Bekaa plain enjoys an exceptional climate with long, warm summers and rainy winters with average temperatures of 25°C. Rainfall is around 500 mm of water per year, similar to that of Bordeaux. Red grape varieties here are similar to those found in France (Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault) but white varieties are local (Obeideh and Merwah, not dissimilar to Chardonnay and Sémillon). White grape vineyards are found in the Mount Lebanon mountain range. Returning to Lebanon after a long trip to France in 1930, Gaston Hochar founded the Château Musar in the cellars of the "Mzar" castle perched on the Ghazir hill and overlooking the Mediterranean. His eldest son Serge had acquired a oenology qualification in Bordeaux, and joined him in the industry in 1959. His youngest son Ronald took care of marketing and finances.

Produced solely from Lebanon's traditional grape varieties Obaideh and Merwah, the wine is rich yet dry, with a nose of citrus fruits and honey. With some bottle age, honeyed aromas develop, particularly thanks to fermentation in French oak barrels.