Château Musar 1998

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Starting at: $14.69 USD

6 Reviews

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Winery:

Château Musar

Varietals:

Cabernet Franc , Cinsault

Region:

Bekaa Valley

Type:

Red Wine

Color:

Drink Dates:

Drink Now

UPC:

 

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What to Expect

Cabernet Franc, along with Sauvignon Blanc, is a parent of the more famous Cabernet Sauvignon. Quite similar in many ways to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc tends to have higher acid and lighter tannins than its offspring, with fruit in the redder end of the spectrum and a distinctive, aggressive herbal note that can dominate the wine's aromas.

Winemakers Notes

It is when the grapes reach optimal maturity, typically between the 5th and the 15th of september, that the harvest begins at Château Musar.

The grapes are handpicked as the sun rises across the Bekaa valley and are then swiftly transferred to the cellar in Ghazir where fermentation takes place followed by maceration lasting 2 to 4 weeks.

During the first year the wine is racked into Bordeaux type barrels made from Nevers oak and where it matures from 12 to 15 months.

Our philosophy of respect for nature and ecology is the reason for which our wines are neither fined read more...nor filtered and receive no chemical additives with the exception of the minimum necessary dose of sulphur.

At the end of the second year blending takes place with the proportions of cabernet sauvignon, carignan and cinsault varying with each vintage, the only deciding factor being taste.

During the third year bottling takes place after which the wine is allowed to rest 3 to 4 years in our cellars before release.

To best appreciate the subtlety and complexity of Château Musar red we suggest decanting between 30 minutes and 2 hours before serving. Our wines, in particular the older vintages, are keen travelers, yet we suggest you leave them to rest 2 to 4 weeks before serving, and all the while decanting with great care.

While Château Musar red is certainly ready to be enjoyed upon release 7 years after vintage, or at the age of discretion, the patient are rewarded as they are exceptional after 15 years of age.

Harvest Report:

Winter was a normal Lebanese winter; a mixture of cold rainy and snowy weather with weeks of sunshine. But it was again followed by a rainy and cold spring which was to last until June. Then July, August, September and October were normal but with absolutely no rain at all. Flowering happened later than usual but was good and this delayed the whole process with late maturity.

We finally started harvesting on the 9th September. Some of the grapes were quite mature, while others could have waited two more weeks. There was no obvious reason for this diversity but this is "Les caprices de la nature".

The crop was normal, both in quality and quantity; grapes were in good shape with no problems or disease and good to eat. Fermentation went smoothly but quicker than usual.

Results were good, 1998 is a very aromatic and fragrant year. However it definitely lacks the body of the 1997.

It is much more powerful that we did expect. So for the time being, I am confused and will wait until the spring to make a final judgement on whether the 1998 will be a great year.    (hide)

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