chateau musar

[Robert Nesta Marley]

i had the 1994 ch musar from lebanon in a restaurant about 2 months ago or so, but i'd love to find the 1990. has anyone seen it on a list or at retail? i haven't looked at an auction book in a while, either....

also, has anyone had a musar blanc??

[Ron Johnson]

John Hart Fine Wine out of Chicago usually has Chateau Musar, and they often have older bottles.

www.johnhartfinewine.com

[Ron Johnson]

Hochar Chateau Musar Blanc 1993

Medium body with intense honey, botrytis, meadow flowers, sweet nose. Dense fruit with nice bracing acidity & some residual sugar, but it developed a bitter quality in the finish that I found off-putting so I marked it down. Good+

Made from Chardonnay and Lebanon grapes.

[MartyL]

Nesita,

I often use www.winesearcher.com to locate hard-to-find bottles. According to a search on that site, the following retail sources list the 1990 Musar in their inventory:

Brown Derby International Wine Center Springfield, MO. ($34.99)

Libation.com Arcata, CA. ($42.00)

The Wine Center Illinois ($42.99)

Piccadilly Beverage Shops Champaign, Il. ($42.99 )

I have dealt with Piccadilly in the past and have been very satisfied. You may want to hold off on shipping until the weather cools down though.

Around NYC, I've spotted Musar on the shelf at Columbus Circle Wine & Liquor, but I'd be surprised if they have the 1990.

[Ron Johnson]

I have dealt with and been to Brown Derby in the past and have also found them to be quite reliable if not a little highly priced.

I am surprised that they are the lowest of the bunch posted by MartyL.

[pnarena]

Chateau Musar can be a wonderful wine. Its a shame more shops don't carry it. One would expect that, though, given the very provincial palates of most consumers...another truly great red is the 1996 Kefraya Comte M from Lebanon. This wine can be found on sale at approximately $19.99 per bottle. Its normally $42/btl. Here is what Robert Parker said about the wine when he reviewed it in October of 1997:

"Chateau Kefraya's - remember the name - 1996 Comte de M is scheduled to be released next year. Even allowing for some of the fabulous old vintages of Lebanon's most renowned wine, Chateau Musar (two great examples are the 1969 and 1970), Kefraya's Comte de M should provide further proof that Lebanon has selected viticultural sites that can turn out world-class wine. While the Comte de M is no bargain at $50, it is indeed an exceptional product. This cuvee, a selection of the finest lots, is made from a 20-year old vineyard situated south of the Bekka Valley, and just west of Mount Barouk. A blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon (from yields of 28 hectoliters per hectare), 20% Syrah (32 hectoliters per hectare), and 20% Mourvedre (32 hectoliters per hectare), from a non-irrigated vineyard that was manually harvested, this wine, which I tasted three times earlier this year in Bordeaux and once again in September, exhibits an opaque purple color, and a sweet nose of cedar, blackberries, and cassis, with nicely integrated smoky, toasty oak. The wine is full-bodied and rich, with adequate acidity, and ripe tannin. It possesses layers of concentration, and should prove uncommonly long-lived - up to 20 years. The architect behind the wine is none other than Jean-Michel Fernandez, the man behind the renaissance at Chateau Citran in the Medoc. I wish this wine sold for less money, but it has been made with no compromises, and will be bottled without any fining or filtration, in order, as Fernandez says, "to guard the maximum of purity and authenticity of Chateau Kefraya." In addition to the lofty price, production of Chateau Kefraya's Comte de M is limited to just over 1,600 cases."

Enjoy!

[Robert Nesta Marley]

thanks, ron, and martyL. no musar at john hart, though .

interesting botrytised fruit you talked about in the blanc. somehow that flaw in the finish doesn't suprise me, though.....

[MartyL]

I was perusing the wine list at the website of Patricia Yeo's new restaurant, Pazo, and happened to find a bunch of Ch. Musar wines on it. Looks like a pretty good price on the 96 Blanc, but I have no idea what that vintage was like in the Bekaa valley.

I have to admit that what really fires my curiosity on that list is the 91 Chave blanc, which is pricey but awfully enticing.

http://www.pazonyc.com/winelist.htm