Hochar Père et Fils, Château Musar 2019
£26.00
The 'second wine' from the famous Lebanese producer.
- Chateau Musar is world-renowned, with the Hochar family making wines in Lebanon since 1930.
- Its a gloriously classy blend of Cinsault, Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon.
- Intense aromatics and concentrated flavours of cherry, tobacco, Mediterranean herbs and warm spices, backed up by satisfying tannins.
- Hochar Père et Fils is often inaccurately referred to as the 'second wine' of Chateau Musar. These are not the discarded grapes which don't make it into the Grand Vin, but specially sourcedfrom a single vineyard planted over 50 years ago.
- The terroir here is characterised by deep gravelly soil over a limestone base. Low yields from the vines result in concentrated, complex wines and the altitude keeps the average yearly temperature a pleasant 25°C. Perfect!
- Grape variety: Grenache(Garnacha), Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon
- Vintage: 2019
- Type/Colour: Red
- Alcohol: 13.5%
- Bottle Size: 75cl
- Suitable for Vegans: Yes
- Suitable for Vegetarians: Yes
- Organic: Yes
- Sustainable: Yes
Château Musar was established by Gaston Hochar in 1930 and is without doubt Lebanon's most well known wine estate. Few properties have consistently produced such high quality wines in the face of adversity and war, and it is a testament to the sheer will and determination of the Hochars that wine has been produced every single year, bar 1976 and 1984.
The property is located in Ghazir, 15 miles north of Beirut overlooking the Mediterranean, whereas the vineyards themselves are located a long and sometimes dangerous truck journey over the mountains to the east of Beirut in the Beqaa (aka Bekaa) Valley. The vineyards benefit from an altitude of around 1000 metres and the subsequent cool nights serve to lengthen the crucial ripening process.
The red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault. Serge Hochar, who has been involved with the property since 1959, states that the Cabernet Sauvignon provides "the bones and the skeleton to the wine, the Carignan the flesh and muscle and the Cinsault the silky smooth finesse".
Musar wines are unique in that Hochar blends the varietals only after they have spent three years in barrels and then waits a further four years before releasing the end result. This gives time for each variety to unfold its own character.
Hochar Père et Fils 2015 is a blend of Cinsault (50%), Grenache (35%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (15%) with maceration in cement vats, followed by 6 months in French Nevers oak barrels.
Elizaveta & Lucas Grinstead - 2nd March 2023
Although we are rarely drink cinsault, this one is very interesting and so concentrated, with intense flavour of oak, tobacco, spices, fig and dark fruit.