Chateau Musar Red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault grapes from vineyards near the Bekaa Valley villages of Aana and Kefraya, Lebanon. The vines on these gravelly soils over limestone were planted from the 1930s onwards. The yields are low from these mature bushvines, with an average age of 40 years old, producing just 15 to 35hl per hectare.
The grapes harvested for Chateau Musar Red undergo lengthy fermentation in cement vats at temperatures below 30°C. 6 months after harvest the juice is transferred into French oak barrels for one year.
The varietal grapes are brought together two years after harvest. The resulting blend is then placed back in cement tanks before being bottled 12 months later. Each wine is blended to reflect the character of the vintage. After 4 years of bottle maturation in the deep stone cellars of Chateau Musar, the finished wine is released six years after harvest.
Colour: a deep garnet red in the glass
Nose: dried cherries and mature red fruit aromas
Palate: rich and concentrated with cranberries, raisins, and dates. There is good acidity with fine tannins. It has an enticingly smoky and dusty fruit flavours with soft liquorice undertones. At 6 years of age upon release, it shows a well developed maturity.
