Super Zin

Turley Old Vine Zinfandel 2008 (Napa, USA)

With a fine dinner at the excellent Old Bell Inn, Hurley. Heavy, styled bottle. Dark but not impenetrable ruby. Open nose of black fruit and touch of kirsch. Palate is big and bold, lots of primary fruit but not confected. Weighty glycerin and hot, but not as hot as one might expect for 15.5% alc. Structured, but light on acidity. Needed a fine medium rare rump steak to do it justice. This is a serious Zin, reminds me of lighter vintages of Ridge but a little more turbocharged. I'd be fascinated to see what this tasted like in another few years, can't quite work out which way this will go. I could almost forgive the 125% restaurant mark up. 16.5+/20.

Chateau Musar Tasting

Chateau Musar Tutored Wine Tasting

Oxford University Wine Society

For those interested in these fascinating wines, I strongly recommend the Wines of the Lebanon by Michael Karam. Informative and beautifully illustrated, this won the Gourmand Award for the Best New World Wine Book and is pretty much the definitive guide to this area.

Ten-years on from our last tasting with Chateau Musar, it was a pleasure to return to Trinity College for this excellent evening, which included some of the wines featured last time. It my opinion, it was a better tasting, with the wines showing very well, although maybe that is as much down to my palate becoming accustomed to (indeed, actively seeking out!) these famous wines. I must try and find my old notes to type up and compare. From what we tasted this evening, my overall impression is that the style has modernised just a touch. Such monumental vintages such as the 2003 to my mind are more polished than the wines of old, but still equally weighty, age worthy and still showing that classic Musar volatile tang that you either love or hate. This is probably simply down to better viticulture and vinification than any active change in style. Overall I was impressed with the uniformly high quality of these wines. Although the style may not be to everyone’s tastes, I would encourage everyone to sample these wines at some stage as they are really quite unique.

From the tasting notes: Chateau Musar is on the Mediterranean cost just to the north of Beirut. The Bekka Valley vineyards, at around 1Km above sea level, are cradled between mountain ranges parallel to the Syrian border. Grapes have been cultivated for over 6,000 years in the high-altitude idyll, blessed with a mild climate and 300 days of sunshine a year. Youthful entrepreneur Gaston Hochar, who founded Musar in 1930, handed over the reins to Bordeaux-trained son Serge in 1959. Over 50 years, Serge has trialled each vineyard and winemaking aspect, remaining true to a natural philosophy: ‘organic’ before the term was coined.

Having a vineyard in a civil war zone is quite unique, but only two vintages have been lost to conflict: 1976 and 1984.

All wines were double decanted at noon for an evening tasting.

Chateau Musar white 2003

Seven years in the making, made from indigenous Lebanese varieties Obaideh and Merwah (related to Chardonnay and Semillon) from ungrafted vines around 1,300m above sea level and fermented and matured in French oak (Nevers) barrels for 9 months. Much fresher and considerably less oxidised than older vintages I have tasted (albeit not tasted for at least 10 years!) Of all the wines, this has changed the most in style. It is none the worse for it. This was double decanted at noon for an evening tasting, and served only a touch cool at approx 15C. It has sufficient structure that any cooler would clearly hide much of what it has to offer. Open and intense, with a touch of Semillon character to it. Complex, nutty, full and long with a touch of chemical character to it. Quite remarkable and individual . This is a wine lovers wine; the strength of unique character will not be to everyone’s tastes. I would imagine this has decades of life ahead of it and it would be fascinating to follow its evolution. Unfined and unfiltered. Yields were reduced in 2003 due to a cold snap during flowering. I have no idea what food you could partner with this – it is quite capable of standing along by itself as something to chew on! Only 12% alcohol. 17/20.

Chateau Musar Rose 2006

Mainly local grapes with approx 70% Obaideh, 5% Cinsaut for colour and the remainder Merwah. Nine months in oak. Decanting recommended. Serve lightly cool at 15C. Lightest of light salmon pink in colour. Delicate floral rose nose. Weighty, full palate. Full and round with almost a hint of pepper on a long finish. Warm. This is a very serious high quality rose wine, perhaps the best rose I’ve tasted in a long time. 12% alcohol. 16/20.

Chateau Musar Jeune Red 2009

A new wine since I last tasted the range. Interestingly this now occupies the price point that Hochar Père et Fils once did, and seem similar if more modern and fruity in character. In turn, Hochar Père et Fils now occupies the price point that the Chateau wine sold for 10-years ago, but is a better wine than I remember. The Musar Jeune is an un-oaked Cinsault-Syrah-Cab blend from a single village in the Bekka Valley. Raised in oak for nine months, with two years ageing in bottle prior to release. Deep, dark red in colour, it really lacks the volatility typically associated with Musar. It is a very good quality wine for the price point. Dominated by spicy black fruits, this is a medium bodied wine begging to accompany a steak on the BBQ! 13.5% alcohol. For keeping in the medium term, as it does have considerable structure, but I suspect it won’t improve with maturation and is best appreciated as-is. 15.5+/20.

Chateau Musar Hochar Père et Fils red 2004

Single vineyard wine from vines over 50-years old near Aana. Deep soils over limestone. Nine months in oak with extended bottle ageing prior to release. Pale red, aged rim, notable large slow tears running down glass.. Striking volatile nose, classic Musar in style. Fine tannins on the palate, but a slightly thin middle, lacking in fruit. While this is considerably better than previous Hochar Pere et Fils wines I have tasted, I think this is ready for drinking right now and won’t improve with keeping. 14% alcohol. 16+/20.

Chateau Musar red 2003

The ‘Grand Vin’ of the estate. Seven years from harvest to release. Cab Sav-Cinsault-Carignan fermented in cement lined vats. Two-four weeks maceration and matured 12-15 months in Nevers French oak barrels. Four years bottle ageing prior to release. Considerably more colour than the Hochar Père et Fils tasted prior to this, which is in fact one year younger. Nose quite reticent and closed, not overtly volatile. Lots of meat to the palate, full bodied and tannic, but married together well. Elegant controlled power! The palate shows more volatility, but more red fruits and relatively primary at this stage in its development (for a 7-year old wine!). 14% alcohol. Right now I would give this 16/20, but in a decades time this will be getting into its stride and no doubt be a considerably better wine scoring higher. This will come together to make a great wine that will go the distance over the coming decades.

Chateau Musar red 1999

Described as a ‘textbook’ Musar vintage. Widely praised by critics, and I have to agree. Pale rim, medium density core. Gives the impression that this is just starting to open up. Measured volatility on the nose, not overwhelming or dominant. Spicy red fruits, but showing some maturity. Powerful, full bodied palate. Firm tannins, but very in keeping with the wine, not at all angular. Elegant and structured. To my mind showing the best this evening, although others preferred some of the older wines. I think this is drinking magnificently now; clearly it will mature and develop further over the coming two decades. In this time I would imagine the red fruits to fade and the volatility to come to the fore. I like it now. 14% alcohol. At least 17+/20.

Chateau Musar red 1998

From a cooler year. Cinsault-dominated vintage. Interesting tasting this side-by-side with the 1999. They are clearly related, but really very different. Paler, open nose but rather gamey and green. Something a little medicinal about it. Burnt rubber. Tea-like and a little thin on the palate. So much more mature than the 1999 despite being just one year older. Drink now. 15.5/20.

Chateau Musar red 1993

Showing age with an orange rim. Fully mature nose, volatile and burnt. Very tertiary and roasted. Palate is round, smooth and integrated. Fine, mild tannins. Soft, cedar and long. Chocolate and dark spice. Long. I note this now retails for about seven-times the price I originally bought a bottle for 10-years ago (approx £70/bottle)! Drinking now, will no doubt keep but I can’t imagine it will improve further. 14% alcohol. 17/20.

Chateau Musar red 1991

Staggering wine at 20-years old! Now light orange in colour on the rim and browning core. Seems to be lighter on the nose than the 1993, as if its fading a little. Still strikingly volatile. Thinning out on the palate, but has a spicy after taste very reminiscent of a Bloody Mary! Hot and a little bit empty on the finish. Drying out. I’m aware this tasting note sells this wine a little short, and I should emphasise what an enjoyable and fascinating wine this was to taste. Drink soon, won’t improve any further with keeping. 14% alcohol. 16(+)/20.

Recent Wines

Markgraf von Baden - Grauburgunder Spatlese trocken 2003 (Durbach, Germany)

One of my greatest pleasures in wine tasting is finding the un-sung hero, the little wine that is trying to (or being) great without the recognition it deserves. This is certainly one of them, and I note my original tasting note at the winery when I bought it predicted such. Rediscovering it I thought it would certainly be past it. How wrong, this is only just getting into its stride – and sadly my last bottle! Perhaps the vintage has a lot to answer for, as this producer is generally not rated as one of the best in the picturesque little Baden village of Durbach. Nonetheless, this was a wine to remember at a steal of a price. Medium yellow and bright in colour, classic great open nose of almonds and a hint of exotic spice. Plate full and round, low acidity but none the worse for that. Oily and weighty, hides the high alcohol very well, with a medium length finish giving just a hint of bitterness at the end. Drink now, unlikely to improve further, but probably has the stuffing to keep another couple of years. Would have passed for a weight Grand Cru Pinot Gris from the other side of the Rhine valley (Alsace) or maybe Kaisersthul in a blind tasting. 16.5/20.

Männle - Durbacher Kochberg Weissburgunder Spatlese trocken 2004 (Durbach, Germany)

As with the Markgraf von Baden, this was another happy surprise from the cellar. We have bought from the welcoming Männle family over many years of visiting Durbach. They have always offered sound quality at very fair prices (apart from their reds!) Again, I imaged this would have seen better days but it turned out to be an excellent enjoyable wine. Medium-deep yellow, with an open nose that was strikingly creamy in nature. Ample, full-bodied palate – a very weighty example. Again, I would have placed this as being very high quality Pinot Blanc from Alsace or the Kaisersthul if I had of tasted blind. 16.5/20.

Domaine Colombier - Crozes Hermitage 'Cuvee Gaby' 2005 (Northern Rhône, France)

The first of an en primeur case, this was simply infanticide opening it this young. Deep black, with thick tears in the glass. Closed nose, just some subdued black spice. Palate full bodied and raw, with firm tannins not yet integrated and primary black fruits abound. Behind this a sort of leathery hint of classic, bold syrah. This will be a great wine from a great vintage when it knits together, but I’ll certainly be leaving it at least another 5 years before tasting again. Unfair to score now.

Domaine St. Andrieu - L'Yeuse Noire 1997 (Monpeyroux, Languedoc, France)

How I fell in love with this village, this wine and the wine makers. I remember well knocking on their house door in the heat of the afternoon Mediterranean sun without an appointment and with little French still conveying sufficient enthusiasm to be invited into the cellar of their family house for a wine tasting. Magical stuff. I forget the name of the little independent wine merchant that tipped me off regarding the family. Now they are a well recognised producer in Montpeyroux. In its youth I remember it was closed and tannic – “not to be touched for 10 years”. It was a pleasure to taste this and remember those memories. Deep in colour, not showing much age. Open, full bodied and warm, with black fruits and a hint of the Mediterranean herbs in the vineyards. Lovely stuff. Fully mature now, perhaps will keep a little longer. 16.5/20.

Chateau Peyrassol 2004 (Provence, France)

A speculative purchase last year from the excellent regional Maison du Vin in Provence. Syrah (50%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (50%). Showing a little age on the rim. Very Provencal in style. Open nose, really soft, attractive, mature cab sav character but not at all Bordeaux – clearly from a warmer climate and covered in dark spices from the syrah. Palate very expansive and mouth-filling, although not all that full-bodies or long. Acidity on the low side. The wine really tastes of the baked Mediterranean. Fully mature and unlikely to improve further with keeping. Website suggests 8-10 yrs cellaring max. 16/20. I would be interested to visit their winery (looks very attractive: http://www.peyrassol.com/) and taste their other wines.

Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge 2005 (Languedoc, France)

Daumas Gassac and I go back a long way, thanks to Samuel Guibert, although this is the first bottle opened from our 2005’s. Quite light in colour. Day 1: not decanted. Closed nose, rather closed palate. Medium body, fine tannins, fresh acidity and acohol well balanced. But overall angular and not giving anything out at all. Odd. Day 2: Open 24 hours in the bottle. A little more open, fine claret-like nose but a little more rustic. Palate showing more depth to it. Day 3: Open 48 hours in bottle. Hitting its stride. Now considerably more open. Primary light red cherry fruits predominant (unmistakably reminiscent of the original en primeur) with a touch of vanilla behind this. Palate much more broad and elegant. What an interesting tasting. The family do recommend decanting in the morning ready for dinner in the evening, but this is more likely going through an awkward adolescent stage in its development. Going by the old rule based on the number of days a wine opens up/keeps in the bottle after being opened as being a measure of potential life ahead, I think this will emerge from its chrysalis as a beautiful wine in another 5 years+ with many years of life ahead of that. Fascinating stuff.

Les Sang des Calloux - Cuvee de Lopy 2000 (Vacqueyras, Southern Rhône, France)

Bought from the winery, this has matured into something quite remarkable. I do remember visiting though, and the winemaker was decidedly unwelcoming and resolutely non-English speaking. My pigeon-French smattering of wine related conversation just about got us through – until at the last minute the price of the wines was suddenly increased from that advertised on the board in front of us! At the time I vividly remember his two wines standing apart from anything else I had tasted during that visit to Vacqueyras, and we had tasted a lot. These were clearly something special (and even before the rise, the prices charged in comparison to other village wines reflected this). Far more depth and concentration. Afterwards I remember talking to the local workers at the co-operative in Vacqueyras, where one of the head-honchos told us she had purchased several cases for cellaring. My impressions were validated, and over the years since then Les Sang des Calloux has received much acclaim and Parker points. The price has nearly doubled from what I originally paid! So it was with disappointment that some bottles opened over the years have not lived up to expectations. This did, and how. Accompanying a BBQ rump and sirloin steak, this wine would have outshone many Chateauneuf-du-Papes. Wonderful stuff. Completely opaque in colour, with only a hint of age on the rim. Wonderful rich, open nose. Ripe, almost Christmas Pudding. Deep and concentrated, with black fruit, range of complex black spices and even some coffee and nutmeg. Palate similarly rich and full bodied, very broad and full. Low acidity. By the next day it had lost much of what it had to offer. Drink now and enjoy. 17/20.

Round-up

Cantina Bolzano - St Magdalener Classico "Huck am Bach" 2006 (Alto Adige, South Tyrol, Italy)

From a fantastic Alto Adige tasting in Oxford, this was a Gamberro Rossa best value wine winner. Quite light red in colour, with an aromatic nose that was open, fine, not a million miles away from baby Nebbiolo with a delicate nose of red fruits and violets. Palate similar: delicate and light, fresh acidity, medium bodied and well structured. Perfect served cool with Italian charcuterie on a summers evening. Enjoy now, not for keeping. The wine takes its name from the winegrowing village of St. Magdalena, which achieved DOC status in 1971. The blend is approx 90% Schiava (Trollinger ) and10% Lagrein. Huck am Bach is the south facing vineyard slope where the grapes are grown above Bolzano (Cantina Bolzano). I would be interested to explore this relatively neglected area and taste more! 16+/20.

Wynns - Coonawarra Estate Shiraz 2005 (Coonawarra, South Australia)

A South Australian classic that ticks all the boxes for this great style of wine, but also has a bit of age (5 years) from a good vintage. Near-opaque black colour, open nose of big black fruits and quite heady, although it has lost the brashness of youth and is integrating. Leathery blackberries. Full-bodied palate, maybe a little thin in the middle? Carries the alcohol well (14%), very rich indeed. Just a little short on the finish, but lovely and will keep. Needs hearty steak! 16/20.

Weingut Bründlmayer Chardonnay 2001 (Austria)

Hints of a good wine, but sadly this one had just been kept in the cellar too long. Dried out and a little oxidised. To be quite fair, it was never sold as a wine for cellaring either.

Côte d'Olt Co-op - Paradis 2000 (Cahors, France)

This was a treat. Originally tasted and bought direct from the winery, this particular was a lonely left-over spotted on the bottom shelf of a rural French supermarket being sold off at a silly price (~£8). The top wine from the co-op producer in a very good year for Cahors. Opening it at 10-years old was probably not doing it justice - it could have kept another 10! Deep in inky colour, the subtle nose opened out in aromas of cedar and black fruits. The palate was still quite unctuous and full, with weighty tannins and structure. Black fruit still present in abundance. If tasting blind I might have said this was a 5-year old solid claret from a good vintage, not a 10-year old Cahors! Wish I had another bottle to come back to in another decade. 16+/20.

La Garrigue - Vacqueyras "Traditionnelle" 2006 (Southern Rhone, France)

Bought from the winery, this is a lovely Southern Rhone wine. Straightforward and direct in style. Robust tannins, nicely balanced by weight black fruits inkeeping with the vintage. Just goes to show what great wines are coming from this area at really sensible prices. Drink now. There is something nicely rustic about this, and I don't mean that in a bad way, but I like the fact it lacks the polish of so many new world equivalents. It does taste like its come out of a traditional family winery, with all the rough edges that brings! Perfect for a meaty BBQ or winter roast. 15.5/20.

Ernest Hill - Chambourcin 2007 (Hunter Valley, Australia)

Bought from the winery in the Hunter on my last trip there. Intended as a random blind tasting with friends, it certainly worked and confused them all. Not really like much I've tasted before - perhaps something a little in common with the St Magdalener Classico in that it was herbaceous, light, juicy and aromatic, but this was a touch simple and short in length by comparison. A nice lunchtime quaffer, pleasant, not too heavy, but nothing more. Chambourcin is a hybrid variety although I can't seem to find the parentage. Not for keeping. 14/20.