Bekaa Valley, Lebanon
Chateau Musar was founded in 1930 by Gaston Hochar, although since 1959 it has been run by his two sons Serge and Ronald. Serge Hochar is the more charismatic of the two, finding time to travel the world to promoting the Musar name at tastings, seminars and similar events, while also maintaining winemaking responsibilities. Ronald, a lawyer by profession, looks after the more mundane side of the business - distribution, marketing, book-keeping and so on.
Chateau Musar is located in an 18th Century castle in Ghazir, just fifteen miles north of Beirut, in Lebanon. This location, in a region that for many years was ravaged by civil war, placed demands on the Hochar family that most winemakers, fortunately, do not experience. The vineyards, which lie 30 miles east of Ghazir in the Bekaa Valley, were remarkably close to the frontline in the Lebanon War of 1982. Battle raged around the vines throughout the 1983 harvest, and Serge Hochar had to be smuggled in by small boat to make the wine. Similar conditions were endured in 1988 and 1989, and during the latter year both the Hochar family home and the Chateau Musar winery suffered direct hits from shelling. For a short while the wine cellars served a dual purpose, as they made excellent bomb shelters for the local people.
Alongside these troubles, Serge Hochar faces problems with which other vignerons may be more familiar. A distance of 30 miles between vineyards and winery mean that the freshly harvested grapes must endure a slow overland journey before they are vinified. This contributes in some way to the style of Musar, particularly the oxidized white. The red Musar is more characterised by volatile acidity, which gives acetone-like aromas on the nose, which may resemble nail-polish remover or even polystyrene cement. Some regard this as a fault, most critics, on the other hand, esteem these quirks as typically Musar.
The grand vin here is the red Chateau Musar, a blend which may include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsaut, Carignan, Grenache and Mourvedre. The wine is fermented in concrete, before spending one year in vat, then a year in French oak, before going back to vat for several years. Hochar believes his wine needs years - perhaps ten - before it is ready for drinking, and the wines are already some way towards that age when they are finally released onto the market. The white Chateau Musar is made from native varieties which include Merwah and Obaideh. It has an oxidised style that is too much for some. Too many tasters characterise them as Bordeaux-like, Rhône-like or Burgundy-like. It is clear that Musar is none of these things - it is unique. These are wines that can polarize opinion. However, at the right moment in time they open up and surprise all with their depth, complexity and expression.