Chateau Musar

Story

Chateau Musar is the most famous of the Lebanese wineries. The winery was established by Gaston Hochar in 1930 after returning from Bordeaux. In the 1930s and 1940s when Lebanon was under French control, the winery was an important customer for local French Army troops stationed in Lebanon. The international discovery of Musar took place at the Bristol Wine Fair of 1979 when auctioneer and taster Michael Broadbent and journalist Roger Voss selected Musar 1967 as the "discovery of the Fair"

Despite war in Lebanon and frequent tension, with the exception of the 1976 vintage, wine has been produced at the Château every year, with employees sometimes working under high-risk conditions. Though comparisons are sometimes made with Bordeaux wine, Burgundy wine or Rhône wine, it is most frequently maintained that the wine of Musar is unique.Due to the winemaking philosophy of Serge Hochar, its vintages are notoriously inconsistent. The winery was established by Gaston Hochar in 1930 after returning from Bordeaux. In the 1930s and 1940s when Lebanon was under French control, the winery was an important customer for local French Army troops stationed in Lebanon. The international discovery of Musar took place at the Bristol Wine Fair of 1979 when auctioneer and taster Michael Broadbent and journalist Roger Voss selected Musar 1967 as the "discovery of the Fair" Despite war in Lebanon and frequent tension, with the exception of the 1976 vintage, wine has been produced at the Château every year, with employees sometimes working under high-risk conditions.

Though comparisons are sometimes made with Bordeaux wine, Burgundy wine or Rhône wine, it is most frequently maintained that the wine of Musar is unique.Due to the winemaking philosophy of Serge Hochar, its vintages are notoriously inconsistent.

Winery

The Hochar family's philosophy of following nature's winemaking means that the 180 hectares of Mussa vineyards are managed with minimal human intervention, and all wines are made with this philosophy in mind.

The vineyards of Chateau Musar were certified organic in 2006, making it the first winery in Lebanon to be certified organic. Most of the vineyards are located in the Bekaa Valley, between two parallel mountain ranges and extending to Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline. Vines have been cultivated here for at least 6,000 years: the Phoenicians (the seafaring pioneers of modern Lebanon) introduced vines and wine from Byblos to all regions around the Mediterranean.

Vineyards sit on the flanks of snow-capped mountains above 1,000 meters (3,000 feet) above sea level, and the calm and charming Beqaa Valley has nearly 300 sunny days a year, fresh air, and average temperatures of 25 degrees (including snowy winters) and hot summer). Away from people and without damage, the "organic" of Mussa Vineyards has already gained everyone's tacit approval before the word was coined. All grapes are hand picked by the Bedouin between August and October. At Chateau Musar fermentation is done by wild yeast, using as little sulphur dioxide as possible, and Mussa red wines are never clarified or filtered.