Chateau Musar Red 2015
Fresh hedgerow berries (bramble, blackcurrant, cherry), with later complexity of leather and delicate peppery-spice notes.
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2015
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Chateau Musar Red 2015 is a wine that captivates with its deep ruby hue and complex aroma profile. On the nose, it offers an enticing blend of fresh hedgerow berries, including bramble, blackcurrant, and cherry, complemented by more intricate notes of leather and peppery spice. The palate mirrors these aromas, presenting flavors of soft vanilla, warming spices, and a hint of cocoa.
The wine’s fresh acidity and supple tannins make it an excellent match for richer, fattier meats like duck or ribeye steak. This vintage, despite the challenging growing conditions, showcases the resilience and craftsmanship of Chateau Musar, resulting in a wine that is both elegant and robust
The Chateau Musar Red 2015 – cassis, blackberry, raspberry, some mushroom, and a hint of tapenade.
Appearance: Deep ruby color.
Aromas: Fresh hedgerow berries (bramble, blackcurrant, cherry), with later complexity of leather and delicate peppery-spice notes.
Flavors: Similar to the aromas, with soft vanilla, warming spice, and a cocoa note.
The Chateau Musar Red 2015 is a testament to the resilience and skill of its winemakers. This vintage faced significant challenges, including an April frost and a heatwave in August and September, which resulted in substantial crop losses. Despite these difficulties, the wine was crafted with meticulous care.
The grapes, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, and Cinsault, were harvested from mature bushvines in the Bekaa Valley. Each varietal underwent fermentation with natural yeasts in concrete vats, a process that helps preserve the purity and character of the fruit. After fermentation, the wine was aged for 12 months in French oak barrels, which imparted subtle oak flavors and allowed the wine to develop complexity and depth.
The blending of the varietals took place in January 2018, and the wine was bottled in July and August of the same year. Before release, the wine spent additional time maturing in the bottle, ensuring it was ready to be enjoyed at its best. This careful production and aging process has resulted in a wine that is both robust and elegant, with a balance of fresh acidity and supple tannins.
Chateau Musar was established in 1930 by Gaston Hochar at the tender age of 20. His inspiration was both the 6,000-year winemaking history of Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and also his time in Bordeaux – a connection which was strengthened during the Second World War when he befriended Major Ronald Barton of Château Langoa-Barton while he was stationed in Lebanon.
Today it is overseen by the third generation: like their father and uncle, Serge’s eldest son Gaston now manages the day-to-day operation of the winery whereas his younger son Marc helps to control the commercial aspects. Ronald’s son Ralph also works in Musar’s UK office, and his daughter Elsa has immortalised the winery and her family’s rich history in a documentary.
Cabernet Sauvignon
World-renowned and well-travelled, cabernet sauvignon wines makes some of the world’s finest red wines, working either on its own, or blended with other varieties.
While many grape varieties are known for their friendly fruit aromas, cabernet sauvignon’s success as a fine wine lies in its subtleties: secondary, complex flavours that have the potential to develop deliciously in bottle over time. For this reason, cabernet is often seen as quite a ‘serious’ red wine designed for cellaring and keeping for many years. However, you can certainly find younger, fruitier styles to help you explore the flavours of this iconic grape.
Carignan
Carignan is a somewhat confusing red wine grape variety. It was once the most widely planted grape in France, right up until the late 20th century when Merlot arrived on the big stage, yet many wine drinkers to this day remain very unfamiliar with it.
Carignan vines are highly productive yielding large quantities of fruit, which is why many winemakers use it, or have used it, in regions such as Languedoc, to make high volume lower quality wines and blends. Today, it is on somewhat of a mini revival, being produced and nurtured as a quality red wine in its own right, particularly in warmer climates of Spain and Italy, notably Sardinia.
Cinsault
Cinsault, often spelled as Cinsaut, is a charming and versatile red wine grape that originates from the southern regions of France.
In the vineyard, Cinsault is recognized by its dark green leaves and the little down that covers them underneath. The grapes are quite large, with a purplish-black color and firm skin
Cinsault produces fresh and fruity wines, with a floral touch that’s just as captivating as its fruitiness.
- Suitable for Vegans
- Organic
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Cabernet Sauvignon Wines available at Penventon Hotel
The Country
Lebanon’s winemaking heritage is as ancient as its history, with roots stretching back to the Phoenician era, when wine was traded across the Mediterranean as early as 1200 BC. The country’s wines are a reflection of its rich past and the influence of French viticulture during the period of the French protectorate from 1916 to 1943. Today, Lebanon boasts around 5,000 hectares of vineyards, producing approximately 78,500 hectolitres of wine annually, with red wines constituting over 70% of the production. The Bekaa Valley, with its favorable climate and terroir, is the heart of Lebanese winemaking, home to renowned wineries like Château Ksara and Château Musar. These wines are celebrated for their unique profiles, often blending traditional Lebanese grape varieties with international ones, resulting in wines that carry the essence of Lebanon’s diverse landscape and storied history
Lebanon Wines available at Penventon Hotel
The Region
The Bekaa Valley is the heartland of modern Lebanese wine, producing nearly 90% of Lebanon’s wine.
The oldest winery in the area is Chateau Ksara, established by Jesuit Christians in 1857
The original Bekaa Valley vineyards were planted with Cinsaut, which was later joined by other French vine varieties.
Bekaa Valley Wines available at Penventon Hotel
The Producer
Chateau Musar was established in 1930 by Gaston Hochar at the tender age of 20. His inspiration was both the 6,000-year winemaking history of Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and also his time in Bordeaux – a connection which was strengthened during the Second World War when he befriended Major Ronald Barton of Château Langoa-Barton while he was stationed in Lebanon.
Today it is overseen by the third generation: like their father and uncle, Serge’s eldest son Gaston now manages the day-to-day operation of the winery whereas his younger son Marc helps to control the commercial aspects. Ronald’s son Ralph also works in Musar’s UK office, and his daughter Elsa has immortalised the winery and her family’s rich history in a documentary.
