Château Musar

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Château Musar is the name of a Lebanese winery, established by Gaston Hochar in 1930 in Ghazir, Lebanon, 15 miles north of the capital Beirut.^[1] The current proprietor is Gaston's son, Serge. Musar grapes grow in the Bekaa Valley, a fertile sunny valley situated 25 miles east of Beirut. Despite war in Lebanon, wine was produced at the Château every year.

The red wine, which is the best known is made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan, Grenache, and Mourvèdre grapes in varying amounts each year.^[1] The whites are made from Obaideh (related to Chardonnay) and Merwah (related to Sémillon). Both wines contain classic Bordeaux grapes, however they are very different, as they are made in a natural style with significant bottle variation. They are very popular with some wine lovers. The wines generally improve with age, both the red and whites.

They also produce second wines, Hochar Père et Fils, which is similar to the red Musar but is not oak aged, and can be drunk younger, as well as the Cuvée Musar range, both produced as a red, white and a rosé.^[1] Hochar Père et Fils is released earlier and can be used as an indication of what the Château Musar wine will be like. It is usually around half the price of the regular Chateau Musar.