Chateau Musar Blanc 2016 - Chateau Musar

Chateau Musar Blanc 2016

Chateau Musar is the winery that put Lebanese wine on tables around the world. Founded in 1930 by Gaston Hochar at Ghazir, north of Beirut, it owes its fame to his son Serge, who ran it for more than fifty years and kept making wine even through the civil war. The vineyards lie in the Bekaa Valley at around a thousand metres.

The Blanc is one of a kind, made from two native Lebanese grapes, Obaideh and Merwah, picked after the red varieties. It is fermented and aged in oak and then given long bottle age: Musar releases its whites only after several years, in a deliberately oxidative, timeless style.

The 2016 is golden, with aromas of preserved lemon, almond, honey, beeswax and dried fruit, a broad palate and a surprising acidity that keeps it upright. A white to treat almost like a red: serve it not too cold, with baked fish, Middle Eastern food, white meats or cheese.

At a glance: Obaideh 50%, Merwah 50% · 12% ABV · 0.75 l · Chateau Musar, Bekaa Valley (Lebanon)