Massandra, The Crimea

Chateau Musar

21/11/2009

Massandra, The Crimea 1937 Gurzuf Rosé Muscat, Sotheby’s

Something fantastic from the Crimea in the Ukraine just of the Black Sea from the Sotheby’s auction. Just a footnote, they also did something which bears the label Tokay (more a Muscat then anything else?!).
Medium intense orange colour, hint of earthiness on the start, but what a fresh nose. Plenty of marmalade and jam, orange peel, fantastic layers, remarkable. Fresh as it would have been just made yesterday (or the day before). Just the colour gives a some sort of hint for its age. But over 70 years old, amazing if not stunning. Superb sweetness on the palate, light notes of fortification (?), the ullage level was good, maybe lost a bit on the alcohol, no label indicating it, possible 15 or 16% ABV, but in perfect balance with the acidity, sweetness and the body, fantastic. Very fresh on the palate as well, great layers of jam, fig, prune and more marmalade then anything else, a very rich sweet breakfast table with everything on it, and no sign of being tired. Unbelievable how fresh it is after more then 70 years. Great finish.

07/10/2009
Chateau Musar

As Serge says you have to have an open mind, work together with the nature, as it is very easy to detect what’s not natural.
Lebanon a special place for wine making, not only the reference to the Biblical land of Canaan, but also the Romans build their temples for Jupiter and Bacchus in Baalbek (House of Bal), the Bekaa Valley is the main wine producing area in Lebanon today.

Back in 1979 at a tasting at Bristol Michael Broadbent pointed out Serge’s wine to John Avery you could call this the starting point of Musar wines in the UK.

Serge Hochar a man with great determination, strong personality and passion. And it today’s wine world he makes wine which character and recognizable style. Or as he says: trend goes against the tradition. A lot of indigenous grapes are used (mainly for the whites: Obaideh, Merwah) and wild yeast does the fermentation job. Wine is your friend, relax with it, and use the oak barrels naturally.

Musar Jeaune 2008
Cinsault Rosé
Pinkish colour, pepper, low fruit amount, fiery nose. Good acidity, dry, soft fruit.
Red wine more colour move off the wine and ferment it to rosé. For 48 hr get the colour out. Rosé with character.

Jeune 2008
Plum, cake juicy jammy fruit cake. Clean nose, very juicy though. Syrah and Cinsault. Reminds me of a comfiture concentrate of a rich breakfast table, full of black berry, good and clean finish. Very good indeed, I like it.

Hochar Pere et Fils 2002
Cinsault, Grenache, Cairignan, Cabernet Sauvignon
Chunky red fruit, cherry with a lot of X-Mas spice and chocolate, hint of vinyl, hard core nose.
Ripe on the palate, with plenty of jammy fruit, good body and weight, seriously funky, lovely density and ripeness. Hint of smoky finish. Very good indeed.

Chateau Musar 2002
Needs time to open up, hint of development on the colour side, fading rim. Full black fruit and cassis notes, juicy bold, but still youngish. Good acidity, soft tannins, bold and round, tends to be bit dry on the end, but juicy on the mid palate, whiff of cigar box on the finish. Nice.

Chateau Musar rosé 2006
Pale pinkish colour, strawberry juicy hint of oxidation or even more. The nose goes towards mature cheese and a fusion of red fruit, more like Champagne rosé perhaps? I rather feel lower acidity and a certain amount of oxidation as well. Not as fresh as the first.

Musar White 2003
Obaideh, Merwah
Deep straw yellow colour, floral notes hint of oxidative handling on the nose. Bit of sherry, confirms this. Plenty of floral notes. Dry, ripe, grapes pick with high ripeness levels. Hint of nutty and yeastiness. This is the current vintage, just released.

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