The 1998 vintage is dense crimson in aspect, with developed gamey aromas, vanilla and menthol. Full-bodied and vibrant on the palate, with mature plum, blackcurrant, stewed fruits and tobacco. Well structured, with good length and acidity.

The Chateau Musar 1998 is made from a blend of grape varieties, principally: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan. The composition varies from one vintage to the next, giving Château Musar a different character and identity each year.

Lebanon’s Western Bekaa Valley, a shallow, fertile basin, running between the Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon mountain ranges, has been home to the vine for 6,000 years. Vineyards were commercially exploited here by the sea-faring ancestors of the modern Lebanese, who introduced viticulture to Greece, Egypt and Italy. The Greeks named them ‘Phoenicians’ after the purple dye (‘phoinikèia’) they made from seashells. Famed for being able to revive their cities rapidly after destruction, the Phoenicians inspired the legend of the Phoenix. The region’s wines are mentioned many times in the Bible (as in Hosea 14:7), and Cana, where Christ turned water into wine, is near the southern port of Tyre. Baalbek, originally devoted to Phoenician fertility god Baal, is also the site of a vast Roman temple to wine god Bacchus. French in origin, the Hochar family (pronounced ‘Hoshar’) arrived in Lebanon with the crusades and have remained there ever since.

Recommended to be accompanied with red meats and hard cheeses.