2001 Musar Red
Buying options
Tasting notes
Cold and rainy spring, but a warm and very dry summer. July and August were hotter than usual and picking began unusually early on 3 September. Tannins and acidity were low, and the thick-skinned Cabernet grapes fared best. Cork was unwilling to be extracted so we had to taste from a bottle in which it floated. Mid rust red. Pale rim. Rather heavy nose. Dense and mushroomy. Quite a contrast to the ethereal 1999. Dusty chewiness on the end after a slightly obvious sweetness at the start. Lacks a little bit of freshness, but there is some interesting maturation. (JR)
Critic scores
Average Score
Mark Squires
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 2001 CHATEAU MUSAR, bottled in 2004, is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan, aged for one year in French oak. Nuanced by cherries and spice, it is quite delicious. Which wine you like better of this lineup—the 01 or 00, or even the 02 Hochar, is a matter of taste, perhaps, more than any inherent quality issue, as the styles are rather different. The ’00 is the powerhouse bruiser, the most rustic, while the Hochar is the approachable, easier wine. This is the one in the middle, arguably the best balance of fruit and power. On the downside, this is as gamey and funky as the 2000, but the balance is different, the wine seeming fruitier and fleshier, not quite as austere. Depending on your taste, you may find that a good thing, or prefer the more powerful and intellectual 2000. This is still powerful, I hasten to add, with drying notes on the finish, but the fruitiness melds beautifully with the barnyard notes, and it is nicely supported by the tannin rather than overwhelmed. As with the 2000, this should age well, although the 2000 should age longer, and this will be a wine some will love, and some will find has too much barnyard. Personally, I enjoyed it a lot, and was just imagining how it would work with venison. Drink now-2020. Musar is one of the Middle East’s iconic wineries, making wines that are rarely “by the numbers” correct, but often distinctive. Over the years, I’ve loved some and disliked others, but I’ve always found them fascinating. Their “flaws” will not make them universally loved, with many being turned off for one reason or another (such as the barnyard and funk that often accompanies them). Those who do like their style and character will be, and have been, enthralled by ageworthy wines coming from an unlikely location. Importer: Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, Ca.; (415) 931-1725.
Obaideh and Merwah. Aged in French Nevers oak barrels for nine months. Golden apricot colour. Oxidative honeyed nose. Very broad, oily, hint of barley sugar though it is dry. Scores on distinctiveness. Just fresh enough. A little bitter on the finish. (JH)
Blend of two local varieties, Merwah and Obeideh. Both varieties are partly fermented in oak barriques where they mature for a further nine months. They are then blended, bottled and aged for a further four years before release. 25% new barriques each year. Intense nose. Dry, full-bodied with more subdued aromas on palate of lemon, cashew, coconut, marzipan, toast. Round and strong with a lasting finish. (LG)
About the producer
In the 30 years following Serge Hochar’s decoration as Decanter magazine’s "Man of the Year" in 1984, his wine became legendary.