Château Musar was established in Lebanon in 1930
by Gaston Hochar, and the winery is presently run by his two sons,
Serge and Ronald. Serge studied oenology at the University of
Bordeaux and has been the winemaker at Château Musar since 1959,
successfully delivering nearly every vintage despite Lebanon's
wartime difficulties. In1984, Decanter Magazine recognized Serge for
his winemaking skill and his courage, naming him the magazine's
inaugural Man of the Year. Château Musar Red wines are made with a
variable blend of Cinsault, Carignan, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The
varietals then spend up to 24 months in French oak barriques at
which point Serge creates his final blend, depending on the
development of each varietal. The wines are then bottled and stored
in the cellars at Château Musar until their release after about 5
years. Viticulture in Lebanon was introduced 6000 years ago by the
Phoenicians who traded their wines throughout the Mediterranean and
planted the vine in southern Europe. In antiquity, wine was
exported from the Lebanese ports of Byblos, Tyre and Saida with
Egypt being their first regular customer. Evidence of this may still
be seen today in countless Egyptian inscriptions and paintings. The
Bible is full of references to the wine of Canaan which is located
today in southern Lebanon. According to the bible, the Hebrews had
brought home a bunch of grapes so big that it took the strength of
two men to carry it. The reputation of the wine of Canaan was such
that Egyptians reported it to be "as abundant as flowing water" and
this probably inspired the Romans to choose Baalbek in the Bekaa
Valley to build their largest temple ever, and to add, several
centuries later, another temple devoted to Bacchus.
office (206)
332-1995