The 1999 vintage is an exceptional vintage of this fine Lebanese wine. Dark red in colour, with scents of violets, game, and incense, the wine has a concentrated, powerful palate of dense, sweet black fruit, vanilla oak and earthy garrigue spice, with round tannins and good acidity.

1999 was an exceptional year in the Bekka valley, starting with a dry winter, leading to a fresh spring and good flowering. Summer was mild; July and August cloudy; September hot and sunny, enabling grapes to achieve high levels of alcohol, acidity and extract.

Listed in ‘1001 Wines You Must Taste Before You Die’: “Rich fruit and ripe flavours; drinking beautifully.” – Neil Beckett.

“Licorice and rustic dust notes, broiled black fruit and hints of cranberry, musk and asphalt. Ripe and round at its core, then develops a lean mineral focus. Radiant, but intensely funky.” - Greg Carlstrom.

“Musar 1999 - it rocks. It's harmonious, complex, exotic and more-ish. This is world class wine. Lovely now but will continue to develop for ages. 93/100” – Jamie Goode.

We would recommend serving the Chateau Musar 1999 with roasts, grills, game and mature cheeses.

The History of Chateau Musar

Lebanese viticulture was introduced 6000 years ago by the Phoenicians who planted vines in Southern Europe, whilst trading throughout the Mediterranean.

Evidence can be found in countless Egyptian inscriptions and paintings relating to the exporting of wine from the Lebanese ports of Byblos, Tyre and Saida to Egypt.  The Bible references the wine of Canaan which is located today in southern Lebanon. According one reference, the Hebrews 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 is believed to have inspired the Romans to choose Baalbek in the Bekaa Valley as the site of their largest temple ever. Several centuries later, another temple was built devoted to Bacchus.

Created in 1930 in the cellar of an old 17th century castle, Château Musar is not just the living testimony of all the civilisations that have tread its soil, but the work of one family. Gaston Hochar created Château Musar in the cellars of the old 'Mzar' castle in Ghazir, overlooking the Mediterranean sea, using the experience he had gained from time spent in the vineyards of rance.

What began as a hobby soon became a passion; inspired by an encounter with renowned viticulturist Ronald Barton while he was stationed in Lebanon during the Second World War. The family's love for wine grew, and in 1959, the eldest son, Serge, entered the business. Some call him the magician, the man behind this exceptional wine, to which his reply is that he only seeks is to translate what nature intended. Serge's younger brother Ronald, took over Château Musar's marketing and finance in 1962.

The vineyards of Château Musar are located at 1,000 meters in the Bekaa Valley where they are sheltered by the surrounding mountains running parallel to the Mediterranean coast. The 180 hectares produces a limited yield of about 35 hl/ha. The Bekaa Valley is almost frost and disease free, with long mild summers, rainy winters (500mm rainfall annually), and an average temperature of 25 degrees Celsius perfect for growing the classic Chateau Musar vintages.

The red Lebanese wines are made from a blend of different grape varieties, principally Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan. The Bekaa valley provides a gravely soil with a limestone base. The composition of the Chateau Musar Red varies from one year to the next, giving it a different character and identity each vintage.