MAKING WINE IN A WAR-ZONE
A border with war-torn Syria just a few kilometres away from the vineyards. A cultural tectonic fault-line of a country that has spent a large proportion of its short history engaged in sectarian conflict. Extraordinary and distinctive wines, that can age for decades.
Is Lebanon’s Chateau Musar the world’s most dangerous fine wine?
It wasn’t always this way. The Bekaa Valley in which Musar’s vines are planted has been home to wine production for more than 6000 years. The ancient inhabitants of this land had extensive contact with the Phoenicians, and through their trading network may have been responsible for spreading the grape vine across the Mediterranean. One of the world’s most perfectly-preserved Roman temples can be found in the area, dedicated to their god of wine, Bacchus – and the valley was known as the ‘breadbasket’ of Rome.
Yet Musar has had to survive both war and the commercial wilderness to assume its rightful place as one of the few truly iconic wines - a legend of the eastern Mediterranean. Why? Because it is uncompromising, unique and endlessly fascinating.
Fermentation is in concrete, before the wine spends a year in the vat, then a year or so in French Nevers oak. It's blended in the third year, put back into vat and bottled, and cellared for up to six or seven years before release. There is no fining, minimum filtration and sulphites are kept very low. The whole approach is low-interventionist and the result is truly unique, and very long-lived.
While the wine is widely fêted by wine-lovers and critics alike, the prices have remained extremely reasonable. Mature vintages approaching 20 years old can be had for less than £30 per bottle. Very few other wines from anywhere else in the world can be enjoyed with so much bottle age for so little money.
Fancy seeing what all the fuss is about? Shop our range of current and older vintages of Chateau Musar, immediately available for next-day delivery - free over £100.
