Château Musar Musar 2014

A very wet spring in 2011 in the Bekaa Valley led to a delayed season and their second latest harvest on record. This has aromas of plum sauce and damson, varnished woods and noticeable volatile acidity – part of the style. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, with tangy balsamic acidity and a savoury, leathery finish. It's just starting to drink now but will last well thanks to its dense lattice of ripe tannins. (MW) (5/2018)

Fairly deep ruby. A denser, more concentrated, linear nose than the 2010 served alongside. A certain dustiness of aroma. This seems more obviously Cabernet than most Musar reds. Still quite youthful. Falls away a little on the end. Well judged but less distinctive and less obviously Lebanese than some vintages. Decent balance. Certainly not over the top. 17/20 points. (JR) (2/2018)

The 2007 Chateau Musar, the flagship estate red, is the typical, roughly equal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault, aged for 12 months in French oak. Adding a much needed layer of concentration to the Hochar also reviewed this issue, this also provides more focus and intensity, while still seeming to be a civilized Musar. Finishing with complexity, earthy nuances and a gamey hint, it is a relatively polished Musar that shows both finesse and flavor on the finish. After opening rather soft and reticent, the underlying power emerged strongly. There are tannins lurking underneath, of course. Add the acidity, providing some steel and intensity, and this becomes a completely different wine with three hours of decanting, up to and including, what seemed to me to be a high-toned nuance, a hint of Amarone that, hopefully, stays under control. With the right food match, you might not notice. Like most Musars, this is a bottling that has a lot of stuff going on. Take it for what it is. In any event, if I didn't have it in front of me at home the whole time, I'd think someone had switched my glasses from start to finish. It went from "nice" to "it's Musar!" It should age pretty nicely – they always do – but this opened so well that I would not chastise anyone who decided to dive in now. That said, as this became more powerful and astringent with decanting, it certainly demonstrated that it will benefit from more cellaring. It also proved that it could use another year or two to settle down. Let's take the aging curve in stages. Drink 2016-2032.

The flagship Musar bottling, this blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan is lush and almost Port-like in 2007, save for the gust of spice that comes in on the acidity and brightens the finish. It’s wild and warm, a Mediterranean red with a forest floor complexity that keeps it engaging for hours. (8/2014)