Chateau Musar, one of the most distinctive wine estates in the world.
“When I ask people about Musar, I find they can recall where they were and who they were with when they last opened a bottle. Not many wines etch their mark in our taste memory so indelibly, and that is part of the Musar magic.”
- Kristen Bieler, ‘The Magic of Chateau Musar’, Wine Spectator (May 2026)
9 wines spanning 7 vintages from Chateau Musar
Founded in Lebanon in 1930 and “arguably Lebanon’s greatest winery”
James Suckling (May 2015)
From one of the oldest wine regions in the world. With vine plantings dating back more than 5,000 years, Chateau Musar’s story is steeped in history and resilience.
Including a rare vertical tasting of the Chateau Musar Rouge
2018 | 2017 | 2010 | 2005
Hosted by third-generation family member Ralph Hochar.
Friday, June 5th
Masterclass: 5.30–7pm, 9 Wines with Kate Lamont nibbles, $95
Dinner: 7.30–9.30pm, 9 Wines & 3 Courses, $180
About Chateau Musar
Founded in Lebanon in 1930 by Gaston Hochar, Chateau Musar has become one of the world’s most distinctive and revered wine estates.
The vineyards lie in the Bekaa Valley, one of the oldest wine regions on earth, where vine plantings date back more than 5,000 years to the Phoenicians, who carried wine culture throughout the Mediterranean world.
From the very beginning, Musar carried a strong connection to Bordeaux. Gaston Hochar was inspired both by Lebanon’s ancient winemaking culture and by his travels through Bordeaux. During World War II, Major Ronald Barton of Chateau Langoa-Barton became a close friend of the family, strengthening ties between Musar and Bordeaux that remain to this day. Gaston’s son Serge later studied oenology in Bordeaux under the legendary Professor Émile Peynaud before returning home to shape the modern identity of Chateau Musar.
The wines themselves defy easy comparison. The reds combine Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan into wines that are savoury, perfumed, earthy and remarkably age-worthy. The whites, made from the ancient indigenous varieties Obaideh and Merwah, are among the most singular and fascinating wines produced anywhere in the world.
Musar’s global reputation was shaped by Serge, one of the wine world’s great visionaries. During the Lebanese Civil War, grapes were harvested between periods of shelling and transported through military checkpoints to the winery. Yet somehow, the wines retained extraordinary elegance, individuality and grace.
Today, Chateau Musar remains fiercely committed to authenticity and minimal intervention winemaking. Every vintage tells its own story. No two are ever quite the same.
The critics have long struggled to adequately describe Musar. Richard Hemming MW called it “improbable yet acclaimed; controversial yet authentic; bonkers yet brilliant.” Richard Hemming MW, JancisRobinson.com (November 2020)
For many wine lovers, Chateau Musar is not simply a winery, but one of the wine world’s most memorable and distinctive experiences.
The resilience that has shaped Chateau Musar continues today.
“At the time of publication, Chateau Musar and other wineries in the Bekaa Valley are feeling the impact of the current conflict in the Middle East. Marc Hochar lives less than 1 kilometer from locations that have been bombed in Beirut. And the Bekaa Valley—Lebanon’s primary wine region—has been hit with missile fire in the north and the south.”
Editor’s Note, Kristen Bieler, “The Magic of Chateau Musar”, Wine Spectator (May 2026)
About Ralph Hochar
Ralph Hochar is part of the third generation of the family behind Chateau Musar and now helps carry forward one of wine’s great legacies.
His grandfather Gaston founded the winery in 1930. His uncle Serge transformed Musar into a globally recognised icon. And today, Ralph continues to share the family’s wines and philosophy with wine lovers around the world.
What makes Musar special is not simply the wines themselves, but the belief behind them. Patience. Authenticity. Minimal intervention. Trust in terroir and vintage expression.
Ralph’s visit offers a rare opportunity to hear the stories behind these remarkable wines directly from the family who have lived them.
For Musar lovers, this will be a very special night.
And for anyone yet to discover Chateau Musar, there may be no better introduction.
The Wine List
1st Bracket
2021 Château Musar Jeune White
The 2021 vintage is a blend of Viognier (40%), Vermentino (30%) and Chardonnay (30%). The Vermentino, native to Sardinia and Corsica and thus well suited to the Eastern Mediterranean climate, adds citrus, mineral and even a marine character. It is moderate in alcohol and combines well with the richer Chardonnay and fragrance of the aromatic Viognier. Flavours of pineapple, pear and apricots with some floral and herby notes of basil and thyme. There is a rich honeyed mouthfeel but at the same time it is vibrantly fresh with good acidity; deliciously drinkable lightly chilled, within two to three years from the harvest. To be enjoyed with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine, or as an aperitif.
Winemaker Tasting Notes
2018 Château Musar White
The beautifully textured palate of this creamy, amber-hued wine has nuanced lemon, tangerine, clove, honey, and gently oxidative flavors. Expect velvety tannins on the long, citrus-driven finish.
96 Points - Emily Saladino, Wine Enthusiast
2nd Bracket
2022 Château Musar Jeune Red
The 2022 vintage is a blend of Cinsault (50%), Syrah (35%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (15%). The latter two varieties stole the show this year with their deep colour and fragrance and the Cinsault, harvested on the 5th of September, was of consistently high quality.
A bright, vibrant ruby colour; the 2022 vintage is bursting with rich fruits. A traditional Musar Jeune nose with dark cherries and berries, it is all at once juicy and fresh with pomegranate, cranberries and herbal scents of violet and thyme. Dense and energetic on the palate with smooth tannins and lively acidity.
Winemaker Tasting Notes
2021 Château Musar Jeune Red
There are faint leather and spice notes amid the red fruits on the nose of this blend of Cinsault, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon from Bekaa Valley, Lebanon. The medium-bodied wine has a long, tannic finish that would be ideal with roast pork, lamb, and other hearty fare.
Emily Saladino, Wine Enthusiast
2020 Château Hochar Red
This deep garnet colored wine has aromas of cherry preserves, clove and orange zest. Clove carries onto the palate and is joined by black cherry, blackberry, violet and dark chocolate flavors wrapped in rugged tannins that fade into a slightly chewy finish.
92 Points - Mike DeSimone, Wine Enthusiast
3rd Bracket
2018 Château Musar
Full bottle 1,310 g. Famous blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan aged for six years before release.
Transparent bright ruby shading to a water-white rim. Super-exotic and warmly Mediterranean. Gamey but not bretty. The elements are very nicely melded and the nose, palate and (dry) finish all seem really fresh. Not sure it’s a very long distance runner. But I love the combination of ripeness and freshness. Couldn’t possibly be from anywhere other than Lebanon, maybe only from Ch Musar! Long and hugely pleasurable. Widens the range of flavours available in an admirable way.
17/20 Points - Jancis Robinson, JancisRobinson.com
2017 Château Musar
The 2017 Château Musar has a perfumed bouquet with well-defined plummy red fruit, fireside embers and pressed flower scents. A hint of VA in the background gives the aromatics a welcome kick. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins and well-judged acidity, harmonious, not powerful, yet full of flavor. A pleasing bitterness surfaces towards the finish, with moderate persistence and a residual white pepper tang lingering in the mouth. Very nice.
Neal Martin, Vinous (April 2023)
2010 Château Musar Museum Release
For a wine from a supposedly warm, dry vintage, this beautiful expression shows incredible precision, purity and focus. The 2010 has a compelling nose reminiscent of a youthful Cru Nebbiolo blended with 10 year old Grand Cru Cotes de Nuits Pinot Noir. There are wonderfully complex aromatic notes of cherry kirsch liquor, tar and roses, sweet earthy forest fruits, hints of balsamic, sun dried cherries, frais des Boisses and a subtle complexing note of freshly polished mahogany. The most intriguing aspect of this wine is it’s incredible focus, piercing palate freshness, medium bodied freshly weight allied with incredibly fine harmonious sweet chalky tannins. With the heavenly fruit purity of the finest Musar vintages married to the elegance of a more suave, feminine, seductive vintage, this 2010 is sure to be noted as one of the most lithe, elegant, attractive expressions from the Bekaa in more than a decade. Drink this beauty now or cellar for 15+ years.
95 Points - Greg Sherwood MW
2005 Château Musar Museum Release
People used to be snooty about wine from Lebanon, even though there have been vineyards there for 6,000 years. But its reputation spread and people came to love that rich, dark, spicy, leathery, peppery, perfumed wine with aptly, a hint of cedar. The Musar 2005 is already delicious with all the qualities listed above.
Simon Hoggart – The Spectator February 2012
Price List
