White Still Wine | Lebanon | 75cl
£39.95
ABV: 12%
Size: 75cl
Closure Type: Cork
Country: Lebanon
Wine Style: Medium Bodied
Chateau Musar is better know for its red wines which have an uncanny ability to seem to age forever. However, do not under-estimate the whites from this world class estate. The grape vareities are Obaideh and Merwah which are thought to be genetically similar to Chardonnay and Semillon, but as yet no DNA has been proved this categorically. It almost does not matter what varieties this is made from as there is almost no other white wine in the world quite like it. Perhaps the old school White Riojas such as Vina Tondonia or Castillo Ygay bear a passing resemblance.
A guide to the style
In their youth: yellow-gold, subtly oaky, and creamy-textured, rich yet dry and intensely citrusy, with honeyed nuances. Wholly unique, the style has been described as resembling ‘dry Sauternes’ or mature white Graves. Chateau Musar Whites develop tawny hues and mellow spicy characters as they age. The cellars at Ghazir holds bottles of this wine dating as far back as 1954.
Grapes and vines
Seven years in the making, Chateau Musar White is a blend of ancient grape varieties Obaideh and Merwah, indigenous to the mountains of Lebanon and said to be related to Chasselas Chardonnay and Semillon. The Obaideh vineyards are in the foothills of the Anti-Lebanon mountains on stony, chalky soils, while the Merwah vines are on the seaward side of Mount Lebanon, on calcareous gravels. Yields are very low for these untrained bushvines: 10 – 20 hl per hectare. At high altitude (around 1400m) they are still on their own roots, among very few vineyards in the world of this calibre.
Winemaking
Chateau Musar White is fermented in French oak barriques (from the forest of Nevers) for 9 months, bottled and blended at the end of its first year and released seven years after the harvest.
Decanting and serving
Concentrated and complex, Chateau Musar Whites show at their best after several hours’ ‘breathing time’, and should be served ‘cellar cool’ at around 15°C. They excel with pâtés (especially foie gras), rillettes, seafood dishes and will match spicy food as the wine has such intense flavours.
