Chateau Musar Red Cabernet Sauvignon Cinsault Carignan 2017 Bekaa Valley Lebanon 75cl

Chateau Musar was founded in 1930 by Gaston Hochar, who returned from Bordeaux convinced that the high-altitude vineyards of Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley could produce wines to stand alongside the great names of France. His son Serge took over the winemaking in 1959 and spent the following decades turning Musar into one of the most recognised and admired wines in the world. The family famously kept production going through the years of the Lebanese civil war, and Serge was named Decanter’s first Man of the Year in 1984.

The red is built around Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan, grown at close to 1,000 metres above sea level. The altitude brings cool nights and a long, unhurried growing season, giving fruit that ripens slowly and keeps its natural freshness and lift.

The 2017 carries the estate’s unmistakable house style, deep ruby in the glass with aromas of blackberry, dark cherry, dried herbs and warm spice, a scent that has become instantly familiar to Musar lovers.

On the palate it is rich yet supple, with well-integrated tannins and a savoury, gently evolving character that rewards a little air. An hour in a decanter helps the aromas unfold, and the wine holds its shape happily through a long meal.

This is a red for the table and for the cellar in equal measure. Serve it with roast or slow-cooked lamb, game, mushroom dishes or a plate of hard cheese, or lay a few bottles down and enjoy watching them develop over the coming years.