Chateau Musar Blanc 2018《ZTL003》

Chateau Musar, one of Lebanon's most prestigious wineries, is located in the Bekaa Valley in eastern Lebanon and is managed by the Hochar family.

The Hochar family's ancestors originally lived in France and settled in what is now Lebanon in the 12th century. In 1930, Gaston Hochar established Chateau Musar, influenced by Lebanon's over 6,000-year history of viticulture and winemaking, and also by his travels to Bordeaux. In 1941, Major Ronald Barton, owner of Chateau Langoa-Barton, was stationed in Lebanon and became friends with Gaston. Their relationship strengthened the connection between Chateau Musar and Bordeaux, significantly influencing the winery's winemaking style. Gaston's eldest son, Serge Hochar, was originally a civil engineer. Encouraged by his father, he decided to study oenology at the University of Oenology in Bordeaux and became the winemaker at Château Moussa in 1959. He then spent 18 years exploring and perfecting the blending ratios of the Château Moussa red wines. In 1984, Serge was named "Man of the Year" by Decanter magazine, in recognition of his continued dedication to producing high-quality red wines during the Lebanese Civil War.

Château Moussa's vineyards are located at the southern end of the Bekaa Valley, north of Lake Qaroun. The area has a long history of viticulture; around 4,500 BC, the Phoenicians were already spreading their viticultural and winemaking techniques along the Mediterranean coast. Located in the Bekaa Valley, Musa Winery enjoys two main advantages in viticulture: firstly, the vineyards are situated at an altitude of over 1,000 meters, where cool nighttime temperatures extend the grape ripening period; secondly, the soils are predominantly calcium-rich limestone gravel, which allows the grapes to produce wines with unique flavors and captivating complexity. The vineyards primarily cultivate Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as Cinsault and Carignan from the southern Rhone Valley. White grape varieties include local Lebanese Obaidh and Merwah, grown on cooler, higher slopes. Musa Winery was the first winery in Lebanon to receive organic certification, adhering to a "non-interventionist" approach, allowing the viticulture and winemaking processes to occur as naturally as possible. Sergei Hochar once said, "As a winemaker, it's a great privilege to be in contact with the organisms in the vineyard; I shouldn't rack my brains trying to eliminate them."

Winemaking 

At harvest time, the grapes are hand-picked by workers in the early morning to ensure freshness. The red grapes used for winemaking ferment in separate concrete tanks, then are reverse-fermented after six months, followed by 12 months of aging in French oak barrels. Most of these barrels are old, with only a small portion being replaced annually. This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, and Carignan allows the wine to beautifully express the unique style of each vintage. Blending is an integral part of the Musa Winery's winemaking tradition. The winemaker frequently tastes wines from different vineyards, intuitively judging their characteristics before blending. At the end of the third year after harvest, the resulting wine is bottled unfiltered. Finally, it undergoes bottle aging for three to four years before being officially released to the market. For white wine, the grapes are first fermented in old oak barrels for six to nine months, and the resulting wine can be used for blending and bottling in the first year. Musa Winery's white wine is bottle-aged in the cellar for six years before its official release. Serge Hochsall once said, "Give my wine a little more time, and it will give me a little more enjoyment in return."