1980 Chateau Musar Organic, Bekaa Valley Lebanon

A delicate vintage which is developing much more character than we would have first thought. A lighter than average style with a rich ruby colour. Very fresh and clean with a lovely tobacco nose. The palate develops into an elegant character and ends with a warm, mellow finish. Mildly pickled aromas share the stage with typical leaf and cedar scents. This is darker and denser that some of the other wines from the 1980's. It also tastes more of Cabernet Sauvignon than most. A perfect candidate for roasted meats.

“Marked bottle deposit on the shoulder. Pale rust red. Very vigorous, palate-grabbing start. Full of life with light tannins on the end. Very impressive even if it’s still quite youthful. Really very difficult to assign a score to. Wonderfully impressive in every respect and this tastes as though it has a great future. A note of decay dissipated. 14% alc.

Drink 2008-2030 Jancis Robinson, April 2018  18+ Points