Chateau Musar 2019 Red Bekka Valley Lebanon MAGNUM

Seven years in the making, Chateau Musar Red is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault from vineyards near the Bekaa Valley villages of Aana and Kefraya on gravelly soils over limestone.

Planted from the 1930s onwards, yields are low from these mature bush vines (average age: 40 years) - between 15 to 35hl per hectare.

This 2019 vintage is deep ruby in colour with high viscosity.

Red cherries, plums and figs dominate the nose with a hint of eastern spice, kirsch and plums follow through to the palate with blackcurrant and chocolate.

The tannins are velvety soft and this wine has a lot of depth and fruit concentration with a long finish.

Chateau Musar Red is richly textured and likely to 'throw a crust' - this is a common feature of most fine wines and is especially true of Musar Red vintages over a decade old.

Ideally, bottles should be standing up the night before opening to allow the sediment to settle. After careful decanting (and discarding of sediment, usually in the last centimetre of the bottle) the wine should be allowed to breathe for an hour and served at 18°C .

The ultimate companion for roasts, grills (especially lamb), casseroles, game and mature cheeses.