Chateau Musar

Chateau Musar, probably Lebanon’s best-known winery, has been in family ownership for over 90 years. Lebanon has been a winegrowing country for thousands of years, and Musar’s powerful and extremely ageworthy wines made in the classic Bordeaux style are the country’s modern-day flagships.

Gaston Hochar founded Chateau Musar in 1930 at the age of only 20, inspired by his country’s viticultural tradition, which dates back over 6,000 years, and by his informative experiences in Bordeaux. He chose the 18th-century Mzar Castle, situated around 25 kilometres north-north-east of Beirut, as his base, subsequently naming the winery after it.

Chateau Musar – a Lebanese success story

Gaston’s oldest son, Serge Hochar, took over the business in 1959 after completing his winemaking studies in Bordeaux. Serge spent the next 18 years perfecting the Chateau Musar style. His devotion to making exceptional wine even during the Lebanese Civil War (1975–1990) saw him named Man of the Year by Decanter Magazine in 1984. Chateau Musar, currently run by third-generation owners Gaston and Marc Hochar, is today regarded as the benchmark producer of ageworthy high-end wines in Lebanon and the entire Middle East.

Vineyards in the Bekaa Valley

Musar sources its red grapes from vineyards in the southern region of the Bekaa Valley, near the villages of Ammiq, Aana and Kefraya, at an altitude of around 1,000 metres. Its white grapes, native varieties Obaideh and Merwah, prefer slightly cooler conditions and, therefore, are grown at higher elevations of around 1,500 metres. Chateau Musar became Lebanon’s first-ever certified-organic winery in 2006.

Flagship red

The estate’s remarkable flagship wine is Chateau Musar Red – a cuvée made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, Carignan and Syrah, the exact composition of which changes from vintage to vintage. Chateau Musar Red is an exceptionally rich wine that performs best from around 10 years onwards. Chateau Musar Red came of age in 1979, when it was hailed as the find of the Bristol Wine Fair. 

“Boucherville has been representing Chateau Musar wines in Switzerland for just over 10 years, with great professionalism and a lot of passion and enthusiasm, supporting us and our wines continuously. Chateau Musar is looking forward to continue working with the same spirit for many years to come.”

Gaston Hochar

chateaumusar.com