ChateauMusarWHITE2014

Get to know: Chateau Musar WHITE 2014

Tasting Note

Golden-yellow colour with a complex aroma of beeswax, orange peel and a delicate savoury character. Its bursting with flavour, ranging from herb-scented runny honey, to ripe peach, banana, fresh almonds and hazelnuts. A full-bodied white despite having fresh acidity and a saline edge which results in an attractive textural balanced wine. Good length and if cellared well, will keep for decades.

Producer Info

The Merwah was fermented and aged in new Nevers oak barrels for 9 months on the lees and the Obaideh was fermented in stainless steel vats, two different fermentation methods to match the two different grape characteristics. It was blended in June 2015, bottled in the August after cold stabilisation and the vintage released in 2021 after 7 years of ageing.

2014 was a year noted as the first since records began, where the mountains were not covered with winter snow and dry conditions further compounded by low rainfall through much of the spring and into summer. Thankfully, the ancient and indigenous Merwah and Obaideh varietals that make up the Chateau Musar White, are grown at very high altitude (1200-1400 metres above sea level) and avoid the higher temperatures found on the Bekaa Valley floor, allowing the harvest to start a little later with Obaideh on 2nd October followed by Merwah picked on 11th October.