Wine Region: Bekaa Valley

(2026) Made from the indigenous Merwah variety, in this case organically grown vines that are 60 years old and planted at an altitude of 1,600 metres in the Bekaa Valley. I've always liked this wine, but I have to say the 2023 seems to be a notch up in flavour intensity. There's a little almond note to citrus and crunchy, bright apple fruit, unadorned by oak. In the mouth that ripe and sweet fruit fills the palate, lots of plush nectarine juiciness and a very nicely balanced finish with the acidity giving a lightly salty edge.

(2025) Also from the Bekaa Valley and made only in exceptional years, vines here are 80–90 years old. The blend is around two-thirds Obaideh, with Merwah and a touch of Cinsault to give the colour. Unusually for the world's pink wines, this is aged in French oak from Nevers, and further matured in bottle before release. Again, Musar's recommendation is not to serve this fridge cold, but around 15C, so perhaps just half an hour in the fridge. Quite pale salmon pink with a hint of orange. The nose here is particularly spicy, with hints of clove and ginger, some Seville orange peel and a hint of something smoky. In the mouth it is rounded by vanilla, and there is a firmness through strict acidity. Small red berries and orange are the flavours, but again it is the spice that dominates. Will be interesting to see this one again in future years. Price and stockist given is for the 2018 vintage at time of review.

(2025) The last time I tasted this wine was 2012, in a restaurant in the Bekaa Valley over lunch with Serge Hochar, so quite evocative. Thick with sediment so decanting necessary in this 26-year-old wine, then heavenly on the nose with rich spiced berries and all sorts of gamy and vanilla nuances, high florals too. Rich, plummy and deep on the palate with fabulous fruit sweetness and purity, tannins resolved but working with oak spices to underpin solidly. Acidity is cherry-like and juicy in a lovely wine, drinking very well now but knowing Musar, could have decades ahead of it still.

(2025) Musar's typical blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan, aged six years before release. I thought this was a fabulous young Musar, brimming with aroma and flavour already which is quite primary in character, so there is surely more to come with cellaring. Plush with cranberry and ripe, rich blackcurrant, a hint of mint in there too. Such sweet and mouth-filling fruit, caressing the tongue with medium-bodied and quite silky texture, hints of earth and smoky minerals, but really all about smooth and plush flavours over moderate tannin and particularly juicy acidity. A fine rendition of this classic in a relatively forward style, but it will age. Watch the video for more information.

(2025) A blend of 60% Obaideh and 40% Merwah from high-altitude vines planted between 50-90 years ago. The wine was fermented in new French oak barrels for nine months and only released after six years. Musar are very firm that this wine should be served at around 15C, and not at fridge temperature. The nose is at first creamy and lemony, not too oxidised at all, hints of marzipan and hazelnut are lovely, then fennel and fresh mountain pine come through. Intense and dry on the palate, this is driven by apple core and lemon acidity, but with texture and that nutty creaminess. I see the logic of not over-chilling this wine to let its texture and subtle creaminess shine through. A 'natural' wine of great clarity and quality.

(2025) The Jeune Red 2021 is a blend of Cinsault, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon made in concrete tanks with no oak influence, and from a hot and very good vintage. Deep and saturated in colour, the nose is a dark, a swirl of meatiness to black fruit, just a glimpse of something more fragrant, like violets. Solidly fruity on the palate, with damson plum and blackberry, some lip-tingly spice and again that lightly smoky and meaty nuance. Good balance here, with firm but elegant tannins and a fine line of acidity. The star of this range I think.

(2025) A blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Syrah, this has a bold cherry colour. Small, dry berries like cranberry and reducurrant on the nose, a little hint of rose petals and creaminess. In the mouth this is a sweet and forward style, juiciness bolstered by a touch of residual sugar. Hints of spice and the finish shows good balancing acidity. Tasted previously with a similar note and score.

(2025) Those who have tasted Musar's top level pink will know it is an idiosyncratic rosé, made from two local varieties, Obaideh and Merwah and fermented in oak. The 'Jeune' range is more orthodox and made for earlier drinking, but this 2022 rosé made from 85% Cinsault and 15% Mourvèdre still bucks the trend: it is three years old, much darker than is fashionable, and has a coppery tone to its colour. On the nose it is determinedly not Provençal, with a grilled meat or roasting chestnut nuance, almond and cream to red fruits. The palate is smooth and vinous - this strikes me as a 'serious' sort of rosé rather than a patio quaffer, finishing with spice and bright acidity to match with a salad Niçoise or Middle Eastern mezze. Watch the video for more information.

(2025) The blend here is 40% Chardonnay, 30% Vermentino and 30% Viognier. Once again it is very unlikely Musar's grand vin white, clean, fruit-forward and relatively 'easy drinking'. The Viognier gives plenty of juicy peach and apricot aromatics, the Vermentino freshens the palate with citrus and herbs, and the Chardonnay rounds the whole picture finishing fresh and spicy. Orthodox and very enjoyable.

(2025) Faouzi Issa is a modern winemaker in Lebanon, but has been mentored by some Georgian winemakers in the secrets of skin-contact 'orange' wines. Here he has used 150-year-old Merweh, fermented with wild yeast and spending four months with skins in Terracotta jars. The nose is attractively wild, with a yeasty and stony character but something quite floral/herbal too. It isn't nutty, but a touch of wheat plays against a hint of jasmine, so quite intriguing. In the mouth it is dry, the phenolics of tannin and melon rind dominating, but there is juiciness too. A squeeze of lime and a lick of salt is half-way to a Tequila shot here, but that's doing a thoroughly interesting and really quite delicious wine a disservice. Watch the video for more information and food-matching suggestions.