1960, 1974 and New Releases of Château Musar

BY NEAL MARTIN | APRIL 03, 2023

Château Musar is a remarkable estate that gained prominence thanks to the late Serge Hochar, a remarkable man who died tragically in 2015 after a swimming accident in Mexico. I grew up watching the news of war-torn Beirut. Little did I know then that down in the Bekaa Valley, Hochar was making wine from Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault bush vines, as well as a white from indigenous Obaideh and Merwah varieties. The reds were inspired by Léoville Barton after Ronald Barton was stationed in Lebanon and met Serge Hochar’s father Gaston, who founded the estate in 1930. The wines gained popularity overseas, in no small part thanks to Michael Broadbent, a great friend of Serge Hochar (Broadbent Wines continue as their US distributor to this day.) I was fortunate to meet Hochar two or three times in London. He was an irrepressibly joyful man with limitless energy. Château Musar regularly appeared at dinners, more often than not, old bottles from the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies. Sometimes they could be a revelation, and occasionally, an acquired taste. Two older vintages were shown at recent tasting hosted by UK importer, J E Fells & Co, and afterwards, I nipped over to another stand where the latest releases were being poured.