Chateau Musar

Château Musar is Lebanon's most famous and important winery. It was created in 1930 by Gaston Hochar, with the desire to merge the very ancient traditions of local viticulture, which date back 6,000 years, with the knowledge and experience gained during his travels in Bordeaux. The connection with the Bordeaux region was strengthened during the 1920s, when Lebanon was under French mandate. Later, Ronald Barton, of Château Langoa-Barton, was part of the military contingent stationed Lebanon during World War II. As an admirer of great wines, he became friends with Gaston Hochar and began to appreciate the production of Château Musar, strengthening the original link with Bordeaux.
Relations with the legendary region in southwest France were strengthened through Serge Hochar, Gaston's son, who took Emile Peynaud's classes at the University of Enology in Bordeaux. Returning to his homeland, Serge became winemaker at the family winery with the desire to start producing great wines, capable of competing with the best excellences worldwide. Successes were not long in coming, and already during the 1980s, international critics began to sing the praises of Château Musar. Despite the complicated political and military vicissitudes that marked Lebanon's life for decades, and that still heavily influence it, the estate is known and appreciated all over the world, thanks to a high-end production that has nothing to envy to that coming from more famous and quoted terroirs.
The origins of Lebanese viticulture date back to the Phoenicians, who were among the first to domesticate and cultivate vitis vinifera, produce wine and market it along the Mediterranean Sea routes. The Beka'a Valley represents one of the oldest areas in which grapevines were planted and a symbol of a place now legendary. In continuation of this tradition, today Château Musar manages an estate of 220 hectares located mostly in the Beka'a Valley, bordered by two high mountain ranges parallel to the coastline. The vineyards are located at an altitude of about 1,000 meters and enjoy a cool, breezy climate as well as excellent sunshine. Agronomic management is organic, certified since 2006. All harvests are carried out manually and fermentations take place spontaneously with native yeasts. The wines are an authentic expression of a great terroir.