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Battle-tested red

BEPPI CROSARIOL

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 9:14 AM EDT 25/04/07

Lebanon's Chateau Musar survived a war ...Read the full article

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  1. Swifty J from Mariposa, Canada writes: Pleasant surprise to see this in the G&M.

    In case it wasn't obvious enough from the article, you really, really shouldn't blow $50 on a bottle of Chateau Musar if you're into New World wine styles (especially highly concentrated ones with low acidity and even a hint of residual sugar). Unless, of course, you have a well developed sense of adventure and a very open mind.

    If you enjoy traditional-style light, acidic reds from the Loire or northern Italy (think dolcetto), you might want to give this a shot. Not that it's really much like those, but I think this is a good measure of whether Musar might appeal to you.

    Either way, chances are you've never tried anything like this wonderful wine. Don't forget to decant it to let some of the funkier aromas mellow out. I wonder if that '56 was poured straight from the bottle...
  2. Lowen Wrainger from Canada writes: Well that's really $49.80. Remember the $.20 deposit on wine bottles that you can return for a refund at the Beer store.
  3. OK from Ontario from Toronto, Canada writes: From the headline I thought the story had something to do with the red serge the British used to use during the Napleonic era - the Thin Red Line. Swifty: doesn't decanting oxidize the wine? Or do you only let it breath for a day or so.
  4. Swifty J from Mariposa, Canada writes: I generally decant no more than an hour or two before serving, though some people let certain wines (especially younger vintage port) breathe for much longer. Before decanting, always have a small taste to make sure it isn't damaged goods and to have a sense of what the wine was like before breathing.

    There is also the question of sediment, which appears in many age-worthy reds, including Musar. Decanting allows you to leave most of it behind in the bottle.

    As for oxidation, I can't tell you much about it except that it doesn't appear to be a harmful reaction in the few hours between decanting and drinking.

    BTW, I've only had this wine a couple of times. I'm really looking forward to the next time, though. I just hope this article doesn't cause a run on the stuff, as newspaper reviews sometimes do.

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