Chateau Musar (red wine from Lebanon)

Mike Nelson, managing partner at Carmon's restaurant, recommended this wine to me a few weeks ago, so I decided to try it at Carmon's on this beautiful afternoon.

I feel I should retell the story Mike told me about the origins of the wine's unique flavors:

This is a wine from Lebanon grown by a family of wine makers in the Bekaa valley, who purportedly at one point depended heavily on their crop from year to year to make a living. When civil war broke out in Lebanon a few decades ago, the wine maker fled and was given a choice: hide for his life, or save the crop to feed his family. He chose the latter; however, apparently the vines had gone without proper care for some time before he returned, and so were a bit "off", producing a very earthy and borderline spoiled wine. Regardless, this style found favor in the wine communities of the world and the current style of red wine produced by Chateau Musar is styled after this fruitful accident.

That being said, the wine is unlike any other red wine I have had. Mike describes the bouquet as "barnyard-like", which I don't disagree with. I smelled something like musty hay way in the back. The color of the wine was interesting as well - not a deep burgundy-red like most, but a slightly lighter red with almost a tinge of brown. It tastes a bit lighter than the red wines I am used to, but in a good way, with very earthy and rich flavors, and a finish that initially reminded me of tart apple skins. My friend Danny was with me and had the same wine, which we discovered must vary from bottle to bottle, or perhaps based on how long it has been open, because his glass was noticeably different - more tart on the finish. This is a very fascinating wine, and I'd recommend at least trying it for the experience. I enjoyed it a lot.