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.

Hedges CMS Red 2006

This wine was very inexpensive (~$10) and highly praised at Piccadilly near the library in Champaign. It is from the Columbia Valley in Washington state, which is a region from which I don't think I've ever tried wine. It's another blend of reds - 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 4% Syrah (hence, C.M.S.). As a fan of red wine blends, I must say this is one of the best I have tasted. It's very bright and flavorful, with berries that cut right through, and yet it's still incredibly smooth with a wonderful lingering finish. Even though I'm not much of a wine connoisseur, I have to recommend this very highly, especially given its price.

Avignonesi 2002 Rosso di Toscana

I don't know much about tasting wine. That being said, I do know what I like, and I know the difference between cheap wine and good wine. My favorite category of wine is the Italian reds, particularly from the Tuscany region, and this wine fits into that category. Simply called "Rosso", or "Red" in italian, it is a blended wine (40% Prugnolo Gentile, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot), and I consider it to be good (and quite wallet-friendly at $20 or less per bottle). As I said before, I'm not much of a wine taster, but here's the best description I can muster:

The aroma is kind of dark, and reminds me of darker berries (blackberry, blueberry, etc). It is a smooth wine, with a bit of tartness, and the flavor is a little brighter than something like a pure Cabernet. The berriness continues in the taste, which is kind of like a dried berry mix. There is a mild saltiness to it as well. The finish is relatively short, and not unpleasant.

For its price, this is a good Tuscan red wine, but I've enjoyed slightly cheaper Tuscan red wines more than this one.