Hochar Pere et Fils should never be thought of as Chateau Musar's 2nd wine. The blend of grape varieties, vineyards and ageing are all different which creates a unique wine. Hochar has a lovely sweet spice note behind the ripe red fruit which is dominated by red cherry. Pepper notes, earth and cinnamon come through on the palate which has superb balance and a depth of flavour that you just want to get into. The grapes for Hochar come from a single vineyard near the village of Aana which have deep, gravelly soil. The wine is generally dominated by over 50% Cinsault which is blended with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and the remainder being made up from Grenache.

Chateau Musar is more than a wine. It is the story of one man’s vision and struggle to succeed through the unlikeliest of odds. The wines are now iconic, enjoy cult status and are as unique as they are brilliant. Serge Hochar famously produced his wines through the civil war (1975-1990) and was perhaps one of the Godfathers of ‘Natural Wine’. Heavily influenced by Bordeaux, the wines come from calcareous, gravel and stone soils in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley. The vineyards benefit from cool nights and seasonal temperatures which result in a long growing season. It is a unique terroir that producers a unique range of wines that have, and will, always divide opinion. The wine is also a unique blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault and Carignan. One thing is guaranteed, no two bottles of Musar are ever the same. I’ll leave you to decide if that is a good or bad thing.