Château Musar is known to wine lovers all over the world for its fantastically idiosyncratic red wine that ages for decades and never seem to tire. Among hardcore Musar fanatics, however, it’s the estate’s white wine that often takes first stage: it’s even more ageworthy than the red version (the 1954 is still drinking superbly, I’m told; quel dommage I finished my last bottles in 1972…), and crazier. Musar also makes a rosé which is rarely given any attention. And yet it’s made of the same local varieties as the white: Merwah and Obaideh, with a splash of Cinsault for roséness. There’s no reason why it should age less well than the Blanc and Rouge. With any of the latter, I wouldn’t be worried about a 1995, but when I bought this bottle of the Rosé at London’s City Beverage Co. (a great source for older Musar vintages), I was told by the owner to drink up soon.
He was wrong. This wine is fresh as a daisy. In the bottle, the colour doesn’t even look so much aged: a Cinsault medium deep pink with perhaps some rustiness. Upon opening this is a little smelly and reductive, tertiary, with that toasty, searing quality of aged white Musar. However with airing and served at 16C this is getting better and better. Nose is that of a red wine, perhaps even older port with a pruney, confiturey opulence, but palate has the bracing oxidative energy of the Musar whites. While the acidity might be a bit punchy for most palates, the lovely textural finesse of Cinsault-generated wild strawberries is irresistible. This somehow is a little wild and pungent and at the same time shows an elegance that is out of this world.
A wine of real dimension with fantastic poise and personality. And not at all evolved: can go on for at least another 10 years. Challenging but really a transcendental bottle of rosé.
Somehow, I am very sceptical about the quality of a bottle of Musar rose especially from the 1995 vintage (wasn't such a great year)….But how can a wine be described as 'fresh as a daisy" and show tertiary aromas. Although, you do mention the oxidative state of the wine which most probably was, still you find it enjoyable and give it another 10 years?!
Anonymous,
this wouldn't be the first time Musar shows as a paradox…
But I see no contradiction between a wine showing elements of oxidation and tertiariness and being fresh. It is all about the acidity and the amount of freshness that is still left in the wine: this particular Musar is showing exactly that, a combination of evolution from the white grapes (comparable to the register of the white Musars) and some compelling fresh fruit from the Cinsault that is even quite primary. My estimation is that there's another 10 years before this fresh fruit fades completely, though I'm ready to be challenged on this (it much depens on your palate; I can take quite a bit of tertiariness in a wine).
I also don't share your opinion on the 1995 vintage. Several bottles of the Musar Rouge 1995 tasted over the last few years have been excellent, and I would put this vintage with the best of the 1990s, with 1991 and 1999 perhaps.