Chateau Musar
2017
At €40, I had to.
It’s been a wild ride. The bottle has been open for two hours, and what started as pure promise and excitement has descended into a little disappointment.
This was wild on opening.
Dried cherries, figs, blackberries, prunes, and some tart red fruits. Wafts of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Some leather appearing. It was fresh, young, and vibrant.
Immediately upon putting it up to my nose, I got a sense of place from this wine, and it seriously impressed me.
Where has it all gone?
The fruit has completely pulled back with air. There’s remnants of what once was but it’s now predominately leather, tobacco and a healthy dose of brett. Nowhere near as vibrant as it was at the beginning. Incredibly dusty and oxidative.
An apple-skin character started to emerge with air and became increasingly prominent as the fruit retreated.
Structurally, it’s fantastic.
The palate never quite reached the heights promised by the nose on opening. The structure is excellent, but the fruit retreats too quickly, leaving the savoury elements to do most of the heavy lifting.
Unfortunately, the nose takes away from it once it’s had some air.
Medium+ body, powdery tannins, and a healthy hit of acid. Some VA providing a nice lift to the savoury aspect.
I respect this wine. I love the history.
But it’s too untamed and feral to be drunk on a regular basis. I want the first glass, but I don’t want the last. Saying that, the bottle is getting finished for eh….research purposes.
by PeerReviewedGobshite
4 Comments
> But it’s too untamed
It’s too damn young. Buy another bottle and forget about it until sometime after 2035.
Let second half of the bottle rest overnight. It might be incredible tomorrow.
Very interesting. Thanks for sharing.
Cheers 🥂
Thank you for the contemplative review.
What caught my eye is that elegant glass. Who made that?