Housed in an 18th century castle in Ghazir, about 25 km north of Beirut, Chateau Musar was founded in 1930 by Gaston Hochar inspired by Lebanon’s 6,000-year winemaking tradition. The vines for the estate’s unique wines are located in the famed Bekaa Valley at altitudes ranging from 1,000 – 1,500 meters, an area celebrated for its viticulture since Biblical times. The vineyards’ remote location coupled with the Hochar family’s respect for the environment has resulted in ‘organic’ vineyards by default since the 1950’s, even long before the term was coined.
The wines of Chateau Musar are produced with a ‘non-interventionist’ wine making philosophy. Chateau Musar first achieved international recognition during the Bristol Wine Fair in England in 1979, where the wine press and prominent critics including Michael Broadbent declared it "the discovery of the fair" and in 1984, Decanter wine magazine named Serge Hochar their first ever "Man of the Year". Today, Chateau Musar wines are known worldwide for their finesse, elegance and extraordinary ability to age. The late Serge Hochar used to say "the harmony of nature is better than anything we could ever create. I believe it should be a priority to seek to drink what is 'true' rather than what is 'good'; I once produced a wine that was technically perfect but it lacked the charms of imperfection".
