Musar Jeune Red, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon 2018

A guide to the style
Musar Jeune Red is an unoaked blend of Cinsault, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon from youthful Bekaa Valley vines. Meant for current consumption – within a few years of the harvest – this deeply-coloured, vividly fruity style, first produced in 2007, may yet prove to be a ‘keeper’. Inky-dark, silky-textured and aromatic, with blackcurrant, raspberry and cherry jam flavours and a warm, spicy finish, it has been likened to a fine Roussillon red.

Grapes and vines
Made from the fruit of Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, vines planted since 2000 at around 1,000m above sea level in the Bekaa Valley.

Winemaking
Musar Jeune Red is fermented in cement-lined vats and bottled a year after harvest and released a year later.

Decanting and serving
No need to decant; enjoy straight from the bottle at between 16-18°C with grills, roasts, casseroles, delicatessen meats and mature cheeses.

Vegan

This wine is suited for vegans as it is not fined nor filtered.

Storage
To keep the wines showing at their best, bottles must be cellared in darkness, lying on their sides and not subjected to unnecessary movement or fluctuations in temperature.