What a wonderful day!

What a wonderful day!

Well, driving out of Beirut wasn’t exactly wonderful, with cars stopping, turning, overtaking and doing any kind of imaginable manoeuvres, anytime, anywhere and without warning.

But we made it through thanks to Femke’s excellent navigation and soon we found ourselves at Chateau Musar – a famous Lebanese vineyard. Gaston Hochar (third generation of the owner family and named after his Grand father who founded Musar 1930) welcomed us and was kind enough to give us a thorough tour of the premises. And a splendid tasting.

First out was a surprising 2008 Musar Cuvee (called Musar Jeune in Europe), a white wine that reminded me of a well-balanced Oude Geuze (Belgian beer). Femke got a bit scared there but order was restored with the next glass, a beautiful white Chateau Musar 2001. It’s a mix of local grapes Obaideh and Merwa and a good one. Golden colour, roasted nose with some fruit and a very full and long taste.

Next, Gaston’s helper poured some samples from the latest harvest’s vats, 2009 Cinsault, 2009 Carignan and 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon. All these wines we tried amongst the oak barrels in the vaulted cellar. But this was just the warm-up.

Monsieur Hochar led us further down, past storing vats and the bottling plant and into the holiest, to the cellar where the wines are bottle conditioned for up to six years before being sold. Here we had the pleasure to taste why Chateau Musar is a name known around the world.

What a complex, ever-changing nose! First there is leather. Roasted notes. And a touch of fruit in the background. Then it opens up and the berries steps forward, with more fruit but still backed up by the wonderful roasted aromas in the background. We are talking about the red Chateau Musar 1999. And so far only about how it smells! Well I wont bore you more with the wine-talk, lets just say it is a marvellous wine.

As a little surprise to end the tasting we were served the Chateau Musar from 1991.  Mmm. What a wine experience.

In the afternoon we drove to Byblos, an ancient port now dominated by a crusader fortress in ruins. The port itself is a ridiculously charming little thing with a ruined tower at the entrance to the harbour basin and a pearl necklace of terraces to enjoy it from. We had delicious Calamares and muttabal at Bab el Mina, and something called Batata Harra, fried potatoes mixed with herbs, spinach, olive oil and green chili.

While Femke regrouped at legendary Pepe’s fishing club next doors I roamed the harbour with my camera. Later in the afternoon I spotted a paraglider soaring close by. How I missed my own glider!

Behind the harbour there is an old souk (market) that has been restored in a surprisingly nice way. We ended up in a courtyard, sipping rosé and listening to the prayer call. After dark we sat down for dinner at Locanta, a stylish restaurant with designer-water pipes and mezzes de luxe. Lightning fast service and innovative and very tasty food shows that the recommendation from New York Times in January is well deserved.