Chateau Musar 1994 Rouge 75cl

1994 was a year of intense heat. The winter was short and mild and was followed by early flowering in spring and a normal summer although we had an unexpected heat wave which lasted from August to mid-October. This caused the grapes to start drying before ripening. It was therefore decided to harvest ten days earlier than normal. The result was one of the most concentrated and fruity vintages at Chateau Musar. Made with natural yeast fermentation in concrete tanks, the component parts are racked into French Nevers oak barrels for 12 months ageing. Blended and bottled unfined and unfiltered in 1997. Bottles were rested in the cellars for 4 years before release in 2001.

A generous aroma of plums, berries, vanilla and spice as well as fine texture. 1994 was one of the country's hottest years with the result that this vintage shows deep concentrated colours of dark berries with a wonderful nose of spice and leather.

Coming from the wood in the spring of 1996, the wine showed green spicy oak notes on the nose, with more open Cabernet character. The palate was firm with quite good tannins, although the fruit was already beginning to show the ripe chocolatey texture so typical of Musar. An intense, richly concentrated wine.