(95 points) While I still find Château Musar often inconsistent in quality, it remains arguably Lebanon’s greatest winery. The estate was founded in the 1930s by Gaston Hochar, who was succeeded by his son, Serge. The 1979 vintage was one of the first made by Serge, who sadly died earlier this year. I drunk this bottle in Hong Kong only last year, and it was a silky and pretty with dried berries and hints of cedar and flowers. The palate was medium-bodied with fine, silky tannins and a juicy finish. Fresh tobacco and wet soil. Drink now.

The 2007 Chateau Musar, the flagship estate red, is the typical, roughly equal blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan and Cinsault, aged for 12 months in French oak. Adding a much needed layer of concentration to the Hochar also reviewed this issue, this also provides more focus and intensity, while still seeming to be a civilized Musar. Finishing with complexity, earthy nuances and a gamey hint, it is a relatively polished Musar that shows both finesse and flavor on the finish. After opening rather soft and reticent, the underlying power emerged strongly. There are tannins lurking underneath, of course. Add the acidity, providing some steel and intensity, and this becomes a completely different wine with three hours of decanting, up to and including, what seemed to me to be a high-toned nuance, a hint of Amarone that, hopefully, stays under control. With the right food match, you might not notice. Like most Musars, this is a bottling that has a lot of stuff going on. Take it for what it is. In any event, if I didn't have it in front of me at home the whole time, I'd think someone had switched my glasses from start to finish. It went from "nice" to "it's Musar!" It should age pretty nicely – they always do – but this opened so well that I would not chastise anyone who decided to dive in now. That said, as this became more powerful and astringent with decanting, it certainly demonstrated that it will benefit from more cellaring. It also proved that it could use another year or two to settle down. Let's take the aging curve in stages. Drink 2016-2032. - Mark Squires

The flagship Musar bottling, this blend of cabernet sauvignon, cinsault and carignan is lush and almost Port-like in 2007, save for the gust of spice that comes in on the acidity and brightens the finish. It’s wild and warm, a Mediterranean red with a forest floor complexity that keeps it engaging for hours.