WTN: Serge Hochar visits Helsinki :)

Serge Hochar is quite a character - and I say this as a positive thing. He is more an artist in the way he talks about his wines than a scientist. He surely has a solid grounding in all the technicalities of wine, but he approaches the subject through his heart and philosophy. And the heart and philosophy are to my liking: the earth should speak, but the man must rear the grapes. He isn't a techno producer but more a terroir one, but one who doesn't neglect the work that man does: it's not only the earth and grape that speaks. I find this practical and more truthful than all the terroirists' claims to non-intervention. I see I was inspired by Serge to talk such philosophy! Well, he was a charming man, great fun, inspired and I was magnetised by his talk.

We had a nice little tasting also, which illuminated many aspects of his wines. I was especially interested to hear the thoughts on the second wines (Cuvée Musar and Hochar Père & Fils) as frankly I have never really enjoyed them. The Cuvée I've thought simple and sweet; the Hochar has on occasion been very nice but has always seemed like a watered down version of the real thing.

Gaston became very animated with my probings about these wines, and explained that he felt that most don't understand Musar, so he made easier-to-approach wines that could act as stepping stones to the real thing. So the Cuvée is a well made wine, but IMO without Musar's character (Serge said it tastes of sunshine! - I guess that's true); the Hochar Père & Fils tastes like the true Musar but not so wild (I think that if I understood, Serge thought so also but didn't lament the lack of true Musar character, but strives for a sort of "watered-down" Musar in this wine). In some years this wine can be very good, but it's the Musar in all its funky glory that I truly love.

We started by tasting the 2003s of the Cuvée Musar rosé and rouge. Upon opening I fell in love with the rosé as it was vegetal, earthy and smelled like a great red Burgundy. Unfortunately just a couple minutes later it had changed to sugar water. The red was sugar water from the beginning. Despite now understanding what Mr. Hochar wants to do with these wines and accepting that he has fully succeeded in creating what he set out to do, I still don't like them. I just don't think they fit in Musar profile - they are just another innocent, sweetly fruity wine. There are millions like them.

We tasted the Hochar Père & Fils 2001 which is an exceptionally fine version of this wine. I wouldn't mind buying a couple as it has genuine Musary feeling to it. It may not be as complex as the Musar proper, but at least this vintage doesn't taste of watered-down Musar.

We then had the Musar 1999 Rouge which is absolutely fantastic. I think it is on the same level of excellence as the 1991 and 1995. The nose has a prominent note of peach stone, lovely but friendly funk, earth and great fruit. The palate is big, sweetly fruity, apparently from a warm year but not so sweetly over-the-top as the 1997 seems to be. The balance is impeccable. I love this wine. I wish I had cases of it.

The we tasted through a couple whites. The Merwah and Obaide 2003 were interesting to taste, but again didn't really impress me as me something particarily Musar-like. They are certainly well made wines and though they had a clearer cut personality than the red second wines. But as with the reds, though I understand the wines now that Serge has explained about them, I still don't really like them.

Then we tasted one of my favourite wines, the Musar Blanc 1998. The red from 98 I thought ok, but nothing great. The white, however, is absolutely fantastic. It shows incredible depth on the nose, a touch of brett, much savoury white fruits and earthiness. The palate is a touch tannic for a white wine, has lots of fruit but it never gets weighty thanks to fine acidity and minerality. The aftertaste is interminable and keeps on building up in both intensity and complexity. I love the whites more than the reds. I wish I had cases of this wine too.

-Otto-

Nice notes, Otto. I really hope to try these wines one day.

Nice notes, Otto. I really hope to try these wines one day.

Thanks. I have this funny feeling that you will be tasting a 1997 Rouge sometime before Christmas. Be patient.

If that happens somehow, that would be very very cool. I'm thinking this might involve someone whose initials are WH?????

If that happens somehow, that would be very very cool.

Wade Hostler is coming to Finland I think next month. I think you two know each other? I'm sure he'll agree to take the bottle to you.

Erm! You were editing you're text while I was writing.....

Otto.. I'm psychic.

I do know Wade (whose lovely wife, Janice, makes him tolerable!!). He is a very generous and knowledgeable wine geek. I see him every couple of months. And we ARE having a major Pinot Noir tasting in December that he is scheduled to attend.

Like I said, very cool. Around here I can only find the '97 Musar and a '95 Musar Gaston Hochar, which I don't think I've seen you mention. Is either one of these worth picking up???

Otto.. I'm psychic.

I do know Wade (whose lovely wife, Janice, makes him tolerable!!). He is a very generous and knowledgeable wine geek. I see him every couple of months. And we ARE having a major Pinot Noir tasting in December that he is scheduled to attend.

Like I said, very cool. Around here I can only find the '97 Musar and a '95 Musar Gaston Hochar, which I don't think I've seen you mention. Is either one of these worth picking up???

The 97s nice but obviously from a warm year. I've never heard of such a cuvée as the Gaston Hochar? Sure it's not just Musar? Do you have a picture of the label? If it's musar proper, buy as much as you can. It's one of the best recent vintages.

Otto, this is all that it says...

CHATEAU MUSAR 1995 GASTON HOCHAR $39.99 (is 32 euros a good price????) [maybe it's the Hochar Pere bottling that you describe above????]

so.. if it is a '95, I should just buy? right??

Serge Hochar is quite a character - and I say this as a positive thing. He is more an artist in the way he talks about his wines than a scientist. He surely has a solid grounding in all the technicalities of wine, but he approaches the subject through his heart and philosophy.

Otto, what you've written is pure poetry. Such winemakers garner the highest respect from me. I've always believed that, technical necessities aside, wine is a work of art.

Someone in Mondovino said that it takes a poet to make a great wine - and I fully agree.

Otto
1st meeting? - I'm surprised Serge didn't ask "Is Otto here?" and give you a big hug

Fair criticism of the Hochar Pere et Fils. However perhaps there might be a mood which fits Hochar better than the main wine. Perhaps in the same way that you might fancy a beaujolais rather than a burgundy.

If (hypothetically) the Musar never existed and Serge had only ever made Hochar P&F, would you like it I wonder? I suspect you would, but not to the same degree.

I've enjoyed the Hochar P&F, especially the 99 which was great value for money. I'd take Musar over it 9 times out of ten, but I've had both in the cellar and sometimes the mood was more for a Hochar (even if that mood might have been related to giving the Musar a better evening to strut it's stuff). I could see the Hochar as a mid-week wine for us - enjoyable without demanding great thought or attention.

thanks for the notes

Ian

Otto, this is all that it says...

CHATEAU MUSAR 1995 GASTON HOCHAR $39.99 (is 32 euros a good price????) [maybe it's the Hochar Pere bottling that you describe above????]

so.. if it is a '95, I should just buy? right??

James, the price would seem right for the 1st wine of 1995. If it doesn't say anywhere Cuvée Musar or Hochar Père et Fils, buy it! Check the labels here in case you are in doubt as to which wines it could be.

Otto, what you've written is pure poetry. Such winemakers garner the highest respect from me. I've always believed that, technical necessities aside, wine is a work of art.

Someone in Mondovino said that it takes a poet to make a great wine - and I fully agree.

Paul, I do think humans intervene much in the process, so neglecting the human aspect is folly. But yes, poetry as much as science is what good wine making is. And though science is involved, the end product should only taste of poetry.

Ian, yes it was our first meeting, as I'd only met his son before. I'm sure there would be times I'd rather open up one of the few Hochars that I've really liked rather than the first wine. But I think if they didn't do a first wine and Hochar was their main wine, I would never have become such a fanatic. I'd buy it on occasion, but I'd drink it only a couple times a year.

Hi Otto, maybe one day he will visit Alberta?!! I have a fair chance of buying the `93 at $65 Cdn. Any thoughts on this vintage? Thanks in anticipation.

Otto.. I'm psychic.

I do know Wade (whose lovely wife, Janice, makes him tolerable!!). He is a very generous and knowledgeable wine geek. I see him every couple of months. And we ARE having a major Pinot Noir tasting in December that he is scheduled to attend.

Like I said, very cool. Around here I can only find the '97 Musar and a '95 Musar Gaston Hochar, which I don't think I've seen you mention. Is either one of these worth picking up???

The 97s nice but obviously from a warm year. I've never heard of such a cuvée as the Gaston Hochar? Sure it's not just Musar? Do you have a picture of the label? If it's musar proper, buy as much as you can. It's one of the best recent vintages.

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Hi Otto! First of all, your notes are poetry, as Paul B. already observed, but I have had my own suspicions that you possess the soul of a poet beyond the technical analysis that you express so well. What a wonderful opportunity for you to have met Serge Hochar considering the high regard you have for Chateau Musar! Thank you for sharing your experience; it was wonderful reading. I hope Serge realizes what a fabulous global ambassador for Chateau Musar he has in you! My knowledge of this winery would most likely have remained extremely limited if it had not been for your didactic insights. I also wanted you to know that I did indeed receive my Chateau Musar Gaston Hochar 1997 this week and am very excited to immerse myself in this special encounter. I believe you told me to decant for 5 - 8 hrs. but please confirm as I definitely want to experience it properly! Also, should I accompany this wine with anything in particular or will my anticipation suffice? ~ Deborah

[James Roscoe]

Otto,
Unlike you I found the Cuvee rose to be excellent when I tasted it in B'more a month ago. I also liked the the 2003. Were they fruitier than wines I usually enjoy? Sure, but I found enough minerality to carry them. I especially liked the rose and will be drinking a bottle soon, maybe Thanksgiving. I thought all the wines were pretty good. Keep your chin up!
Cheers!
James

Hi Otto, maybe one day he will visit Alberta?!! I have a fair chance of buying the `93 at $65 Cdn. Any thoughts on this vintage? Thanks in anticipation.

Where did you find it, Bob? I tracked down a '96 at deVine for $45.99 Cdn.

Otto, I've heard '96 is an off-year for Musar. What do you know about it?

[Jenise]

Jim, I agree with Otto that at that price, what you're looking at should be the premium Musar.

Hi Otto, maybe one day he will visit Alberta?!! I have a fair chance of buying the `93 at $65 Cdn. Any thoughts on this vintage? Thanks in anticipation.

The '93 is archetypal Musar. Give it 5 hours in the decanter to really show its stuff. I wish I had a couple cases of this wine - it gives so much pleasure every time I taste it, even if it isn't one of the supreme Musars (I think - I reserve the right to change my mind.... ).

Hi Otto! First of all, your notes are poetry, [...] What a wonderful opportunity for you to have met Serge Hochar considering the high regard you have for Chateau Musar! Thank you for sharing your experience; it was wonderful reading. I hope Serge realizes what a fabulous global ambassador for Chateau Musar he has in you!

Thanks Deborah! I'm not too sure about the poetry part, though. I have to admit, that I was pretty happy that Serge recognised my name when we were introduced. He apparently reads some message boards on the internet. (I guess I have to be more careful about what I write. )

I also wanted you to know that I did indeed receive my Chateau Musar Gaston Hochar 1997 this week and am very excited to immerse myself in this special encounter. I believe you told me to decant for 5 - 8 hrs. but please confirm as I definitely want to experience it properly! Also, should I accompany this wine with anything in particular or will my anticipation suffice? Wink ~ Deborah

Actually I would rather you did an experiment. If you're just drinking with a meal at home rather than sharing with several guests, I wouldn't decant at all, but open it just before dinner (or whenever you will drink it) and have a glass or two. Don't decant, just put the cork back in and put it in the fridge. Do so for two more days. I think the '97 shows very well either just out of the bottle or with a lengthy decanting. I recently drunk a bottle over three days and it kept on getting better over the whole period. If you can do a similar experiment, do so. If having more than two people drinking it, then do decant for at least five hours before serving.

James, De gustibus non est disputandum. I'm glad you enjoyed it, though. Any good word for Musar is good

Mike, the '96 is certainly not a year that I've enjoyed very much for the red wine. The white '96 is supremely good, though. The '96 is ok if you take it as a wine, but is not good Musar. I understand the '95 is widely available in the States. Try to get that as it is with the '91 and '99 the best recent Musar. If you have none other available than the '96 I might buy one just to taste, but I wouldn't be buying more than one. If you do buy it, I would love to hear comments. Some have liked the '96 very much as it is an "easier" wine than Musar usually is. But if you want Musar in an easier style, I'd go for the '98 which was better IMO, but still not full-on funky Moose.

I seem to have forgotten some very important points. First of all, the Hochars, their staff, their winery and their harvest are fine despite the hostilities.

Secondly, we also tasted the Musar Rouge 1977 which was its typical self. I have never been enamoured of this vintage (though I am always happy to drink it if someone else pays [Wink]): it always smells almost corked, but has lots of fruit. I.e. its funky in the wrong way as I don't like the smell of cardboard. But it obviously is never corked because the fruit is very, very vibrant. I guess I just don't get the vintage - I seem to prefer the 1972, though Serge seems to find the 1977 supreme.

Hi Otto! First of all, your notes are poetry, [...] What a wonderful opportunity for you to have met Serge Hochar considering the high regard you have for Chateau Musar! Thank you for sharing your experience; it was wonderful reading. I hope Serge realizes what a fabulous global ambassador for Chateau Musar he has in you!

Thanks Deborah! I'm not too sure about the poetry part, though. I have to admit, that I was pretty happy that Serge recognised my name when we were introduced. He apparently reads some message boards on the internet. (I guess I have to be more careful about what I write. )

I also wanted you to know that I did indeed receive my Chateau Musar Gaston Hochar 1997 this week and am very excited to immerse myself in this special encounter. I believe you told me to decant for 5 - 8 hrs. but please confirm as I definitely want to experience it properly! Also, should I accompany this wine with anything in particular or will my anticipation suffice? Wink ~ Deborah

Actually I would rather you did an experiment. If you're just drinking with a meal at home rather than sharing with several guests, I wouldn't decant at all, but open it just before dinner (or whenever you will drink it) and have a glass or two. Don't decant, just put the cork back in and put it in the fridge. Do so for two more days. I think the '97 shows very well either just out of the bottle or with a lengthy decanting. I recently drunk a bottle over three days and it kept on getting better over the whole period. If you can do a similar experiment, do so. If having more than two people drinking it, then do decant for at least five hours before serving.

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The experimentation will make this Musar moment even more fun! I will do it the 'O' way as I am planning a solo opening! I will record my TN's each night and report back. BTW, I saved my first wine label ever from my G-B Apostoles Palo Cortado evening and plan to do the same for this Musar '97. They are definitely two high notes in my wine experience so far and the labels will rekindle such wonderful memories! Thanks, Otto.;)

Otto, I managed to track down two bottles of the '96 Musar from different stores. I'll try one in a few weeks.

I also found a store with a stash of the '01 Pere & Fils that I'll snag a couple of bottles of. Seems like a good price - mid $20 range.

They also have several bottles of the '95 rose for $30 Cdn. Is this an ageworthy wine or are they past their prime?

There's also a great Lebanese restaurant in town with a selection of past vintages of Musar. The most recent is 1980, but at $300, I wasn't buying.

Otto, I managed to track down two bottles of the '96 Musar from different stores. I'll try one in a few weeks.

I also found a store with a stash of the '01 Pere & Fils that I'll snag a couple of bottles of. Seems like a good price - mid $20 range.

They also have several bottles of the '95 rose for $30 Cdn. Is this an ageworthy wine or are they past their prime?

I'm waiting impatiently for the note! Few weeks? I could never keep my hands off them for that long, lol! Do give them about 3 hours in the decanter before enjoying though.

The '01 is a priced a bit steep IMO - but then Musar does seem to be a bit expensive on that side of the pond.

The '95 rosé is fairly priced, though, and Musar's rosé is like some Bandols in that it actually needs age. IIRC they haven't yet released the 1996 to the market so the '95 is the newest release!

I'll try to get to one of them a little earlier. I was driving around town with the bottles in my car Saturday, so I'd like to give them some time to rest, though.

Canadian wine prices are definitely more expensive, largely due to taxes. That's just the reality we live with.

I'll try to get to one of them a little earlier. I was driving around town with the bottles in my car Saturday, so I'd like to give them some time to rest, though.

Canadian wine prices are definitely more expensive, largely due to taxes. That's just the reality we live with.

Mike, these are still young wines by Musar's standards, so once the sediment is settled it should be fine to drink. And that shouldn't take more than a day or two.

I sympathise with you in Canada - you have a monopoly also don't you?