Château Musar Hochar Père & Fils 2003 13%. I have not usually liked any other than the Château Musar label from this winery, but I have to admit that the 2003 P&F is wonderful.
This Hochar is a single vineyard wine from the village of 'Aná, some 10km or so south of Chtoura (where the famous Ksara winery is). IIRC, 2003 wasn't a heat-wave in the Biq'á-valley, but was a bit cooler than usual. But it was also drier and sunnier than normal, and this weather maybe is the reason why this wine combines both sweetness of fruit and a general "southern", warm feel to brightness and vivacity?
Done supposedly with the same philosophy and grape varieties as the Château wine (though if so, why is it almost always so drearily inferior to it?), the 2003 is one of the few P&Fs that has seemed Musary to me. It doesn't have the concentration or lift of its elder sibling, but this year I do see the family resemblance. Lovely wine.

