♪At last....my wine has come along♫

This past weekend I took a Ch.Musar blanc 98 to the IndyFest. Opened at 9:30a.m., stayed in open decanter until noon, then recorked for the trip and opened again at 4:30. First sniff and a lovely scent of honeysuckle and white fruit delighted my nose. As Ryan said: "Golden like a young Sauternes. A fascinating and quixotic nose: banana bread, apricot, and honey suckle. " First sip nine hours after opening and....nothing. Where were those honeysuckles? Fruit? Banana bread? Not present. After pleading and coaxing throughout the night, the final ounce was corked back up and sent home with me.

Tonight I decided to give it a go...the nose pure honey and ripe oranges. On the palate, lovely mouthfeel of medium weight that blankets the tongue with juicy crisp white fruit and a squirt of citrus. Voila! It has arrived....just three days too late. (And too little left! )

JB

[James Roscoe]

Sounds like you opened it too soon! What would ottO say?

Tonight I decided to give it a go...the nose pure honey and ripe oranges. On the palate, lovely mouthfeel of medium weight that blankets the tongue with juicy crisp white fruit and a squirt of citrus. Voila! It has arrived....just three days too late. (And too little left! )

JB

Julia, too bad for us, but I'm glad for you. I felt like it was beginning to get interesting at the end of the night (I sneaked a taste toward the end of the night. After all, Ryan was driving. ), but there was still much more to give. What an interesting white wine!

Bill

Tonight I decided to give it a go...the nose pure honey and ripe oranges. On the palate, lovely mouthfeel of medium weight that blankets the tongue with juicy crisp white fruit and a squirt of citrus. Voila! It has arrived....just three days too late. (And too little left! )

JB

Julia, too bad for us, but I'm glad for you. I felt like it was beginning to get interesting at the end of the night (I sneaked a taste toward the end of the night. After all, Ryan was driving. ), but there was still much more to give. What an interesting white wine!

Bill

It is an interesting white wine Bill, and I am happy to have a few bottles of it stashed away. JB, that was the 98 wasn't it?

Looking at prices online, its amazing how cheap the Musar blanc is . . . . can anybody recommend strong recent vintages, or does it matter? And do they all last as long as that 1998?

[James Roscoe]

Tonight I decided to give it a go...the nose pure honey and ripe oranges. On the palate, lovely mouthfeel of medium weight that blankets the tongue with juicy crisp white fruit and a squirt of citrus. Voila! It has arrived....just three days too late. (And too little left! )

JB

Julia, too bad for us, but I'm glad for you. I felt like it was beginning to get interesting at the end of the night (I sneaked a taste toward the end of the night. After all, Ryan was driving. ), but there was still much more to give. What an interesting white wine!

Bill

It is an interesting white wine Bill, and I am happy to have a few bottles of it stashed away. JB, that was the 98 wasn't it?

Oh good, who is in the will?

Ryan, my favourite recent vintages are the '96 and the '98. The '01 is also good, but more forward, more ripe year. Sadly, Musar's price, though cheap on release, escalates quickly.

BTW, remember that only the one that only says "Chateau Musar" is the real stuff. They have a couple other lesser, usually frankly very boring wines labeled "Chateau Musar Hochar Père & Fils" and "Chateau Musar Cuvée".

Ryan, my favourite recent vintages are the '96 and the '98. The '01 is also good, but more forward, more ripe year. Sadly, Musar's price, though cheap on release, escalates quickly.

BTW, remember that only the one that only says "Chateau Musar" is the real stuff. They have a couple other lesser, usually frankly very boring wines labeled "Chateau Musar Hochar Père & Fils" and "Chateau Musar Cuvée".

Thanks Otto, I was hoping you'd chime in. The 2000 and the 2003 are available for good prices - have you had either?

Yes, I have gathered one has to be careful, since "Cuvee Rouge" seems like a perfectly sensible name or description for the red "grand vin," but is obviously not the same.

Sorry, I haven't had the '00 and '03 whites.

Thanks Otto, I was hoping you'd chime in. The 2000 and the 2003 are available for good prices - have you had either?

Yes, I have gathered one has to be careful, since "Cuvee Rouge" seems like a perfectly sensible name or description for the red "grand vin," but is obviously not the same.

Ryan, what is the good price you have up there? |I could make a case fore increasing my stash.

Thanks Otto, I was hoping you'd chime in. The 2000 and the 2003 are available for good prices - have you had either?

Yes, I have gathered one has to be careful, since "Cuvee Rouge" seems like a perfectly sensible name or description for the red "grand vin," but is obviously not the same.

Ryan, what is the good price you have up there? |I could make a case fore increasing my stash.

These are prices online (I can get the Hochar and the Cuvee's in town, but not the Chateau):
http://www.winechateau.com/vsku1519479_ ... 750ml-2000
http://www.flickingerwines.com/growers/ChateauMusar.asp

I've ordered from both on multiple occasions, and have been very happy. Just don't buy them out - I want some too!