Musar

Our Story
In 1930, Gaston Hochar founded Chateau Musar, inspired by Lebanon’s 6,000-year winemaking tradition and his travels in Bordeaux. Gaston’s eldest son, Serge Hochar, became Chateau Musar’s winemaker in 1959, and spent 18 years perfecting the formula for Chateau Musar’s Rouge bottling. Today, Serge’s sons, Gaston and Marc, along with their cousins Ronald and Ralph, continue his legacy and run the day-to-day operations alongside long-time winemaker and viticulturist Tarek Sakr.

Chateau Musar’s vineyards are located in Kefraya and Aana, both in the Bekka Valley, as well as a new site in Mehrine. The winery itself is located in Ghazir, just north of Beirut. All the vineyards benefit from 300 days of sunshine and 39–78 inch of rain per year, and the cooling breezes from the Mediterranean Sea and the 2 mountain ranges (Mt Lebanon and Anti Lebanon). The soil is predominately gravel with a limestone base. Ages of the vines range from 5 years to 130 years of age.

Since the 1960s, Musar's remote location and the Hochar family's environmental commitment have resulted in organic vineyards — with the estate receiving an organic certification in 2006. Grapes are hand-harvested by local Bedouins in the early morning to preserve freshness. Chateau Musar's winery in Ghazir is carved into the mountainside, offering ideal conditions for long-term wine storage. Their winemaking approach is 'non-interventionist,' with natural fermentation, minimal sulfur usage, and no fining or filtering.

Today, Chateau Musar wines are celebrated for their finesse, elegance, and aging potential, with commercial vintages dating back to the 1960s. The Hochar family's passion and dedication have made Chateau Musar a legendary wine producer.