1969 Gaston Hochar
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Tasting notes
Pale rust red with a very pale rim. Much more obviously sweet and less ethereal than the 1961. This smells like delicious old-fashioned red burgundy (possibly out of Algeria and the Rhône). There’s a bit of alcohol on the end. Thoroughly rumbustious. What an impact! Sweet violet compote. Fine, long-polished tannins have almost completely receded. Lots of fun. Very slight powderiness on the finish. (JR)
Critic scores
Mark Squires
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
The 1969 Chateau Musar is fresh and bretty, a big, concentrated and powerful wine that is aging brilliantly. Silky in texture (a common feature of Musar; I always suspect I can thank the Carignan and its acidity for that), it is gripping on the end and beautifully constructed. It fleshes out in the glass magically, becoming fuller and more lush. At times, this made me quite enthusiastic. It is remarkably young for its age. For all of its many virtues, however, it will, unfortunately, be the bretty notes on which many will fixate. They were very powerful and kept getting stronger. While I am not personally one to dissolve into panic at every whiff of brett, it is at a point here where it has to restrain even my enthusiasm, at least a little and at least from this bottle, which might well have been the superstar of the flight in many respects. It does detract from a rather superb performance. I’d still drink it, because it is otherwise brilliant. Your mileage may differ. Brett does tend to be subject to bottle variations – if you encounter a bottle with less intensity in that regard, it should be an even bigger winner. Drink now-2025. Importer: Broadbent Selections, San Francisco, CA; (415) 931-1725
The 1969 Chateau Musar is fresh and bretty, a big, concentrated and powerful wine that is aging brilliantly. Silky in texture (a common feature of Musar; I always suspect I can thank the Carignan and its acidity for that), it is gripping on the end and beautifully constructed. It fleshes out in the glass magically, becoming fuller and more lush. At times, this made me quite enthusiastic. It is remarkably young for its age. For all of its many virtues, however, it will, unfortunately, be the bretty notes on which many will fixate. They were very powerful and kept getting stronger. While I am not personally one to dissolve into panic at every whiff of brett, it is at a point here where it has to restrain even my enthusiasm, at least a little and at least from this bottle, which might well have been the superstar of the flight in many respects. It does detract from a rather superb performance. I’d still drink it, because it is otherwise brilliant. Your mileage may differ. Brett does tend to be subject to bottle variations – if you encounter a bottle with less intensity in that regard, it should be an even bigger winner. Drink now-2025. Jun 2013, www.robertparker.com
About the producer
In the 30 years following Serge Hochar’s decoration as Decanter magazine’s "Man of the Year" in 1984, his wine became legendary.