Critics Average score from professional wine critics and publications.
92
/100
Reviews
177
professional
Vintages
1
1978
Other
90/100
Red Blend
NV
Community Reviews
2727
Reviews
90.5
Avg Score
95
Highest
Taster #7615
· Dec 6, 2025
93/100
A classic Chateau Musar, with that irresistible combination of red fruit and an endless array of spice notes reminiscent of an Arabian bazaar. The 1978 does not quite have the depth and finesse of the 1979.
1978 vintage
Taster #4605
· Nov 17, 2023
90/100
Well balanced, mature, pale red with fading fruit, light tannins and smooth acidity.
1978 vintage
Taster #4767
· Mar 16, 2023
94/100
Amazing, classic old Musar
1978 vintage
Taster #8972
· Feb 9, 2023
93/100
Zombie Wines at Terra Rossa (Terra Rossa, Islington) : A medium dirty red, lots of fine matter suspended. What a stunner this was, with characteristics of aged burgundy but somehow striking a different tone. So sweet and mellow, with red fruits and a spicy finish. Two bottles opened, both similar and both in great condition. How lucky were we? Totally capitivating and delicious. Second bottle probably did not benefit from decanting, pop and pour would seem to be the way …
1978 vintage
Taster #9281
· Feb 9, 2023
91/100
Zombie wines of North London (Terra Rossa) : A funny one, this - almost awful, but I liked it. Volatile and funky nose, with a smell like kidneys. Cloudy, slightly foxy, earthy, some raspberry. Cleaned up with air, with some deep violet notes developing. Also a sense of being candied and slightly foecal. Complex and compelling.
1978 vintage
Taster #8796
· Dec 24, 2020
Lots of sediment adhering to the bottle. The wine is gorgeous, bright, and lively in coloration. These 70s Musars sometimes seem more youthful than the late nineties and early 2000 vintages I’ve tried recently. There’s a slight bit of oxidation on the nose but not what you’d expect from a wine of this age. The palate has subtle cherry fruit, fully resolved tannin, and a slight mushroomy quality, but the fruit isn’t overwhelmed by savory or funky flavors. An excellent …
1978 vintage
Taster #8796
· Dec 24, 2020
Lots of sediment adhering to the bottle. The wine is gorgeous, bright, and lively in coloration. These 70s Musars sometimes seem more youthful than the late nineties and early 2000 vintages I�ve tried recently. There�s a slight bit of oxidation on the nose but not what you�d expect from a wine of this age. The palate has subtle cherry fruit, fully resolved tannin, and a slight mushroomy quality, but the fruit isn�t overwhelmed by savory or funky flavors. An excellent …
1978 vintage
Taster #8796
· Sep 7, 2019
This was one of the tightest old corks I’ve ever seen, and the wine reflects it. Clear, pure, and still showing ample sweet fruit. There was just a little bit of an off-aroma at first but it quickly blew off. This is remarkably clean for a Musar but has a great savory undertone. A beautiful wine from an exceptional man.
1978 vintage
Taster #8796
· Sep 7, 2019
This was one of the tightest old corks I�ve ever seen, and the wine reflects it. Clear, pure, and still showing ample sweet fruit. There was just a little bit of an off-aroma at first but it quickly blew off. This is remarkably clean for a Musar but has a great savory undertone. A beautiful wine from an exceptional man.
1978 vintage
Taster #7408
· May 3, 2018
Corked :(
1978 vintage
Taster #7142
· May 3, 2018
Both bottles corked
1978 vintage
Taster #9061
· Nov 19, 2017
91/100
Delicate, developed aromas af barnyard, leather and some wood. Reminds of an old Rioja. Light and elegant.
1978 vintage
Taster #8796
· Jun 23, 2017
Typical old Musar with oxidized fruit, prunes, dust, ample acidity and life to go. Certainly not a wine to drink on its own but if you have some dry-aged beef, wild mushrooms, or other funky and umami-rich food this will be a real treat to pair with it.
1978 vintage
Taster #3734
· Nov 5, 2015
78/100
WCC Blind Tasting of Chateau Musar and Chateau Montrose (Salty's Pub & Bistro, Clifton Park, NY) : [Double decanted for one hour the previous evening.] Musty, too old or too much air time.
1978 vintage
Taster #1011
· Nov 3, 2013
95/100
I had the '78 along with the '93. It was a great pairing and hence a great evening. The '78 was in great shape 10 minutes out of the bottle. Leather, soy, tobacco and a raisiny fruit. It had a clarity that comes with Musar age. The '93 took longer to get going and had more plum with a lighter touch on the tertiary flavors. However by the time we were 3 hours into the evening the bottles were becoming …
1978 vintage
Taster #5229
· Aug 14, 2013
88/100
Malt, typical sweetness sweet corn, malaga like. So traditionally Musar, but then again the sweet corn was kind of odd. Less impressive than other bottles
1978 vintage
Taster #2116
· Apr 25, 2013
smells like old madeira, spicy some cedar very sherried, lots of vinegar past it for me though others might enjoy it disappointing
1978 vintage
Taster #3143
· Dec 18, 2012
Brutally corked. I guess you can't blame them too much, given that there was a war going on when they made it.
1978 vintage
Taster #9358
· Dec 18, 2012
Horribly corked.
1978 vintage
Taster #5830
· Sep 1, 2012
Drank the 72 and 78 Musar side by side tonight. Both in perfect shape. Both orange in color, the 72 "looked" older. There were five of us, and it was two to two with one abstention as to the favorite. The 72 showed more classic Musar, and it showed just beautiful aged fruit tones. I loved it, and liked it materially better than the 78. The 78 showed thicker, with more grit and less age (and thus appealed more to …
1978 vintage
Taster #8109
· Jun 1, 2012
93/100
Five Decades of Chateau Musar....with Serge Hochar (Shanghai Room, Langham Place Hotel, Mongkok, Kowloon, Hong Kong) : Tasted blind as one of 12 vintages over 5 decades. Small serving. Amazing bright-jeweled transparent ruby colour....it must be a 1990s. Nose is reticent......you really have to chase it down corridors to get a whiff of the classic musar elements. Palate is absolutely classic Musar.......complex fruits, tons of exotic dry spices in an Eastern market, broodingly thunderous power rumbling in the background, gorgeous …
1978 vintage
Taster #6653
· Mar 6, 2012
93/100
This wine is getting better and better with age, I am happy to report. My third bottle in three years, and the best yet! The nose was spice and rose petals, the palate was a balanced combination of fruit and acidity, at the same time the tannins were well melted. While we did not decant the bottle, it lasted in the glass for over an hour... unfortunately we finished it before it declined!
1978 vintage
Taster #8641
· Feb 24, 2011
93/100
Brought at a BYO dinner, facing pretty stiff competition (Haut Brion 1983 included). In the end most people agreed this was the wine of the night! Beautiful, mature nose but the palate is even better. Plenty of fruit left, long and complex. Could not get enough. What a wine. When people were told this was a lebanese wine they were all very surprised. Special. (from a bottle in near-perfect condition: apparently there is a lot of bottle variation with this …
1978 vintage
Taster #4506
· Dec 18, 2010
80/100
nice and complexe but full of deposit
1978 vintage
Taster #6653
· Mar 31, 2010
90/100
A very enjoyable wine. It took a good 30 minutes for the "stuffiness" of an old bottle to clear, even in a large Syrah glass. Then, an earthy and slightly spicy nose developed. In the mouth, the tannins had all but softened, the fruit was present, and without have madeirized, a sweetness characteristic of the terroir was enjoyable.
1978 vintage
Taster #8424
· Feb 18, 2010
Musar & Pinot (L'Abat Jour, London) : Horribly corked.
1978 vintage
Taster #1485
· Dec 18, 2009
95/100
Decanted three hours. Pale and brown in the glass, but holding up nicely. Expressive nose of strawberries, with a bit of barnyard funk. Strawberries and raspberries on the palate, with tart cranberries, straw, burnt sugar and a little bit of mint. Beautiful, feminine, majestic, ethereal -- the Grace Kelly of wines. Like velvet in the glass. My friends thought it was a Chambertin. WOTN
1978 vintage