More About the 2017 Château Musar Rouge Bekaa Valley Lebanon Gaston Hochar planted his first vineyards in Bekka Valley, Lebanon, in 1930 after returning from Bordeaux. He named his new winery after an Arabic word that translates to "a place of extraordinary beauty." Just over ten years later, Major Ronald Barton of Château Langoa-Barton and Leoville-Barton was stationed in Lebanon and befriended Gaston, giving him the insight and knowledge that has driven Musar's Bordeaux-styled wines for several decades. Chateau Musar's Rouge blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, and Carignan changes slightly year after year to reflect the growing season of that vintage. The wines are fermented in concrete, aged for at least 12 months in a small percentage of French oak, and blended and bottled at the end of the third year following the harvest. The bottles matured in deep, stone cellars for an additional four years, released in their seventh year, and have a reputation worldwide for drinking for up to 20 years or more.