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Marc Hochar, Chateau MusarEach week, as our regular readers know, we pose a series of questions to a winemaker. This week, we are featuring Marc Hochar at Chateau Musar // By AlBert PAk

www.broadbent.comFrom www.terroirist.com; October 5th, 2015

If you’ve ever tried wine from Lebanon, you’ve most likely had Chateau Musar. You probably do not know its history, however. Chateau Musar’s history stretch-

es back to 1930, when Gaston Hochar planted Chateau Musar’s first vineyards. Gaston had just returned from Bor-deaux. And during World War II, Gaston would befriend Major Ronald Barton of Bordeaux’s Chateau Langoa-Bar-ton. Thus Chateau Musar was heavily influenced by Bordelais winemaking in its early history. Eighty years after its founding, Chateau Musar is still run by the Hochar family. The current day-to-day operations are overseen by the third generation Hochars.

Where were you born and raised?I was born in Lebanon and this is where I spent most of my early childhood before the war broke out in 1975. From 1975 onwards, our family moved houses many times with-in Lebanon to avoid areas of conflict and live as normal a life as possible. I got used to changing school every year or so, making new friends, and adapting to an ever-chang-ing new reality. From 1981 onwards, living in Lebanon became almost impossible and after spending a year in London where my grandparents had moved, we finally settled in Paris in 1983 with my mother, broth-er, and sister so that we could finish our studies.

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www.broadbent.comFrom www.terroirist.com; October 5th, 2015

When and how did you get into wine?Very early on I guess: I was born in it. Living at the winery during the early war times meant that my brother and I spent a lot of time helping out in the cellars with handy work. Those days, things were not as orga-nized at the winery as they are today, and we had to make-do with what was available. I remember very well the electricity cuts, the shortages of bread and fuel, telephone lines that did not work… It seemed odd that we would continue producing wines in that war environment, but I guess it kept my father — an eternal optimist — going. So if he thought it was important, we just followed and embraced it. The sound of trucks arriv-ing from the Bekaa, the smell of ripe grapes, wine fermenting, grape stalks waiting to be carried away, all these aromas would later define how I would connect with wine based on my childhood experiences.

What has been your career path to where you are?Having left Lebanon because of the war, I was intent on having a career that had no physical link with Lebanon. So I spent the first 20 years of my life in investment banking and fund management in the UK. After 2008, that business lost a lot of its appeal to me, and my father and uncle were keener on handing over the reins of the business to the next generation. Despite the difficulties of the country, I ended up joining the family business in 2010 and have not looked back since. I am now back to square one of depending on a land where all risks are high, but I guess it is in the genes. You can’t run from your destiny. The difference is that Cha-teau Musar is now recognized around the world, making us less dependent on local market sales.

In your view, what makes your vineyards special?In the Bible, Lebanon was referred to as the land of milk and honey. Fruits and vegetables have an insane intensity in taste here. Difficult to explain why, but it is a mixture of terroir, climate, bio-diver-sity, and probably an easy way of life that radiates towards everybody and every-thing, including fruit that grow here. If you combine this DNA with our organic viticulture, the resulting grapes are a blessing for wine-making.

What is your general winemaking philosophy?Non-Interventionist: No technology, no make-up, no man-made additions. Natural yeasts start the fermentation and from then on, we just tend to our wines as they devel-op rather than trying to “make” them.

What’s your biggest challenge as a winemaker?Unlike what many people expect, war is not our biggest challenge; climate change is by far the most worrisome. We now harvest much earlier than we used to several decades ago. Many vintages are now determined by when the heatwave hits us during the Summer, rather than if it hits. Although it has not affected quality in a significant way for the time being, it did have an impact on production levels during very hot years.

Who are your favorite winemakers in history, through personal ac-count, or their wines?I like wines that are alive, that have an abil-ity to develop, change, and always surprise you, wines which are a true reflection of the grapes they came from. Although I have not tasted as many wines of the world as

I would like, a few have stood out where the philosophy of winemaking has been similar to ours, even if the aromatic palate is completely different from Chateau Musar’s wines. Lopez de Heredia in Spain and Emi-dio Pepe in Italy are amongst those.

What new winemakers are you most excited about, and why?South Africa, and the Swartland in par-ticular, has seen the development of new wineries that create really authentic and beautiful wines.

What’s your favorite wine region in the world – other than your own?Burgundy would definitely be up there for the elegance of its wines and their ability to transport you somewhere.

What’s the best wine you’ve ever tasted? The most interesting?Chateau Musar Red 1959. I tasted it again last year and after more than 9 hours, it had gotten even more youthful than when it had been opened. A real eye opener.

What’s the oldest bottle in your cellar? The most expensive?Laffite Rothschild 1919, a legacy that made it into my cellar. I still have not decided on which occasion to drink it and with whom, but my guess is that it will not last for long. It is now time for that bottle to be enjoyed; life is too short.

What’s open in your kitchen right now?San Pelegrino! I just got back from several weeks in Asia where 6 course dinners and several decade old vintage Musars were the norm. Time to recover from an excess of pleasure.

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www.broadbent.comFrom www.terroirist.com; October 5th, 2015

If you had to pick one red and one white to drink for the next month with every dinner, what would you choose?For the white, it would definitely be an old Chateau Musar White, probably the 1989 vintage. This wine has such an ability to withstand time and surprise you over many days and weeks. We actually do drink these bottles over very long periods, so this experiment would not be a new one to me. A 2004 chateau white which was opened in January 2014 and tasted once per month had evolved to something close to our 1989 vintage by September of that same year. As for red, 1998 Chateau Musar. This wine is an animal and I love it! Opening a bottle is all it takes to understand what I mean.

Is beer ever better than wine?Definitely, in particular after a full day of tastings at a fair. Life is balance and there is always a time and space for something different.

How do you spend your days off?With my family since I don’t see them often given my hectic travel schedule. Simple things in life can bring as much pleasure as the most action-packed program. And if I can escape, skiing and hiking are at the top of the list.

What would people be surprised to know about you?I am still surprised by new things I learn about myself.

If you weren’t making wine for a living, what would you be doing?Architecture. It is an art form that high-lights beauty and balance, and transcends all religions and boundaries. It can bring people together, create a community, share common grounds. It also survives the test of time. It is definitely the first thing I notice when I travel and discover a new place.

How do you define success?Bringing people together and sharing something as one. It can apply to a family, a business, an idea, a meal, a bottle of wine… There is success at every level of everyday life. It is not a unique ultimate goal, it is ac-cumulation of small good things that bring people together.