Musar Jeune White 2022

Musar Jeune White comes from Château Musar in the Bekaa Valley of Lebanon, the estate's younger, fresher line made to drink early rather than age like its flagship. It blends Chardonnay, Vermentino and Viognier, grown organically in a high inland valley where altitude tempers the Mediterranean heat and the wide day-to-night temperature swing preserves acidity in the fruit. The wine is fermented and then aged on its lees, which lends a soft roundness and light savoury depth while the absence of new oak keeps the focus on primary fruit. Vermentino brings citrus and a saline lift, Viognier adds stone fruit and floral scent, and Chardonnay fills out the middle. The colour is pale straw. The nose offers white peach, apricot and melon with a floral edge and a squeeze of lemon. The palate is dry and gently rounded, medium in weight, with the lees texture balanced by fresh acidity through a clean finish. Serve chilled at 9 to 11 degrees.