Château Musar Rouge

Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

Lebanon's most celebrated and controversial wine — released only after seven years of aging. A Cabernet Sauvignon, Cinsault, and Carignan blend from ancient Bekaa vines producing a wine unlike anything else on earth: dried fruits, tobacco, leather, cedar, Mediterranean herbs, and an oxidative complexity that polarizes and captivates. Best with 20-30 years of bottle age.

Pairing intelligence

• main: Lebanon's most celebrated dish and Lebanon's most celebrated wine — the wine's cedar and spice complexity mirrors the baharat; lamb handles the wine's tannins; a pairing of centuries
• starter: Raw lamb and aged Lebanese red — Musar's complexity and dried fruit character handles the raw lamb's richness; pine nuts bridge the wine's cedar notes