Château Bélair-Monange 2021

Superb, with an especially floral aromatic profile; it shows great pedigree and freshness, silky tannins, a taut length, as well as great depth and density, with a blackcurrant finish; it ranks among the great wines of the year.

On the trim side (the hallmark of the vintage), with damson plum and bitter cherry fruit flecked liberally with savory and dried violet hints. Shows refinement, rather than the grainy aspect typical in this vintage, gracefully revealing notes of chalk and potpourri through the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2036. 3,200 cases made, 627 cases imported.

95–97. Barrel Sample. This is ripe, spicy and firm with powerful tannins led by the Cabernet Franc in the blend. It is a wine with complexity as well as density. Impressive and long-lasting.

A bit quiet aromatically. Bright and shiny straight away, juicy with acidity and minerality to the fore - a real coating of liquorice and flint straight away, fruit feels ripe and perfumed with a lean texture and racy acidity - salty, straight and focused. Tannins are slightly grippy and grainy giving the frame and structure. Needs more time to come together but this feels well worked, with a certain fullness. Salty strawberries, herbal raspberries, wet stone, flint and graphite. You really get the terroir effect here and the final flavour leaves you wanting more. Delicate yet determined. I like it a lot.

Lots of lush blue and black fruits followed by violets, fresh mint, roasted almonds and black ink with vanilla beans and mocha. Full-bodied, refreshing acidity with firm and racy tannins. Broad and energetic mid-palate with a succulent and layered finish. Superb concentration with depth and tension. It’s difficult not to drink now but your patience will be rewarded. Try after 2027.

99% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample. Open and aromatic but with drive and definition on the palate. Fine tannins and freshness, the fruit and structure in balance. Gentle hand in extraction so more on elegance than power. (JL)

The 2021 Bélair-Monange has a strict and conservative bouquet, denied its usual flair by the challenges of the growing season. Slightly earthy in style with touches of tobacco and clove, it never quite slips out of second gear. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, quite fresh with a keen line of acidity. I appreciate the smooth, silky texture. Like a few other Right Bank wines, quality seems to cluster on the close, finishing on a high. In retrospect, the nose is the only shortcoming of this Saint-Émilion.

Elegant, floral, vibrant, and fresh, the perfume blends sweet red plums, cherries, tobacco leaf, spice, mint, cocoa, and a judicious touch of espresso. The medium-bodied palate is all about finesse over power, finishing with a strong display of minerality that amplifies the ocean-influenced bright, fresh red fruits, with just a touch of spearmint and chocolate on the back end. The wine blends 99% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2050.

Intense ruby with purple reflections at the rim. Black cherries, a touch of precious wood and nougat, fine herbal savouriness in the background; an inviting bouquet. Juicy, complex, fine fruit extract, mineral undertow, ripe, silky tannins, very long and persistent; plenty of ageing potential.

Coming from multiple parcels (26 hectares) and just about all Merlot (there's a tiny 1% splash of Cabernet Franc), the 2021 Château Belair-Monange has quintessential Saint-Emilion limestone-driven minerality as well as a gorgeous perfume of red and black raspberries, leather, graphite, and savory flowers. A downright mineral bomb, this medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, balanced Saint-Emilion has plenty of mid-palate depth, ripe, building tannins, and a great finish. Hide bottles for 3-5 years, and it's going to drink brilliantly over the following 15-20 years. It's another beautiful, elegant 2021 from the Moueix team.

Kunz Fassprobe 2022: A dense, elegant, fresh, complex, velvety bouquet—an array of red and blue berries and various flowers. Verbena, slate, pralines. A tightly knit, elegant palate with intense, sweet, fresh fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a diverse, dense aromatic profile, a concentrated, refined structure, and a very long, fresh finish.

Dense, elegant, fresh, complex, velvety bouquet: a medley of red and blue berries and various flowers. Verbena, slate, praline. Tightly knit, elegant palate with powerful, sweet, fresh fruit, plenty of fine tannins, a layered, dense aromatic profile, a concentrated, refined structure, and a very long, fresh finish. 19/20 2028 - 2055

Begins with a salt lick and kick of mandarin peel that places you on the limestone plateau, then things soften and widen through the mid palate, showing gunsmoke and a slowbuild of raspberry, redcurrant and red cherry fruits - still on the cool and savoury side, staying true to the vintage, but with delicious finesse and juiciness. A real success, delivering on En Primeur promise. Harvest September 28 and October 2. An upscore.

A blend of 99% Merlot with 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Belair-Monange is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. After a little swirling, evocative scents of violets, star anise, and cloves emerge from the glass, leading to a core of raspberry coulis, black cherry preserves, and juicy plums, plus a touch of fertile loam. The medium-bodied palate is plush and spicy, with delightfully pure red and black berry layers, and a refreshing lift to the finish.

A remarkably refined style in this 2020, crafted with pinpoint precision. Elegant floral notes, a noble vegetal touch and a delicate smokiness perfume a palate far more substantial than many of its peers. The intensity of flavours is admirable in this polished wine, with a chalky dimension emerging on the finish. It will evolve with grace. An undeniable success in this vintage.

A majestic, poised nose, yet highly expressive and complex, with notes of black fruits, pomegranate molasses, nigella seeds and incense. Voluptuous on the palate, as delicious as heavenly manna, silky and fluid and surprisingly flavorful, with a stony minerality and a perfectly balanced bitterness on the finish. A monumental wine for the vintage, with a presence that builds on the finish.

Bélair-Monange benefits from an extraordinary terroir, and that is precisely the strength of such a place: the ability to shine regardless of the climatic context. Of course, the point is not to ignore the climate, but rather to absorb what is happening without it having drastic consequences for the wine. Bélair-Monange stands out for its linear profile, its refreshing tension and its precise tannins. One might wish for a bit more aromatic impact and depth on the palate, but at the same time the acidic structure provides strong support and brings temperament and salinity. A wine of character that still needs a little more time to fully open up.

Logo on the cork: JL (Lafitte Liège) Dark, intense, youthful colour. Very aromatic nose with pure, fresh fruit and a rather gentle expression for the growth. Supple on the attack, juicy and fragrant on the mid-palate, with body. The wine develops with flavour and an evident structure, yet delicate on the finish. Normal length.

Perched on its uncompromising limestone terroir, Bélair-Monange (99% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc) combines restrained power, an airy perfume, juiciness and length: the hallmark of a truly great terroir. The wine, brimming with mineral energy, flexes its muscles without brutality, wrapped in a chalky, finely chiselled tannic frame, driven by pinpoint acidity that carries it through to a saline finish. A 2021 on a knife-edge, offering the very best the vintage has to give.