2014 Chateau Belair-Monange - St. Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe

Decanter.com – 95 pts – JA: *This was the first official vintage where the grand vin was joined by second label Annonce de Bélair-Monange, and they had also had three years of sourcing grapes from across both estates at this point. This is seriously good, with rich liquorice and fresh mint notes, well balanced but with punch, showing crushed raspberry fruits and a saline finish that I get in pretty much every recent vintage of Bélair-Monange. Its great persistency, richness and texture are testament to the success of their strategy here. 31,000 bottles produced - a good yield.* - 03/2019

Falstaff Magazin - 93pts - US: *Minze, verschlossen blättertönig, Granatapfel, enorme Cremigkeit am Gaumen, beinahe etwas zu opulent in der Geschmeidigkeit, dabei doch hintergründig, mit viel Stoff und Extrakt, ganz nahtlos rund in Szene gesetzt, mittlere Länge, ein klein wenig strukturierter als seidig, dürfte während der Reife interessant zu verfolgen sein.* - 04/2015

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 92pts - NM: *The 2014 Belair-Monange was a slightly perplexing wine when I tasted it from barrel, so I was intrigued to discover how it would perform now in bottle. It has what you might describe as a "straight-laced" bouquet: very direct and nicely delineated, albeit without the frills and nuances of some of the best Saint Emilion wines this vintage. There is an attractive wilted rose petal aroma that emerges with aeration, but I was seeking more intensity. The palate is better than the aromatics: silky smooth in texture, well-judged acidity, genuine depth and gentle grip in the mouth. There is tangible mineralité here, great focus with a sense of tension and "bite" towards the finish. I was probably being parsimonious with my score in barrel, although that is partly vindicated by the nose that needs to get its act together and match the potential of the palate. Let's see how this develops over the next few years.* -03/2017

Weinwisser - 18/20pts - RG: *Dunkles Granat, recht satt in der Mitte, rubiner Rand. Rote Waldbeeren und Piemontkirschen, ein Hauch von Milchkaffee rundet das Nasenbild ab. Im Gaumen cremig, elegant und mit einem noch selten so angetroffenen Charme bei einem «neuen Bélair». Er wird eventuell früh Freude bereiten, ohne dabei sein recht gutes Alterungspotential zu schmälern.* - 04/2015

04/15: *A beauty in the making, with gorgeously pure red currant and raspberry fruit, laced with bergamot
and incense accents. A very fine chalky thread knits everything beautifully. Shows pristine balance and
gorgeous minerality. Tasted non-blind.—J.M.* (94-97/100)

JancisRobinson.com – 16,5/20pts – JR: *Tasted blind. Rather minty nose. Big, thick and bold. Very solid with the density of fruit almost covering the heavy tannin charge. Very slightly old-fashioned. But it delivers pleasure and accomplished winemaking. Very controversial wine in our tasting!* - 02/2018

JamesSuckling.com - 96pts - JS: *Extremely perfumed with rose aromas that turn to strawberries and citrus. Some stones, too. Full-bodied, yet reserved and ultra-refined. It goes on for minutes. Power with finesse. Try in 2022 but already a joy to taste.* - 02/2017

Vinous.com - 96pts - AG: *A huge, dramatic wine for the year, the 2014 Bélair-Monange possesses tremendous depth and overall intensity. Succulent black cherry, leather, spice and menthol are some of the many notes that flesh out in this dramatic, massively endowed Saint-Émilion. The fruit feels very ripe, yet there is plenty of underlying structure and acidity to balance things out. Since 2012, Bélair-Monange has been made from three parcels on gravel, clay and limestone. It is that very intersection that yields one of the most distinctive wines in Saint-Émilion. The 2014 is also the first vintage that includes fruit from the replanting done on the plateau. Bélair-Monange increasingly gives the two established flagships in the Moueix family's range (Trotanoy and La Fléur-Petrus) a run for their money.* - 02/2017
~~~
Vinous.com - (93-96)pts - AG: *One of the highlights of the vintage, the 2014 Bélair-Monange hits the palate with serious depth, palpable energy and huge, imposing tannins. All the elements come together in a dark, sumptuous wine that brings together deep layers of fruit along with beams of precise, salivating minerality. Sweet floral and spice notes add lift on the close, but above all else the 2014 is a wine of power. The fresh, invigorating finish encapsulates the essence of the vintage. Since 2012, Bélair-Monange has been made from three parcels on gravel, clay and limestone. It is that very intersection that yields one of the most distinctive wines in St.-Emilion. Two thousand fourteen is also the first vintage that includes fruit from the replanting done on the plateau. I tasted the Bélair-Monange last in my survey of the Moueix family's 2014s, after Trotanoy and La Fléur-Petrus, and it more than held its own.* - 04/2015

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 92pts - NM: *The 2014 Belair-Monange was a slightly perplexing wine when I tasted it from barrel, so I was intrigued to discover how it would perform now in bottle. It has what you might describe as a "straight-laced" bouquet: very direct and nicely delineated, albeit without the frills and nuances of some of the best Saint Emilion wines this vintage. There is an attractive wilted rose petal aroma that emerges with aeration, but I was seeking more intensity. The palate is better than the aromatics: silky smooth in texture, well-judged acidity, genuine depth and gentle grip in the mouth. There is tangible mineralité here, great focus with a sense of tension and "bite" towards the finish. I was probably being parsimonious with my score in barrel, although that is partly vindicated by the nose that needs to get its act together and match the potential of the palate. Let's see how this develops over the next few years.* - 03/2017
~~~
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - (89-91)pts - NM: *The Château Belair-Monange 2014 has a surprisingly "outgoing" bouquet that is determined to make an impression: blackcurrant pastilles intermingling with truffle and iodine scents. The palate is medium-bodied and linear, underpinned by strict, slightly rigid tannins that lend this a masculine personality. It has a slight bitter note on the finish but a satisfying long, peppery aftertaste following suit. It is just missing a little substance and flair. Not a bad Belair-Monange by a long chalk, though I might actually have a preference for the 2012.* - 04/2015