2017 Chateau Belair Monange - St. Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe

Decanter.com – 96 pts – JA: *This has the austerity of limestone in 2017 but it also has the well-worked, delicate flesh of these exemplary soils, and the careful inching forward of fruit, building up layer by layer, adding blueberry and raspberry fruits, and providing little bursts of minerality that keep your mouth watering long after the finish. Great stuff.* - 02/2020

Falstaff Magazin - 93pts – PM: *Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung, zart nach Orangenzesten und Herzkirschen, feine Kräuterwürze, rotes Waldbeerkonfit unterlegt. Mittlerer Körper, rotbeerige Textur, feine, seidige Tannine, frisch strukturiert, salziger Abgang, kraftvoller Abgang, gutes Entwicklungspotenzial. - (05/2018)

Weinwisser - 18/20pts - WL: *Dunkles Granat mit rubinroter Mitte. Dicht verwobenes blaubeeriges Bouquet gepaart mit zartem Veilchenduft. Im zweiten Ansatz Graphitnoten und Baumnuss. Am erhabenen Gaumen mit stützendem, kakaoartigem Tannin und stützender tiefgründiger Mineralik. Im gebündelten Finale mit kleinen zerstossenen roten Beeren, viel Würze und Bleistiftmine. Für Liebhaber von klassischen St.-Émilions ein absolutes Must!* – 04/2020

JancisRobinson.com – 18/20pts – TP: *Tasted blind. Mid ruby colour. Reticent, very tightly wound on the nose. Structured too on the palate. A tightly wound core of fruit is enveloped by chewy but highly refined tannins. Driven and compact, there is superb structure here that is currently hard to penetrate. The flourish of hedgerow fruit and dark cherries intermingling with layers of spice suggests real potential to come.* - 09/2021

Vinous.com – 96 pts - NM: *The 2017 Bélair-Monange was so impressive out of barrel and now in bottle, I see no reason to alter my appreciation. It has a very intense bouquet, one that is reassuringly complex, especially in context of what was a rather ordinary growing season with copious red cherries, boysenberry, hints of iodine and a light terracotta scent. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins that are surprisingly rigid at the moment, suggesting that this will be a long term Saint-Émilion. There is a beguiling sense of symmetry, very mineral-driven towards the finish that has impressive sapidity. This comes highly recommended although it deserves five or six years in bottle. Bravo Christian and Edouard Moueix.* 02/2020