2018 Chateau Belair Monange - St. Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe

*A gorgeous wine, with concentrated power offset by lift and lyricism. It fully expresses the character and personality of its location on the limestone plateau, showing real juiciness and a focussed minerality, with extremely flavourful crushed raspberry and blackberry fruits, and touches of peony and rose on the nose. This is delicious, graceful, spicy and persistent, with notes that spiral both downwards and upwards. The violet reflections are off the chart.* (97/100)

Falstaff Magazin Juni 2019 – 98 pts: *Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarter Wasserrand. Zart nach frischen Feigen, reife Kirschen ein Hauch von kandierten Orangen, feine Kräuterwürze, tabakiger Anklang. Saftig, schokoladig, reife Pflaumenfrucht, präsentes, gut integriertes Tannin, extraktsüß, und anhaftend, eleganter Speisenbegleiter, sicheres Reifepotenzial.*
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Falstaff Magazin Juni 2019 – 98 pts: *Ein weiterer kommender Superstar aus dem Hause Moueix.*

*A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Belair Monange comes bounding out of the glass with all the energy and vigor of a pedigree puppy, offering notes of warm plums, wild blueberries, black raspberries and Morello cherries with touches of chocolate box, lilacs, underbrush, menthol and damp soil plus a waft of incense. Full-bodied, rich and decadently layered in the mouth, the densely packed layers are charged with energy, supported by firm, velvety tannins and a racy line of freshness, finishing very long and very spicy-* (97-99/100)

Vinum Magazin – 18/20pts: *Gewiss noch sehr jugendliche; aber interessante, komplexe Aromatik von Backgewürzen; von besonderer Rasse im Mund; fleischig und kräftig sicher, aber auch mit Schliff. Hervorragend auch in diesem Jahr.* - 09/2021

Weinwisser - 19/20pts - WL: *Sattes Purpur mit opaker Mitte. Delikates Bouquet mit dunkler Kirsche, Burleytabak und Schokopastillen. Im zweiten Ansatz getrockneter Rosmarin und dunkle Graphitspuren. Am vielschichtigen Gaumen mit weicher Textur, straffem Körper mit fein körnigem Extrakt. Im geradlinigen Finale Wildkirsche, Estragon und erhabene Adstringenz. Ein faszinierender St.-Émilion, der durch seine innere Ruhe zu überzeugen weiss und an ein Violinkonzert erinnert. Trinkreife wurde nach vorne angepasst.* – 04/2021

*Ripe and dense in feel, with layers of plum, fig and boysenberry fruit. The structure is decidedly stony, revealing a long echo of tobacco. Among the more backward wines at this early stage, but seriously long and well-built.—J.M.* (96-99/100)

JancisRobinson.com – 17,5/20pts – JH: *Darkest crimson. Black fruit, pencil shavings and a touch of oaky char on the nose. Compact and refined in texture on the palate, very fine tannins. Much the most elegant of the Moueix stable, with impressive persistence and harmony even now, just needs a lot of time to unfurl and for the tannins to release the fruit in all its richness. Finishes fresh and dry and clean in the mouth even if the oak is blocking it a little at the end. Powerful but not overbearing.* - 02/2018

*This is very linear and structured in a classical way for Bordeaux with a very focused and tight core of beautiful fruit that gives an agile and vivid palate of pretty fruit and bright acidity, not to mention the ultra fine tannins, which deliver a seamless and limitless finish.* (98-99/100)
JamesSuckling.com - 99pts - JS: * - 01.2021

*The 2018 Bélair-Monange is a bold, racy and exuberant wine endowed with tremendous textural richness and overall intensity. Sweet spice and floral notes wrap around a core of super-ripe stone fruit in this decidedly flamboyant, racy Saint-Émilion. In 2018, Bélair-Monange is not exactly subtle, but it is quite delicious and full of allure. Even so, Bélair-Monange will be enjoyed most by readers who like overt wines.* (93-96/100)
Vinous.com - 96pts - NM: *The 2018 Bélair-Monange, so impressive out of barrel, delivers now that it finds itself incarcerated by glass. It is endowed with a seriously impressive nose, delivering blackberry and still that faint warm brick/terracotta scent, shaved black truffle and a touch of clove. You could lose yourself completely in this bouquet. The palate has firmed up a little, displaying more backbone than I recall. The dash of cracked black pepper liberally sprinkled over the finish curiously bears similarities to some of the Pomerols this vintage, and the Cabernet Franc feels much more prominent than its 2% contribution to the blend would suggest. I adore this Saint-Émilion and it is going to benefit from 8–10 years in the cellar... if you can resist temptation that long.* - 03/2021

*Graceful Merlot shines in this wine. It has fines touch of tannins and acidity that come through to give the wine freshness and structure. It is elegant but with enough power and density to age well.* (95-97/100)