2019 Chateau Belair Monange - St. Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe

Decanter.com – 99 pts – GH: *One of the standouts in 2019. Red fruit aromatics are so clear on the nose, strawberries and sweet red cherries with some bramble floral notes - delicate and liffed. Gorgeous expression on the palate, so finely framed with tannins that are smooth and supple, effortlessly coating the mouth and giving life to the bright cherry and raspberry fruit. This has grace - slender and smooth - the flavours just glide across the palate, filling out the mouth with lashings of limestone terroir markers - crystalline fruit purity, crushed stones, mint and minerality. Clearly concentrated, there's layers of flavour but there's also such persistence, the flavours go on and on. Wonderful lift and so charming. I absolutely love it.* - 01/2022

Falstaff Magazin - 98pts – PM: *Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Reife Herzkirschen, feine dunkles Beerenkonfit ist unterlegt, zart nach Nougat und Edelholz, feines Bukett. Komplex, elegant, angenehme Extraktsüße, seidige Tannine, feine Säurestruktur, ausgewogen, wie aus einem Guss, bereits gut entwickelt, vielversprechendes Potenzial, ein delikater, bereits in der Jugend ungemein verführerischer Wein. Nahezu perfekt.* - 06/2020

Vinum Magazin – 18/20pts: *Diskret fruchtig und blumig; besitzt Eleganz, Mineralität, besondere Rasse und Länge und ein geradezu pfeffriges, langes, erfrischendes Finale.* - 09/2020

WeinWisser – 19/20pts – GL, TW: *Sehr komplexes Bouquet, reife Herzkirsche, delikater Fliederduft und helles Graphit, dahinter Lakritze und Burley-Tabak. Am eleganten Gaumen mit butterweicher Textur, beeindruckender Extraktfülle, tänzerischer Rasse und durchtrainiertem Körper. Im gebündelten feinaromatischen Finale ein Korb mit Schattenmorellen, Estragon und edler Bitternote. Gehört zu den Top-Stars der Appellation.* – 03/2023

JancisRobinson.com – 17,5/20pts – JR: *Tasted blind. Concentrated, youthful nose. Just a little bit obvious in terms of sweet, spicy oak. Chocolatey. But very dense.* - 01/2023

jamessuckling.com - 96-97/100: *Tight and minerally with tar, currant, and wet-earth aromas and flavors. Medium-to full-bodied. Some salt and white pepper to the black fruit. Black olives, too.* (06/20)

Vinous.com – 94 pts – AG: *The 2019 Bélair-Monange opens with an attractive burst of fruit. Some of that initial intensity tapers off rather quickly, leaving the 2019 feeling a bit one-dimensional. This showed much better from barrel. The jury is still out for me on Bélair-Monange. I don't see the same quality as is found in neighboring estates nor in the other top properties in the Moueix family's stable of châteaux. I admit I expected a bit more here.* - 02/2023

Vinous.com – 94+ pts – NM: *The 2019 Bélair-Monange has a more tertiary nose, backward and broody, almost Left Bank in style. This demands much more coaxing from the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with a slightly chocolaty opening. The oak a little too thick maybe? Plenty of fruit behind it, quite plush on the finish, but missing the intellect that previous bottles have displayed. Maybe entering an awkward adolescence? Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.* - 02/2023

Thewinecellarinsider.com – 99 pts – JL: *This is just about off the charts, and could hit triple digits in a few years if it keeps developing. Inky black in color, the wine explodes aromatically with its blackberries, blueberries, boysenberries, and tobacco, and that's before you get to its deeper nuances of Indian spice, chocolate, and cigar box scents. But the real fireworks are when the wine coats your palate with its multiple layers of dark red fruits, blackberries, and cocoa. Even with all of its richness, there is ample lift, making it easy to get lost here with all the depth, and concentration. The wine is just about seamless on the palate, lingering, building, and expanding for close to 60 seconds. One of the great vintages of Montrose is the swansong of Herve Berland at the helm of the estate. Drink from 2029-2065.* - 03/2023