2020 Chateau Belair Monange - St. Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe

Decanter.com – 99 pts – GH: *Striking yet elegant, this holds its own being tasted after the more plush and ripe Trotanoy while this is more focussed and streamlined. Just as confident, concentrated and intense but in a different way completely. This is more reserved, refined and less overt, with an incredible purity and precision to the layers of red berry fruit and salinity from the limestone. Such nuance and detail, this is seductive with a powdery texture to the tannins. Really very well worked. Hard to pick a favourite as the length and overall sculpting here are exceptional. A gorgeous wine with star power that really leaves a lingering impression.* - 01/2023

Falstaff Magazin - (96-98) pts - PM: *Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Einladende Nuancen von schwarzen Kirschen, reife Pflaumen, süße Tabakblätter, etwas Vanille, angenehmer Edelholztouch, kandierte Orangenzesten, schokoladige Nuancen. Saftig, sehr elegant, feine Kirschfrucht, seidige Tannine, gute Frische, heller Nougat im Abgang, bereits sehr gut entwickelt und harmonisch, zeigt große Länge, sicheres Reifepotenzial.* - 05/2021

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 95-97pts: *The 2020 Belair Monange displays an opaque purple-black color, unfurling slowly to reveal a nose of blueberry preserves, stewed plums and Morello cherries, giving way to a fragrant undercurrent of Chinese five spice, incense and dried rose petals, plus hints of fallen leaves, Sichuan pepper and oolong tea. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers a fantastically plush texture with mouth-coating black and blue fruits and loads of exotic spice sparks, gently lifted by soft acidity, finishing long and fragrant.* - 05/21

Vinum Magazin – 18/20pts: *Zurückhaltend und ausbaugeprägt, doch grosses aromatisches Potential mit Nuancen von Beeren, Kräutern und Gewürzen; seidiger Auftakt, kompakte, besonders dichte, mineralische Entwicklung, Tannin von exzellentem Schliff, grosse Länge; hat Klasse.* - 09/2021

WeinWisser – 19/20pts – GL: *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: - JL *Wisp of fruit and soil on the nose with a red-berry and chalky nuance. Beautifully textured, the plentiful tannins smooth and filigree fine. Poised, fresh and juicy as well, the finish long and palate-cleansing. Precisely executed, the terroir showing through. Drink 2028 – 2045* - 04/2021

JamesSuckling.com - 97-98pts - JS: *It’s full-bodied, showing loads of violets, blackberries and blueberries with salt and white-pepper character. Minerally. It’s very fine-grained with a fascinating finish. Intense and long. 98% merlot and 2% cabernet franc.* - 05/21

Vinous.com – 98 pts – AG: *The 2020 Bélair-Monange is tremendous. What a wine. It is easily the best effort since the Mouiex family bought the property. Rich, ample and dramatic, Bélair-Monange saturates the palate with waves of inky dark red fruit. Sweet floral, espresso and spice notes appear later, adding shades of nuance. Clean mineral notes extend the finish effortlessly. A wine of exotic beauty and allure, Bélair-Monange is a real stunner in 2020.* - 12/2022

Vinous.com – 96 pts – NM: *The 2020 Bélair-Monange has a brilliant bouquet that confirms my adulation from barrel with a cornucopia of aromas: black cherries, dates, crushed rock and pressed violets all unfold in dazzling fashion. The palate is beautifully proportioned with finely chiseled tannins, fresh and perhaps the most saline of J-P Moueix's 2020s. It builds supremely well on the mouth towards a structured yet pixelated finish. This fabulous Saint-Émilion may deserve even more adulation further down the line.* - 12/2022

Thewinecellarinsider.com – 97 pts – JL: *Spell-binding in every sense of the word, you can sense this is special from the initial sniff with its showy bouquet of white and purple flowers, black, red, and blue fruits, crushed rocks, espresso, and licorice. On the palate, the wine is concentrated and intense, finishing with a majestic combination of black plums, black cherries, chocolate, sea salt, and velvet-laced tannins. The final end note appears close to the 60-second mark. This will age and effortlessly evolve for the next 3 decades with ease. Drink from 2027-2060.* - 04/2023