2023 Chateau Belair Monange - St. Emilion Premier Grand Cru Classe

Decanter.com – 98 pts – GH: *A fabulous showing for Bélair this year. Great aromatics, subtle not shouting, not too ripe, definitely more cool and fresh. Smooth and supple, a gorgeous weight and balance in the mouth. Crisp and fresh but creamy and fleshy too. Delicious, minty, racy and chiselled, lots of power but so well balanced, charming and sophisticated. Still lots of mint and tension on the finish with orange, bitter grapefruit, slate and graphite but wow this is amazing. The tannins are perfection, the juicy strawberry, cherry core together with a filling overall weight and texture and long length is excellent. Great stuff and really focussed on drinkability. You could drink this today but equally it will age very well. Fun and friendly, controlled and stylish. Lots of oak but this will settle after ageing (14 months in 50% new oak). 3.82pH.* - 04/2023

Falstaff Magazin – 97 pts – PM: *Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Zarte Kräuterwürze, reife Herzkirschen, zart nach Lakritze, ein Hauch von Vanille und Orangenzesten, einladendes Bukett. Komplex, saftig, hochelegant, feine Extraktsüße, sehr finessenreich strukturiert, reife, tragende Tannine, lange anhaftend, ein balancierter Wein voll Frische und Länge, sicheres Entwicklungspotenzial, ein delikater Speisenbegleiter.* - 05/2024

Vinum Magazin – 97/100 pts: *Expressiv, reiffruchtig, viel Tiefgang in diesem Bouquet; Brombeere, kühler Kamin, sehr steinig geprägt; gradlinig am Gaumen, kristallklare Frucht, deutlich leichtfüssiger als im Vorjahr, mit perfekt reifen Tanninen, seidenweich verwoben mit der Frucht, ausgezeichnete Balance, grosse Länge. Eleganter war Belair-Monange noch nie.*

WeinWisser – 18,5/20 pts – GL, TW: *100 % Merlot. Dicht verwobenes Bouquet, verspieltes Veilchenparfüm, heller Tabak und Orangenzeste. Im zweiten Ansatz Himbeermark, helles Graphit und rote Cassiswürze. Am geradlinigen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, salzigem Extrakt, engmaschigem Tanningerüst getragen von einer balancierten Rasse und edlem mineralischen Kern, unglaublich präzise. Im konzentrierten Finale mit Schattenmorellen-Nektar, Mineralik und erhabener feinmehliger Adstringenz. Diese Schönheit will wachgeküsst werden. Nicht verpassen.* – 04/2024

JancisRobinson.com – 17+/20pts – JL: *100% Merlot. 45 hl/ha. 55% of the production. Cask sample. Pure and lifted, the fruit at a perfect pitch of ripeness. Refined texture, the tannins velvety and super-fine. Reasonably dense and persistent. Finishes with a chalky freshness.* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (94-96) pts – AG: *The 2023 Bélair-Monange is terrific. I find it much more reserved than in most recent years, in a very good way. Bright acids and beams of tannin shape this super-classic Saint-Émilion. It’s a style I like very much. Hints of dark-toned fruit, leather, dried herbs and spice build into the potent, layered finish. This is impeccably done. It will be interesting to see what Edouard Moueix coaxes from Bélair-Monange now that he has a brand-new cellar. Will the wines be extroverted, as they were in the early going, or more reserved, like the 2023?* - 04/2024

Vinous.com – (95-97) pts – NM: * The 2023 Bélair-Monange was picked September 11 to 29 at around 45hL/ha. It has a very intense, very well-defined bouquet: black cherries, mulberry and light iodine mixed with estuarine scents—scintillas of kelp and oyster shell in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, very fresh and animated. Focused and mineral-driven, the 2023 has one of the most refined finishes that you'll find on the Right Bank this year. This is a very strong follow-up to the 2022 and it may even surpass it, though this is cut from a very different cloth insofar that it is unapologetically more classic in style.* - 04/2024

Thewinecellarinsider.com – (95-97) pts – JL: *The second vintage produced in the new cellars opens with flowers, crushed rocks, black cherries, cocoa, and spice. The wine is lifted, and fresh, with vitality, coupled with sweetness to the fruits, elegant tannins, and good energy on the palate. The mineral-driven finish serves up its display of crushed rocks, oceanic influences, mint, Indian spices, and bright red fruits effortlessly. There is length, and a raciness to the fruits in the finish that allows the wine to linger long after the wine has left the glass. The wine is produced from 100% Merlot. Drink from 2029-2055.* - 05/2024