Chateau Belair-Monange 2023

DECANTER: "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."

JAMES SUCKLING: "There’s finesse and beauty to this, with blackberry, dark-chocolate, bark, mushroom and forest-floor character. But it’s all class. Caresses your palate. Medium- to full-bodied and very long. Persistent and sophisticated. This shows the true character of the diverse vineyards of this estate. 98% merlot and 2% cabernet franc."

VINUM: "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."

FALSTAFF: "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."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "The 2023 Belair-Monange, 100% Merlot, is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a few moments of patient swirling to allow delicate notes of warm black cherries, plum preserves, and raspberry coulis to emerge, followed by alluring hints of iris, cinnamon stick, and mossy tree bark. The medium to full-bodied palate is taut with tightly wound red and black berry layers, framed by fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note. This is breathtakingly gorgeous!"

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "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."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The Grand Vin 2023 Château Belair-Monange checks in as mostly Merlot sourced from a mix of both the upper limestone plateau and hillside parcels. It's a richer, more powerful Saint-Emilion offering ample red and black fruits as well as some spicy herbs, tobacco, and chocolatey nuances, with ample background minerality. Rich and medium to full-bodied, it has a plush, layered mouthfeel and ripe tannins. It's one of the more concentrated 2023s in the vintage."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2023 Belair Monange is the first vintage from this newly created property that incorporates a balance of fruit from the plateau and fruit from the hillsides, as restructured and replanted parcels are returning to production. Wafting from the glass with attractive aromas of raspberries, violets and kirsch mingled with hints of incense, licorice and rose petals, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with a deep and textural core of fruit, lively acids and powdery tannins, retaining a cool, ethereal profile that foregrounds its limestone origins."

WEINWISSER: "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."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "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. Drink 2030 – 2048"