In Bond Fine Wine. 2019 Château Belair Monange, Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, France. Premier Grand Cru Classé B • Red Bordeaux in 6x75cl. Top critic score: 97/100 (NM). Drinking window: 2024+. Sold in bond by Albany Vintners, independent fine wine merchants.
Perched high on the famed limestone plateau of Saint-Émilion, neighbouring the legendary Ausone, Chateau Belair Monange has long been regarded as one of the appellation’s great terroirs. Since its acquisition by Ets Jean-Pierre Moueix in 2008, the estate has undergone a remarkable transformation, with meticulous attention in both vineyard and cellar allowing this exceptional site to fully realise its immense potential. Today, Château Bélair-Monange stands among the leading lights of Saint-Émilion, with recent vintages rated highly by leading critics. The vineyard’s extraordinary terroir - asteriated limestone plateau, blue clay slopes and sun-drenched south-facing terraces overlooking the Dordogne valley - give Bélair-Monange its unmistakable character: wines of striking minerality, finesse and depth, combining richness and power with seamless tannins and remarkable freshness.
Jeb Dunnuck (JD) — 96–98/100 · JebDunnuck.com, 30/06/2020
The 2019 Belair-Monange is beautiful and reminds me slightly of the 2016 with its fresh yet concentrated style. Offering lots of black fruits, scorched earth, truffle, lead pencil, and a liquid rock-like minerality, this full-bodied beauty has a solid spine of acidity, beautiful balance, and enough building tannins to warrant a solid 5-7 years of bottle age.
Jane Anson (JA) — 97/100 · Inside Bordeaux, 26/01/2022 · Drink 2029-2048
Such a lesson in limestone terroir with its precision, knife-spliced and restrained violet flowers, raspberry and redcurrant fruits. You need to chisel through the austerity to get to the creamy, fleshy side of these fruits but it is very definitely there. So good, enjoy, take your time, give 6 to 8 years to fully let that creamy raspberry puree and deeper black cherry side come out to join saffr…
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW (LPB) — 96–98/100 · Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com, 18/06/2020
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Belair Monange comes sashaying out of the glass with a graceful hair-toss of fragrant red roses, cinnamon stick, cardamom and cumin seed notes over a core of Morello cherries, dark chocolate, wild blueberries and blackberry pie plus a touch of pencil shavings. The medium to full-bodied palate is just scrumptious, offering layers of perfumed black fruits and b…