"Blue fruits, minerals, lavender and liquorice aromas are wonderful. Full body and ultra-refined tannins with an integration and refinement that make the wines seamless and beautiful. The powerful tannins hide from you at first, but what structure in the end. It goes on for minutes. Try in 2024."
100 points, James Suckling.
"Incredible depth of fruit to this wine with ultra-powerful tannins that remain agile and soft. So much intensity. It’s layered with ripe fruit and caressing mouthfeel. Neoclassical in style. Mostly merlot with a touch of cabernet franc."
98-99 points, James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
"The 2015 Bélair-Monange is super-impressive. A striking bouquet endowed with the essence of graphite, smoke, liquorice and tobacco is pure allure. Vertical on the palate, with soaring tannins and tons of structure, the 2015 possesses remarkable intensity to match its explosive, energetic personality. Even with all of its size, the 2015 remains incredibly nuanced and finessed throughout. Today, it is one of the most exciting wines of the year. The blend is 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc."
95-98 points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous
"The 2015 Belair-Monange is a blend of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc. It has a reticent bouquet at first, but it soon opens up with layers of blackberry, raspberry coulis, orange sorbet and floral aromas. This is beautifully defined and intellectual, a Saint Emilion with aromatic secrets that will only be revealed with bottle age. The palate is medium-bodied with quite sturdy tannin. There is a firm backbone to this Belair-Monange, a serious Saint Emilion, complex and intellectual with precise red and black fruit, a touch of spice and a dash of white pepper on the finish. Dare I say, it represents the first Belair-Monange that ranks among JP Moueix's finest wines since the family acquired the property in 2011."
95-97 points, Neal Martin, eRobertParker.com
"This perhaps somewhat controversial marriage between the estates of Chateau Belair and Chateau Magdelaine—both Premier Grand Cru Classé Saint-Emilion estates—to form Chateau Bélair Monange hits pay-dirt with this spectacular 2015 release. Composed of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Belair Monange has the most singular nose of grilled meats, smoked game, iron ore and fallen leaves over a slowly unfurling ripe fruit core of crushed black plums, blackberry preserves and cassis with fragrant touches of star anise and potpourri. Full-bodied, rich and opulent in the mouth, the palate reveals an arresting backbone of exquisitely ripe, very firm tannins and sparks of background acidity lifting and defining the rich, densely packed layers, culminating in an epically long and multifaceted finish. Possessing its own compellingly beautiful signature, this is a remarkably riveting wine that should not be missed. 2022-2053" Lisa Perotti-Brown MW (Wine Advocate)
St.-Émilion is the star of Bordeaux’s Right Bank, north of the Dordogne River. The rich red wines produced in St.-Émilion, based on Merlot and Cabernet Franc, are less tannic and generally more fruit-driven in flavour than the Cabernet-based wines of Left Bank. Merlot thrives on the plateaus high above the Dordogne, where the soil is filled with sand and clay, a perfect medium for creating opulent, fruit-forward wines. With a typically savoury character, St.-Émilion wines are sometimes called the “Burgundies of Bordeaux.” These refined reds, with loads of finesse, are elegant companions to beef, chicken, pork and duck.
The wines of St.-Émilion were not included in the famous 1855 classification of Bordeaux, which ranked wines of the Left Bank. In 1955, St.-Émilion published its own classification, based on soil analysis, wine quality and reputation of the properties. Unlike the 1855 classification, St.-Emilion’s system requires properties to continuously prove themselves. The list is revised regularly, most recently in 2012. There are two tiers within the classification, Premier Grand Cru Classé and Grand Cru Classé. There are currently just 18 Premier Grand Cru properties and 64 Grand Cru Classé properties.
The St.-Émilion appellation is home to hundreds of individual producers, enhancing the variety of wines made there. Many of the properties remain small, family-run enterprises, unlike the large châteaux of the Left Bank. The area is also the base of France’s controversial micro-châteaux or garagiste wine movement; these innovative winemakers operate outside the traditional classification system, making very high quality (and very expensive) highly extracted wines.
Chateau Belair-Monange
Previously known as Chateau Belair, the name was changed to Belair-Monange upon its full purchase by the Moueix family in 2008. The 12 ha vineyard is planted predominately to Merlot with some Cabernet Franc growing on limestone and clay soils. A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, the wine is fermented in stainless steel and lined concrete tanks prior to undergoing maturation in a mix of new and seasoned barriques for 18 months. A philosophy encompassing reduced yields, later harvesting and meticulous fruit selection have resulted in a richer more generous, concentrated style since 2008.
