Chateau Belair-Monange 2016

JAMES SUCKLING: "Incredibly perfumed aromas of roses and violets, as well as blue fruit and lavender. Full-bodied and powerful, yet so full of finesse and vibrance. The height of elegance! Such depth of chalk and dark berries. It goes on for minutes. Drink after 2025."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "A blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Belair Monange comes strutting out of the glass like a total rock star with gregarious red cherries, blackberries and warm plums scents plus hints of lavender, rose hip tea, powdered cinnamon, cigar box and camphor. Medium-bodied, it completely fills the palate with vibrant red and black fruit layers, framed by a firm backbone of grainy tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing long and perfumed."

VINUM: "Von schierer Dichte, Mineralität und Rasse, immense Tanninqualität, grosse Spannung und Länge; Top-Buy."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2016 Château Belair-Monange (92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc) comes from limestone soils on both the upper plateau and the hillside slope just outside of the village of Saint Emilion. This deep, saturated purple-hued effort offers a more primordial style in its ripe black fruits, toasty oak, espresso bean, and spring flower-scented aromas and flavors. With full-bodied richness, solid acidity, terrific purity, and rock-solid underlying structure, this beautiful Saint Emilion needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will keep for two decades. It opens up nicely with time in the glass, so if you feel like drinking a bottle soon, give it a healthy decant."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung, mit einem Hauch von Orangen unterlegte reife Herzkirschenfrucht, dezenter Nougat, reife Pflaumen im Hintergrund. Saftig, eher mittlere Komplexität, elegant und ausgewogen, gut integrierte Tannine, verfügt über gute Frische, zart schokoladiger Touch im Abgang, ein charmanter Speisenbegleiter mit gutem Reifepotenzial, reife Kirschen im Abgang."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Full-bodied, concentrated, soft, silky and with a beautiful purity to its layers of fruits, you also find, smoke, licorice wet earth, cigar wrapper and spice. Fresh, energetic and fruity, with soft, polished tannins this is going to be a knockout with at least a decade of aging."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "After considerable replantation, this 57-acre estate now shows how good it can be. This wine has style as well as concentration and glorious black fruits that are developing into a rich wine. Drink from 2025."

WINE SPECTATOR: "The fruit—plum, fig and black currant—is decidedly dark in profile now, but it is very, very pure, with sleek and racy definition throughout. There's a swath of tobacco and alluring toast as well, but this red is defined on its back end by a bolt of chalky minerality that is buried deep and should emerge fully with extended cellaring. Best from 2022 through 2038. 2,400 cases made. — JM"

WEINWISSER: "92 % Merlot und 8 % Cabernet Franc, 23,5 ha. Tiefes Granat mit violettem Rand. Intensive Nase nach frisch gemahlenem schwarzem Pfeffer, dahinter dunkle Oliven und rote Kirschen. Am stoffig-kräftigen Gaumen mit viel rotbeeriger Frucht und Wachsnoten; ein eleganter, geradliniger Bélair-Monange, der mit dem Jahrgang geht und durch Finesse überzeugt."