Chateau Belair-Monange 2020

JAMES SUCKLING: "Intense aromas of wet earth, limestone cellars and dark fruits such as currants and blackberries. Then turns to flowers. Black truffles, too. Licorice. Gravel. Full-bodied with a solid palate of tannins that melt into the wine. It’s sleek and muscular with fantastic length and presence. Reminds me of great old Belairs from the 1950s. Cool wine. 98% merlot and 2% cabernet franc. Give it six to eight years of time. Best after 2028."

DECANTER: "Striking yet elegant, this holds its own being tasted after the more plush and ripe Trotanoy while this is more focussed and streamlined. Just as confident, concentrated and intense but in a different way completely. This is more reserved, refined and less overt, with an incredible purity and precision to the layers of red berry fruit and salinity from the limestone. Such nuance and detail, this is seductive with a powdery texture to the tannins. Really very well worked. Hard to pick a favourite as the length and overall sculpting here are exceptional. A gorgeous wine with star power that really leaves a lingering impression."

JEB DUNNUCK: "The Grand Vin 2020 Château Belair-Monange is also 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc that's a blend of the upper limestone plateau and the more clay heavy soils on the hillside. Very much in the tight, structured style of the vintage, its dense purple hue is followed by a great nose of ripe black cherries, black raspberries, dried flowers, loamy earth, and camphor, with a beautiful sense of minerality. Opening up with time in the glass, it's full-bodied, has a deep, layered mouthfeel, gorgeous overall balance, and a great finish. It offers pleasure today but will benefit from 7-8 years of bottle age and will be a 30+ year wine."

WEINWISSER: "Sehr komplexes Bouquet, reife Herzkirsche, delikater Fliederduft und helles Graphit, dahinter Lakritze und Burley-Tabak. Am eleganten Gaumen mit butterweicher Textur, beeindruckender Extraktfülle, tänzerischer Rasse und durchtrainiertem Körper. Im gebündelten feinaromatischen Finale ein Korb mit Schattenmorellen, Estragon und edler Bitternote. Gehört zu den Top-Stars der Appellation!"

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Einladende Nuancen von schwarzen Kirschen, reife Pflaumen, süße Tabakblätter, etwas Vanille, angenehmer Edelholztouch, kandierte Orangenzesten, schokoladige Nuancen. Saftig, sehr elegant, feine Kirschfrucht, seidige Tannine, gute Frische, heller Nougat im Abgang, bereits sehr gut entwickelt und harmonisch, zeigt große Länge, sicheres Reifepotenzial."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Spell-binding in every sense of the word, you can sense this is special from the initial sniff with its showy bouquet of white and purple flowers, black, red, and blue fruits, crushed rocks, espresso, and licorice. On the palate, the wine is concentrated and intense, finishing with a majestic combination of black plums, black cherries, chocolate, sea salt, and velvet-laced tannins. The final end note appears close to the 60-second mark. This will age and effortlessly evolve for the next 3 decades with ease. Drink from 2027-2060."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2020 Belair Monange has also turned out nicely in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of rich cherries, plums, sweet spices, rose petals and creamy new oak. Full-bodied, rich and layered, it remains fresh despite its ripe, sun-kissed profile, and its generous payload of tannin helps to integrate its rather lofty level of alcohol. This is a success in its demonstrative, modern style."

WINE SPECTATOR: "A classically styled, slightly austere Bordeaux, with a chalky spine that helps drive red and black currant and plum puree notes along, all while light alder, dried rose petal and light tobacco notes fill in the background. Refined and focused through the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2030 through 2040. 5,250 cases made, 600 cases imported."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Wisp of fruit and soil on the nose with a red-berry and chalky nuance. Beautifully textured, the plentiful tannins smooth and filigree fine. Poised, fresh and juicy as well, the finish long and palate-cleansing. Precisely executed, the terroir showing through."