Chateau Bellefont Belcier 2016

JEB DUNNUCK: "The 2016 Château Bellefont-Belcier was truly brilliant on all three occasions I was able to taste it, rating 95 twice and 97 once. Coming from a 13.5-hectare vineyard on the magical Côte Pavie (it’s right next door to Larcis-Ducasse) and a blend of 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 20 months in 80% new oak, it offers a black fruit-driven style as well as loads of black raspberries, black cherries, graphite, leafy herbs, and hints of incense. It's powerful, full-bodied, has building sweet tannins, and the rock star purity of fruit that's the hallmark of the vintage. It’s an awesome wine to drink over the coming 20-25 years."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Very fresh with fine dry tannins that carry the concentrated and ripe palate very nicely. I love the floral and currant bouquet that’s very enticing, in spite of the wine’s youth. Lots of blackcurrant and tobacco. A blend of 65 per cent merlot, 20 per cent cabernet franc and 15 per cent cabernet sauvignon."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung, feines schwarzes Waldbeerkonfit, dunkle Kirschenfrucht, zarte Edelholzwürze, feine Röstaromen. Saftig, hochelegant, reife Herzkirschen, präsente, gut integrierte Tannine, etwas Nougat, mineralischer Abgang, sehr gute Länge, großes Zukunftsversprechen."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2016 Bellefont Belcier is blended of 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. It was aged for 20 months in 80% new and 20% one-year-old barrels. Michel Rolland consults for this wine. Deep garnet-purple in color, it gives delicate dried flowers, garrigue, dusty soil and smoked meats over warm black plums and blackberry preserves with hints of menthol. The palate is full-bodied, concentrated and muscular with a rock-solid structure and loads of layered black fruit in the mid-palate, with a lingering earthiness to the finish."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Flowers, smoke, licorice, espresso, blackberry and plum are at the core of this wine. And so is the soft, silky tannins, freshness and juiciness in all the fruit. It is going to take time to allow the oak to integrate. So, be prepared to wait 8-10 years before pulling a cork. But the quality is there, so it is going to be worth the wait. The wine was made from a blend of 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "91–93. Barrel Sample. This is a fruity, juicy wine, with soft tannins as well as a touch of toast. It has an immediacy to it, thanks to the forward fruit and generous tannins. At the same time, there is a core of dry structure that will allow it to age."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Warm and lush in feel, delivering soft-edged fig, boysenberry and blackberry compote flavors infused liberally with ganache and black licorice accents. Ample toast hints drape over the finish, and this is definitely accessible, but a good buried graphite note should also help it develop with a bit of cellaring. Drink now through 2032."

WEINWISSER: "Tiefes Purpur mit Granatschimmer am Rand. Verhaltener Beginn mit Brombeeren und Schattenmorellensaft, dahinter Veilchen und Lakritze. Im dichten, stoffigen Gaumen feine Rasse im Extrakt zeigend, feinmürbe werdendes blaubeeriges Finale. Hier liegt nach dem Fassausbau noch ein Punkt drin!"

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Looks a little more developed than the 2015, oddly. Rich, toasty nose. Lots of fresh fruit and vitality on the palate. Very nice wine that perhaps lacks the opulence of a perfect one but is very successful. You could almost drink it already with chewy food!"

DECANTER: "There are a lot of changes happening at Bellefont-Belcier right now. It's been under the ownership of Peter Kwok since December 2017, but there were two changes of ownership in the preceding five years. This means that Kwok's team took over the maturation of the 2016 vintage but was not responsible for its harvest or vinification. On wonderful terroir, this is full of the classic St-Emilion gloss in terms of its damson fruit expression and high heat, smoothed out by a smoulder of rosemary and juicy acids. Drinking Window 2024 - 2040"