Château Bélair-Monange, the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé A estate situated on the limestone plateau above the village at the highest elevation in the appellation, has undergone a remarkable transformation since Jean-Pierre Moueix acquired it in 2008. Producing wine from 7.5 hectares of Merlot-dominant vineyards on the limestone and clay slopes immediately adjacent to Château Ausone, the estate benefits from one of Saint-Émilion’s finest natural terroir positions: the limestone plateau’s drainage, the altitude’s temperature moderation and the proximity to the ancient clay-limestone Côte produce Merlot of exceptional freshness, mineral precision and structural elegance that the Moueix team has progressively refined since acquisition. The 2019 Bélair-Monange received a barrel range score of 96-98 points from Lisa Perrotti-Brown at Wine Advocate during en primeur evaluation, and its confirmed bottled quality reflects the combination of an exceptional vintage for Saint-Émilion right-bank Merlot and the estate’s current peak form. Multiple critics and publications have described the 2019 as “stupendous,” combining the advantages of both 2016 and 2018 in a wine of extraordinary purity, freshness and structural elegance.

The 2019 Saint-Émilion vintage was outstanding for Merlot, combining the warmth and generosity of a ripe year with the remarkable freshness and balance that the appellation’s limestone plateau retained through the season. For Bélair-Monange, whose position at altitude on the plateau is among the most naturally temperature-moderated in the appellation, the 2019 produced a wine of exceptional balance, combining the 15% ABV of a warm Merlot vintage with acidity levels that the limestone subsoil reliably provides and that place the wine in the company of the most elegant and long-lived Saint-Émilion expressions of the past decade. The blend is approximately 90% Merlot with Cabernet Franc, fermented in concrete and raised in 50% new French oak for fifteen months.

Château Bélair-Monange 2019 is considered by many observers as one of the two or three finest recent vintages from this estate, and the wine’s combination of extraordinary critical acclaim, exceptional terroir position and the estate’s current peak quality trajectory makes it one of the most compelling right-bank Saint-Émilion acquisitions available from the 2019 vintage.

Deep garnet with a fragrant and complex nose of red rose, cinnamon, cardamom, red plum, dark cherry, tobacco and the distinctive limestone mineral freshness of the Saint-Émilion plateau. Full-bodied with a layered, seamless mouthfeel, extraordinarily fine tannins and a long, pure, mineral finish of great elegance and persistence. Best from 2027 through 2060.

Deep garnet-purple in color, this comes with fragrant red roses, cinnamon stick, cardamom and deep red plum. Full-bodied, with a layered, seamless mouthfeel, gorgeous tannins and one heck of a great finish. It’s stunning and offers incredible pleasure today given its purity and flawless balance. — Wine Advocate