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Belair-Monange 2021

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyMerlot

Château Belair Monange is now owned by the Moueix family, and has had a new name since the 2008 vintage. This is one of the best vineyards in Saint Emilion, perched at the top of the slope right next to Ausone, near Canon and above Angélus. Despite the brilliant terroir, the wine-making was mediocre for many years until the Moueix purchase. It is clear that Edouard Moueix is transforming this château into one of the stars of Saint Emilion. The vineyard is planted with 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Work is ongoing to improve the yield of vines up to 100 years old, in tandem with filling in gaps in the vineyard. Of the 23.5 hectares only 16 are currently in production. A second wine "Annonce" is now produced from the younger vines.

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Bélair-Monange

Label

Tasting Notes

The ethereal 2021 Belair Monange shows its limestone terroir front and center in this cooler vintage, unwinding in the glass with notes of sweet cherries, minty red berries, raw cocoa and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, suave and polished palate that's pure, lively and mineral, concluding with a saline finish. Drink 2027-2045.

93+
William Kelley, RobertParker.com, February 2024

The 2021 Bélair-Monange was picked September 28 to October 2. It has an atypically ostentatious bouquet for the vintage – kirsch, blue fruit, a touch of violet petals – that needs to muster a little more delineation. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chewy tannins, fine acidity and good substance, yet it clamps down toward the strict, linear finish. This does not have the persistence of the 2019 or 2020, and tasting the bottle twice (returning later on in the day for a different take), I cannot help but feel this top-ranking Saint-Émilion is struggling to nail down its identity this season. It’s definitely one I wish to revisit in the future to see whether I caught it at an inopportune moment.

90/92
Neal Martin, vinous.com, May 2022

The 2021 is 99% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc harvested from 28th September to 2nd October. Bright ruby-purple in colour. The nose is laden with sweet red fruit and has a savoury undertone of iron and bitter cocoa. The palate has an airy sweetness with cherry blossom, violets and juicy hedgerow fruit coated by chalky, fine tannins. The iron tones develop through the palate, giving an earthy complexity and building the intensity. Long and fine on the finish.

92/95
Thomas Parker MW, Farr Vintners, April 2022

Medium to full body with creamy, velvety tannins. Polished and plush. Pretty spice notes, such as white pepper and cloves to the ripe dark-plum and berry fruit. Some pine cones. Fine, ripe and textured. Concentrated for the vintage. Wonderful length, too.

96/97
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, May 2022

Made from 99% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Belair-Monange is medium to deep garnet-purple colored. It slowly unfurls to reveal perfumed waves of black cherries, raspberry coulis, lilacs, and jasmine tea, followed by hints of forest floor, powdered cinnamon, and star anise. The medium-bodied palate is so evocative, with impactfully intense and yet wonderfully restrained red and black fruit layers, supported by miraculously velvety tannins, leading to a long and so very fragrant finish. Just stunning!
2027-2047

94/96
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Independent, May 2022

Lush raspberry and red cherry fruits, stone-strewn limestone salinity on the finish, complex and enjoyable. This has grilled oak smoke and is accomplished and finessed, lovely limestone character, tapers off slowly but surely on the finish. A clear success in the vintage, from an estate that is really flexing its muscles right now, up there with the very best in St Emilion. Harvest September 28 and October 2.

95
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com, April 2022

99% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample.
Open and aromatic but with drive and definition on the palate. Fine tannins and freshness, the fruit and structure in balance. Gentle hand in extraction so more on elegance than power. (JL)
Drink 2028 – 2045

17
James Lawther MW, JancisRobinson.com, May 2022
Read more tasting notes...

Offering up aromas of sweet cherries, cassis, pipe tobacco, loamy soil and spices, the 2021 Belair Monange is medium to full-bodied, supple and enveloping, with powdery tannins and a bright spine of acidity, concluding with a long, intensely saline finish. As young vines replanted on the plateau start to dominate the blend, the identity of this cru is becoming more and more marked, delivering wines of precision and sapidity.

93/95
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (260), April 2022

Medium to full body with creamy, velvety tannins. Polished and plush. Pretty spice notes, such as white pepper and cloves to the ripe dark-plum and berry fruit. Some pine cones. Fine, ripe and textured. Concentrated for the vintage. Wonderful length, too.

96/97
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, May 2022
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.