Château Belair Monange, 1er Grand Cru Classé, St Emilion, 2010
Bélair-Monange, which incorporates the vineyards of Bélair and Magdelaine, occupies an enviable position on the limestone côte to the west of Chateau Ausone. We always taste this wine at the end of the JP Moueix tasting as it is so different from the style of the Pomerol range. Produced from 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2020 displays all the class of this great limestone terroir. Initially quite closed aromatically, then hints of its brilliance emerge: griotte, kirsch, Asian spice, clove, violets and graphite. There’s a restraint here, a beautiful line and energy, intense, detailed, very serious, chiselled, finely textured, a glorious wine, extremely serious, almost cerebral with a superb network of filigree tannins that indulge the palate with a long, precise flourish of refined fruits, minerals and a touch of complex liquorice and spices. Outstanding.
critic reviews
Considering that this was two years before Belair tooks today's shape by bringing in the vineyards of Château Magdeleine (also Moueix owned), it is extremely impressive just how complete, balanced and just purely enjoyable this is. As with the 2009, it has a ton of personality and character, placing it fully on the limestone plateau with its pumice stone minerality, and its restrained, subtle but pleasure-driven fennel and anis-studded brambled fruits. 50% new oak for ageing.
The 2010 Belair-Monange has a ripe and candied bouquet with touches of boiled sweets and liquorice infusing the opulent red fruit. The palate is full-bodied and sinewy with ample red and black fruit, white pepper and Chinese 5-spice notes. Just when I think it is going to kick on towards the finish, it just loses a bit of momentum and seems to run out of ideas. Enjoyable, but not really the archetypal Right Bank. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.