Château Belair Monange, 1er Grand Cru Classé, St Emilion, 2021
Belair Monange, which incorporates the vineyards of Belair and Magdelaine, occupies an enviable position on the limestone Cote 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 99% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 displays the class of this great limestone terroir. Initially quite subdued, one has to coax the bouquet to reveal hints of sweet cherries, goji berries and fine minerals. The palate is wonderfully vibrant, a beautiful core of dark berries, earth, salt, you can really taste the terroir. Intense and powerful, but all controlled and measured. This is a superbly detailed Belair Monange wrapped in a vertical column of ripe but powerful tannins. Exquisite.
critic reviews
A blend of 99% Merlot with 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Belair-Monange is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. After a little swirling, evocative scents of violets, star anise, and cloves emerge from the glass, leading to a core of raspberry coulis, black cherry preserves, and juicy plums, plus a touch of fertile loam. The medium-bodied palate is plush and spicy, with delightfully pure red and black berry layers, and a refreshing lift to the finish.
Begins with a salt lick and kick of mandarin peel that places you on the limestone plateau, then things soften and widen through the mid palate, showing gunsmoke and a slowbuild of raspberry, redcurrant and red cherry fruits - still on the cool and savoury side, staying true to the vintage, but with delicious finesse and juiciness. A real success, delivering on En Primeur promise. Harvest September 28 and October 2. An upscore.
The 2021 Bélair-Monange has a strict and conservative bouquet, denied its usual flair by the challenges of the growing season. Slightly earthy in style with touches of tobacco and clove, it never quite slips out of second gear. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, quite fresh with a keen line of acidity. I appreciate the smooth, silky texture. Like a few other Right Bank wines, quality seems to cluster on the close, finishing on a high. In retrospect, the nose is the only shortcoming of this Saint-Émilion.
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.