2018, Château Belair-Monange, SAINT-ÉMILION, 1er Grand Cru ClasséA gorgeous wine, with concentrated power offset by lift and lyricism. It fully expresses the character and personality of its location on the limestone plateau, showing real juiciness and a focussed minerality, with extremely flavourful crushed raspberry and blackberry fruits, and touches of peony and rose on the nose. This is delicious, graceful, spicy and persistent, with notes that spiral both downwards and upwards. The violet reflections are off

A few tannins here

rich and creamy in its delivery of blackberry and blueberry fruits

Les Pluchots and Les Grands Champs

overseen by Ets Moueix

lime blossoms and mandarins

displaying an impressive array of savoury and earthy nuances among the dense black fruit layers and a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins and beautiful tension

the triumverate of tannins

**** 92-95 Jasper Morris MW

The wine is layered

11% Cabernet Franc and 5% Merlot

There have been some serious improvements here recently under winemaker Frédéric Faye

Matt Wells