2019 Château Bélair Monange

[Nicklasss]

Nice dinner last night, and wanted to explore again what the 2019 vintage has to offer, so opened a bottle of 2019 Château Bélair Monange.

Decanted for 2 hours and drunk over 3 hours. The wine has a nice fresh red color, lightly bloody. The nose is quite nice, with what the best Saint Émilion terroir can show, red berries, dark rasberries, spices and light vanilla from the oak, some nice vegetal tones, and fresh calcareous minerality. Good power but full of élégance.

In mouth, that reminds me a bit Les Carmes Haut Brion, by it defined red fruit of purest red berries, cherries, but with a bit more lushness from the merlot, and complexity supported by vine wood, something vegetal like basil, and aristocratic tannins in the long mineral finish, with a hint of dark chocolate and black plum and light tar.

You would never guess it is 15% alcohol, as the wine has everything well integrated, and is never feeling over ripe, plus on the fresh side. Tn: 95.

My first Belair Monange, a bit pricey, but surely not my last.

[Comte Flaneur]

Thanks Nic for the note.

I own the 2010, 2014, 2017 and 2018 of this wine and some 2016 Annonce, the second wine.

I think these wines are misunderstood and a lot of Brits write them off as modern Parkerised spoofy wines, but as your perspicacious notes demonstrate, this is not an accurate depiction.

They use limited new oak, typically around 40%, but they do pick late, perhaps later than ideal and hence the ABV.

When Alex, Patrick and I went there in Oct 2021 the 2015 out of half bottle showed very well, even though it had 15% abv, as did a 2018 Lafleur Pétrus.

I think the Moueix family’s long term plan is to get this elevated to St-Emilion first growth status assuming it survives that long, but they are in no hurry.

[Nicklasss]

Hi Ian.

Compared to some other Saint Émilion wines, that 2019 BM was nothing near a Parkerized, overripe or spoofy wine.

It has way more in common with Pascal Delbeck Bélair, by it fresh concentrated defined red fruit character, completed with vegetal, nice wood and terroir tones.

Very different than the Angelus, Clos Fourtet or any Saint Émilion from Jonathan Maltus.

It remind me more a mix of old Bélair, modern Carmes Haut Brion and 2015 Canon. Ciseled wine, with tannins and racy fleshy merlot.

[stefan]

>>
Ciseled wine
>>

I never before heard this description, Nic. What does it mean?

[Nicklasss]

My mistake stefan, i should have wrote chiseled.

A chiseled wine : distinguished, delicate and fine wine, with a clean and flawless structure.

[stefan]

Oh, I see. Thanks.

[Comte Flaneur]

I picked up a six pack of the 2015 today at auction: £380 hammer price for a sixpack. That is a lot of good wine for the money.

[Nicklasss]

Good move Comte.

I wish i could find here that kind of price for that wine.

[jckba]

Ian are those 1/2 bottles as otherwise that is one helluva deal!

[Comte Flaneur]

Bottles JC

[greatbxfreak]

Alex,

What does 3/12-4 stand for?

[greatbxfreak]

Alex,

Forgive me, but where did I criticize your tasting notes in my post? And rating? This with Colin Hay wasn't absolutely a comment directly pointing towards you. Now, I have deleted most of my post.

I would like to know, however, what 3/12-4 means.

[AlexR]

Izak,

I have deleted my post.

I am in the process of writing up my notes on the en primeur tastings.

Your question about ratings is indeed pertinent.
I have decided to adopt the Guide Hachette system of using stars from one to five.
No system is ideal, but this is the one that suits me best.

I have always been a tough grader. Four stars and above for me is exceptional, and I do not give such evaluations lightly.
On the 20 point system, a score of 14 is very good according to my own personal parameters.

I am open to dissent and criticism, but let us agree that there is no objective way of pinning down something as elusive as fine wine, especially in the very early stages.

Alex

[greatbxfreak]

Ok.

[Nicklasss]

I agree that rating wines, to make it kind meaningful to others, is a very tough job. And that, with any rating sytem you use.

But I’m more with Alex, being probably a « half tough grader » myself. I rate what i drink, now, and based on other wines i had. To give 97/100 or over (4-5 stars/5, or19/20…), the wine has to be something like unique and superbly convincing. In that matter, it would be rare that i rate a young red Bordeaux wine 97 or over, but it is not impossible.

The example is that 2019 Bélair Monange : i think it is a great young wine (tn: 95), and think it should improve and be at his best in 15 years, but don’t think at the moment that it can reach the magical top score one day. But i can’t predict the future and will be interested to know if i’m right or wrong in 15 more years…

[greatbxfreak]

Niclasss,

Have you tasted 2022 and 2023 Belair Monange?

[jckba]

Agree Nick, I much prefer seeing barrel scores for young Bdx.