We owe the 2021 vintage above all to the vigneronnes and vignerons who cared after the vines as if they were their own children. Their rigor and attention allowed us to make the most of this vintage and produce a wine with a structure reminiscent of the asteriated limestone lace and a richness recalling the density of the clay slopes.
Now that the En Primeur tastings are over and the wine has been allocated to its buyers around the world, we are taking a look back at the impressions published by the journalists we had the pleasure of welcoming starting in April:
James Suckling - 96-97 pts : « 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. »
The Drinks Business, Colin Hay – 95-97 pts : « Surely a wine of potential Premier Grand Cru Classé A quality in the context of the vintage. Beautifully refined and elegant on the nose. A lovely blend of cedar and graphite – both in moderation – and sandalwood, all wrapped around the plum skin, damson flesh, blueberry, raspberry and blackberry fruit. (...) Very talented viticulture and wine-making is evident here in both the respect for the ingredients and the immense work in the vineyard to produce that quality in the first place. A considerable achievement in this of all vintages. »
Decanter, Georgie Hindle – 95 pts : « Cool blue fruit touches on the nose, excellent acidity gives a rush of succulent and mouth watering cherry and strawberry fruit before this settles quite quickly revealing the minerality so characteristic of this estate. Chalky, wet stone and graphite touches come in with a saltiness that perfectly balances the sweet and concentrated red fruits. This feels refined and well worked with a brightness that is so enjoyable. The 1% Cabernet Franc gives structure and backbone. It’s a light style, this is more delicate and refined and all the better for it showing the class of the winemaking and nuances of the terroir. A real beauty. »
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux – 95 pts : « 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. »
The Wine Independent, Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW – 94-96 pts : « 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! »
Terre de Vins, Mathieu Doumenge – 97 pts : « Perché sur son terroir de calcaire intransigeant, Bélair-Monange (99 % merlot, 1 % cabernet franc) conjugue puissance retenue, parfum aérien, jutosité et longueur : c’est la signature d’un terroir majuscule. Le vin, tout en tonicité minérale, étire ses muscles sans brutalité, vêtu d’un habit tannique crayeux et ciselé, tendu par une acidité à point qui le propulse jusqu’à sa finale saline. Un 2021 sur le fil, qui se positionne au mieux de ce que le millésime a à donner. »
Bettane & Desseauve, Denis Hervier, Thierry Desseauve – 97 pts, « Le Sommet du Millésime » : watch the video here.
Le Figaro, Ella Lister, Béatrice Delamotte – 94-97 pts : « (...) Le nez enchanteur de myrtilles et d’iris évoque la chanson délicate mais hypnotique d’une sirène et les arômes salins de la mer où elle demeure. En bouche, le vin a une rondeur enveloppante de cachemire. Il offre une palette de saveurs très large et généreuse, qui va du fruit, en passant par la flore et la faune, pour aller jusqu’au minéral. Un vin qui se suffirait presque à lui-même, tant il est délectable. Et le dessert serait compris, avec des notes de chocolat très noir et même une petite goutte bienvenue de ristretto. »
Anthocyanes, Yohan Castaing – 94-96+pts : « Légèrement terrien et racinaire, le bouquet évolue sur les fruits noirs, les notes de fleurs et de graphite. Très bel ensemble à la fois frais, profond et élégant. Toucher de bouche sur l’allonge, une belle gestion de l’acidité avec des tanins fins et veloutés malgré une petite point boisée et légèrement tabac. Une belle expression calcaire pour un vin austère à ce stade mais dont on connait le potentiel de garde. »
View and download the press review in PDF format here.