The Winery

Château Bélair-Monange represents the fusion of Château Bélair, acquired in 2008, and of Château Magdelaine, acquired in 1952. The two properties were amongst the twelve “Premiers Grands Crus Classés” of Saint-Émilion in the original 1955 Classification. 

The name “Bélair-Monange” pays homage to the mother of Jean-Pierre Moueix, Adèle-Monange, the first woman in the family to arrive from Corrèze to Saint-Émilion in 1930.

Throughout his lifetime, Jean-Pierre Moueix considered the wines of Château Bélair - for which he was the exclusive agent - to be one of the finest of Saint-Émilion. His dream was to acquire the estate. His son, Christian, and grandson, Edouard (jurat since 2011), have had the opportunity to fulfill his dream. 

With the fusion of Bélair and Magdelaine, a new winery was needed for the 75 acres estate, of which 65 are planted to grapevines. 

The natural choice was Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron, the Basel architects (Pritzker Prize 2001), who designed the Dominus Estate winery in Napa Valley (1997) as well as the refectory for harvesters at Château La Fleur-Pétrus in Pomerol (2002).

Oenophiles themselves, they became members of the Jurade of Saint-Émilion on June 18, 2022.

Specific elements of Saint-Émilion informed the winery’s design, including: 
 

• The Monolithic Church,
• The underground limestone quarries found throughout the region, 
• The furrows sculpted into the limestone plateau,
• The limestone walls with strata of fossils and shells,
• The rhythm of the rows of vines. 

In addition to its insulation qualities and sustainability, concrete was chosen to express the mineral characteristic of Saint-Émilion. 

In the winery, walls of concrete and of oak retrace the theme of the Albrecht Dürer engraving “The Angel and Joachim” (1504), which inspired the château’s label.