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Bellevue-Mondotte 2015

Tasting Notes

The 2015 Bellevue Mondotte has a rich and heady bouquet that, unlike the Pavie-Decesse, shows some signs of excessively late picking: tinned prune and dates rather too obvious in the mix of black fruit and the new oak feels too strong. The palate is full-bodied, a turbo-charged Saint-Émilion that is extremely concentrated but lacks the finesse of say, the Pavie-Decesse or Pavie itself. It just feels oppressive and though bottle age will mollify that, it is not a wine that beckons me back for multiple sips. Anticipated maturity: 2023 - 2045.

90
Neal Martin, March 2018

Amazing dark-berry and black-cherry aromas with hints of black truffles and oyster shell. Full-bodied, super layered and rich with amazing density and texture. Like the richest velvet. Last for minutes. Drink in 2024.

99
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, February 2018

A neighbor of Pavie Decesse, this vintage is composed of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 100% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Bellevue Mondotte is a little youthfully closed, revealing subtle suggestions of plum preserves, blackberry pie and cherry compote plus an undercurrent of violets, mocha and black soil. The full-bodied palate is firm and rugged, packed with taut, muscular fruit and finishes long and earthy. Give it a good 5 years in bottle, at least, and drink it over the next 25+. 2023 - 2048

94+
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate (Interim Fe), February 2018

Blackish crimson. Sweet black fruits on the nose. Very round. The fruit masks the tannin completely. Limestone stoniness on the end. 14.72%
Drink 2024-2040

17
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2016

Tasted as a barrel sample, the 2015 Bellevue Mondotte is ripe, incredibly sexy 2015 based on 90% Merlot and 5% each of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. This opaque, glass staining effort offers terrific notes of cassis, blackberry liqueur, and smoked herbs, as well as lots of minerals and floral character, full body, and an elegant, seamless texture that keeps on going. This gorgeous, layered, multi-dimensional beauty will benefit from short-term cellaring and keep for 2-3 decades. 2022 - 2052

95/97
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com, November 2017

Ripe fruit on the nose the palate has sweetness depth of flavour. Black fruits are backed by red freshness yet sweetness the back palate has depth. Under the sweet fruit there is tannins firmness the finish lacks length and has bitterness dryness. 2021-32

87/89
Derek Smedley MW, DerekSmedleyMW.co.uk, April 2016

Spicy, dark and foresty, this is a massive wine and yet the fruit is holding position bravely among a series of attacks from
the oak brigade. This is a wine which might make it, too, but I would far prefer it if it cut back on the oak and extraction
and actually made truly balanced wines, because these vineyards can produce high quality fruit.

17+
Matthew Jukes, Matthew Jukes' Blog, April 2016
Read more tasting notes...

This has a focus and intensity that I haven’t seen before. I goes wide in the palate and then compresses with great precision and beauty. Full and excellent. So great. Best I ever had from here.

98/99
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, March 2016

The 2015 Bellevue Mondotte is the one wine from Gérard Perse that tends to leave me cold. This year it is a blend of 90% Merlot with 5% each of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, matured entirely in new oak. It has a very powerful and intense bouquet with sweet ripe blueberry, boysenberry jam and honey-like aromas that almost knock you sideways. The palate is medium-bodied with sweet ripe tannin, not as tannic or as aggressive as I have occasionally discerned this wine, a little gentler and caressing towards the velvety smooth finish that just needs a little more personality to come through. It is always a brute out of barrel, but tends to mellow with bottle age, so don't even think about approaching this young. While it is undoubtedly surpassed by the 2015 Pavie, I am fascinated to see how this shows with age and who knows, maybe I will be proved wrong. Drink: 2023 - 2045

91/93
Neal Martin, Wine Advocate (224), April 2016
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.

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