Belair-Monange 2018

Very intense blackberries, black olives, blueberries and dried flowers. Stony minerality. Even some pine. Full-bodied with superb depth of fruit and ultra fine tannins that are intense and polished. The finish is so long and delivers so much flavor, from wet earth to blackberry again. Seamless palate. Try after 2026.

Made from 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Belair Monange rolls effortlessly out of the glass with gregarious scents of black cherry preserves, stewed plums and boysenberries, plus suggestions of Indian spices, rose oil, Ceylon tea and garrigue, with a waft of tilled soil. The rich, seductive, full-bodied palate is laden with black fruit preserves and exotic spice layers, framed by velvety tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and fragrant. Wonderfully hedonic and conceivably drinkable now, give it 4-5 years in the cellar to allow the earthy/savory nuances to fully emerge from within the fruit and drink it over the next 25 years or more. 2025 - 2050.

A 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 the chart.

Drinking Window 2027 - 2042

An incredible expression of Merlot grown on limestone soils, the 2018 Château Belair-Monange (90/10 Merlot and Cabernet Franc) sports a dense purple hue as well as powerful notes of blackcurrants, kirsch liqueur, flowery incense, chalky minerality, and white truffle. Rich, full-bodied, and beautifully concentrated, it's a serious 2018 offering integrated oak, ripe yet building tannins, and one hell of a great finish. The finest vintage of this cuvée I've tasted, it's a wine to seek out and hide in the cellar for a good 5-7 years. It's going to evolve for 30-40 years.

Tasted blind. Second bottle poured was very similar to the first, possibly less fresh! Bright, dense crimson. Subtle nose. Rich and shaded. Complex and subtle. Long and quite alcoholic.
Drink 2025 – 2040

Darkest crimson. Black fruit, pencil shavings and a touch of oaky char on the nose. Compact and refined in texture on the palate, very fine tannins. Much the most elegant of the Moueix stable, with impressive persistence and harmony even now, just needs a lot of time to unfurl and for the tannins to release the fruit in all its richness. Finishes fresh and dry and clean in the mouth even if the oak is blocking it a little at the end. Powerful but not overbearing.
Drink 2028-2040

Bright purple in the glass with black cherry, toasted spice and a hint of incense on the nose. The palate is silky and polished, with rich black cherry at the core. The tannins have grip but are refined and melt into the dense and redolent fruit. The acidity adds vibrancy, giving lift and floral tones through to the finish. Though rich and ripe, there is a weightless, silky feel to the wine that brings floral, peppery notes to the fore.

Ripe and dense in feel, with layers of plum, fig and boysenberry fruit. The structure is decidedly stony, revealing a long echo of tobacco. Among the more backward wines at this early stage, but seriously long and well-built.

(90 Merlot, 10 Cabernet Franc) This is a serious wine with a kaleidoscope of fruit notes and a forest of oak propping it up. Like many of the top Right Bank wines in this vintage it is slow to reveal the extent of its skills. It required some urgent swirling to unlock the various elements in this wine and there is a lot of complexity here. Sleek and stealthy, this is a noble wine and it is one of the finds of the vintage. Closed and firm now, but sure to blossom relatively early in its life, this is a wine which will make half a century with ease.