| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
The smallest of the Perse estates, this tiny property situated on pure limestone produces a wine made from a blend of 90% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. One of the superstars of this vintage, the 2012 is opaque purple and exhibits tremendous concentration and richness, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and a layered texture that builds incrementally without any heaviness or cloying characteristics. This is stunning, great, old-style, yet progressively made Bordeaux to drink over the next 25-30 years. The alcohol level is 14.3%.
The Bellevue Mondotte, which should be a blend of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, had not quite finished its malolactic fermentation when I tasted it in early April. Cropped at 22hl/ha and raised entirely in new oak, it has a hedonistic, very generous, ostentatious bouquet that you might think was born three years earlier. The palate is very ripe and decadent with soft tannins. There is a lot of wood to be subsumed and there is a distinct lactic/chocolate note towards the finish that cuts away a little abruptly. Tasted April 2013.
A young red with coffee, chocolate, red chili and berry character. Chalk and salt flakes. Full body, velvety tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Super focused for the vintage. The 90% merlot shows itself. But truly a top wine for the vintage. Try in 2017.
Colour of elderberry juice. Smells rather like it too. Very ripe, very intense but not porty! Highly extracted, deep in char but the fruit is compact. Tannins also compact and firm but not hard or bitter. Extreme but balanced. Just not my style. (JH)
The nose is sweet and there is a sweet feel to the start of the palate. Black fruits intermingle with red a nice depth of flavour yet some freshness. Towards the back the aggressive tannins take over drying the back palate and giving a dusty character on the finish. 2016-25
The 2012 Bellevue Mondotte may turn out to be just as powerful and exquisite as the 2010, perhaps even superior to that beauty. This full-bodied super-star of the vintage boasts deep notes of graphite, creme de cassis and blackberries as well as a full-bodied, viscous texture, a huge mid-palate (atypical for a 2012), and a whopping amount of fruit, glycerin and tannin in the finish. However, the tannins are ripe and remarkably well-integrated. Sadly, this amazing effort is extremely limited in production. It should drink well for 20-25 years.
A small, 5-acre jewel of an estate planted with 90% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, this property, which sits next to La Mondotte, hit 14% natural alcohol (just below the 14.3% achieved by their 2010).
Smell of chalk and minerals with dark fruits follow through to a full body, with chewy tannins and structure and a long finish. Bitter chocolate and dark fruits. 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon.
