| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Peter Kwok from Hong Kong recently purchased 13.5 hectare Bellefont-Belcier to add to his rapidly growing portfolio of right bank properties - including Enclos Tourmaline and La Tour Saint Christophe. The property is situated between Château Larcis Ducasse and Tertre Roteboeuf on the south-facing slopes and plateau of Saint Emilion.
The wine-maker here is now Jean-Christophe Meyrou (formerly of Le Gay and La Violette) with Thomas Duclot (of Canon) his consultant. The blend is 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Elevage in 30% new oak, 10% foudre, 60% in barrels of 1 or 2 years.
The 2023 Bellefont Belcier demonstrates this property's continuing renaissance, exhibiting more density and seriousness as the team starts to get the best out of their holdings on the plateau of Saint-Émilion overlooking the slopes that surround the château. Offering up aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with hints of burning embers and iris, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and fleshy, with a layered core of fruit, powdery structuring tannins and a long, penetrating finish.
The 2023 Bellefont-Belcier has a perfumed bouquet with dark cherry, boysenberry and light violet aromas, gathering pace as it opens in the glass. There’s fine delineation, leaning slightly toward the opulent side. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly grainy tannins and just a bit of rigidity on the mid-palate. Wood tannins impede a little toward the finish. This is not bad, but it will require a prudent élevage.
Deep purple in colour, the nose here is a little reductive but powerful and rich in plums and damson fruit. The palate follows suit, quite a raw sample but dense and impressive. The tannins are chalky, quite firm but not overbearing. A little awkward at this stage but with excellent raw material, I expect this to show even better from bottle.
This well-defined and sophisticated wine shows a gorgeous center-palate of near perfectly ripe fruit. Lots of dark berries and minerals with some pine, while the texture is full and compact with layers of well-integrated, fine tannins. The finish is seamless. Just a hint of salt at the end of the pretty fruit. 72% merlot, 18% cabernet franc and 10% cabernet sauvignon.
Fresh aromatics, attractive raspberry leaf and violet, deeply coloured, well textured, there is clear oak influence, but it is well integrated, and the texture has resistance and rise through the finish. Good quality. 30% new oak. 45hl/ha yield, Vignobles K owners.
