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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.4 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 16 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by vino_per_tutti on 3/14/2020 & rated 92 points: 3 hour decant. Terrific aromatics from the jump: black and red cherry, cassis and cedar box. Full and flavorful on the palate with great Right Bank characteristics. No tannins to speak of, but full bodied on the finish. Enjoyed by all! (2345 views) | | | Tasted by Fatty Cat on 2/2/2019 & rated 92 points: 0.375 L bottle, early Feb 2019: crimson color; the nose started with delicate herb aromas (specially mint) that gave way to classic cherry, chocolate and plenty of violet flavors; haggard and unbalanced on the palate; medium body.
Excellent nose, mediocre in the mouth: 84/100 points. However, kept some faith and half the bottle. Tomorrow I’ll taste it again.
Tasted again 15 hours after the bottle was opened: the bouquet has changed, the minty and herbal aromas/flavors noticed at the start are back and clearly dominating; on the palate a noble austere and balanced clarity accompanied by a decent mellow acidity; medium body.
Need to revise the score: 90/100 points.
The last two glasses after approx. 24 hours: the wine shows no signs of fatigue; in the nose herbal aromas are still present now together with opulent cherry and plum flavors; on the palate an almost juicy fruitiness convoyed by a decent acidity; medium body. Another score revision is necessary: 92/100 points.
Looks like this was a deep dive into Pascal Delbeck’s wine making philosophy. Mr. Delbeck was the long-standing wine maker (and from 2003 on owner) of the Belair estate until it was sold to the Moueix family. As far as I red in different books and magazines his visions of a right bank Bordeaux and his practical approaches were very different compared to the nowadays applied standards for upper class wines. No wonder that it was told the relationship to Mr. Parker was not the best.
Definitely conservative in style the 2006 Belair will most likely lose in a tasting against modern vinified right bank premier crus in the first 4-6 hours after bottle opening. However, add 12-18 hours and the verdict might be the opposite. (3135 views) | | | Tasted by Pfleonard on 3/31/2018 & rated 89 points: Starting to show some age and evolution. Soft tannins, stewed berries and balanced avidity. Altogether enjoyed this with filet mignon for dinner. (3946 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 10/21/2017 & rated 92 points: An easy afternoon with close friends (@ PdV): Beautiful and complex bouquet with dark berries, vanilla and smoke. On the palate juicy red and dark berries, firm acidity and good, still somewhat sticky tannin. Elegant and beautiful wine. Improves considerably with some air time. 92++ (4924 views) | | | Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 1/29/2015 & rated 93 points: VinoLaprisco Tasting (Restaurant De Karpendonkse Hoeve *, Eindhoven, Netherlands): Fragrant, floral, subtle, silky and soft, hints of spice and tobacco, very stylish, deceptively easy, harmonious, ripe fruit, soft but present tannins, perfectly judged new oak, very subtle mineral undertow, lovely length. Not an obvious wine, whose discreet charms might easily be overlooked. (8547 views) | | | Tasted by dontime on 10/5/2014: Thin, boring, lacking any finesse. Even at the state monopoly store sale price of $35 not a repeat buy. If scoring 86-88. (6146 views) | | | Tasted by ThomasL on 8/7/2014 & rated 88 points: Gott vin som behöver nåt år ytterligare på sig. Lite lättare St:emilion som gick väldigt bra till ost. (5667 views) | | | Tasted by Fatty Cat on 8/6/2013 & rated 86 points: 0.375 L bottle, early Aug 2013: not decanted; not much aromas and flavors to detect; rather closed and brittle.
2-3 years ago I had a significantly better experience. Maybe the wine goes through a rough state. I'll keep one bottle and open it in 5-10 years time. (1568 views) | | | Tasted by nick811 on 9/9/2012 & rated 91 points: drank together with 2007 mongeard-Mugneret Echezeaux. I rated this one point below than the burgundy. however, this one is also very nice. Good nose with typical bordeaux like body. vanilla (especially for nose) and more strong body than the burgundy. very nice one. need some time for breath. (4980 views) | | | Tasted by madia on 7/27/2012 & rated 90 points: Complex nose – ripe fruits and chocolate. Light bodied, not ready yet (97$) (4372 views) | | | Tasted by madia on 11/30/2011 & rated 90 points: Bordeaux Right bank – Young VS Mature (Wine Route Ra'anana): Closed but elegant. Very nice nose with a good mix of scents and fruit. Rough in the palate, with predominant acidity and bitterness. Very young still, needs a few more years to soften and develop (103$) (2913 views) | | | Tasted by Fatty Cat on 5/22/2010 & rated 90 points: 0.375 L bottle late May 2010: dark red color; strawberry, blackberry plus coffe, chocolate and vanilla aromas/flavors; medium body; round texture.
Great classic right bank Bordeaux. Can maybe improve 1-2 points if he adds some complexity. (427 views) | | | Tasted by lumpyelbow on 10/20/2009 & rated 89 points: Pronounced minerality, rubber. Nice long finish. Good grip throughout. Classic structure. Very good - excellent (4108 views) | | | Tasted by jmd60611 on 10/1/2007 & rated 92 points: Drank from barrel sample at chateau, tight and tannic, with great depth and monstorous length and fruit...Quite excellent (4271 views) |
| NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of The World of Fine Wine and JancisRobinson.com and Vintage Tastings and Vinous. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Belair Producer website – Read more about Chateau BelairRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanLibournais Libournais (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux) - Read more about St. Emilion and its wines - Read more about Pomerol and its wines
Saint Emilion Grat Classified Growth, Classified Growths, Grands Crus Classes, GCC
In 1954, while the "Graves" growths had just published their own classification, the wine syndicate of Saint-Emilion, composed by wine growers, brokers and wine traders with the approval of the INAO - Institut National des Appellations d'Origine (A.O.C), decided to work on a classification for the wines of Saint Emilion. Initially, four grades were defined. These were reduced to two - First Great Classified Growth (A and B) and Great Classified Growth - in 1984.
As of Medoc's 1855 historical grading, the Saint-Emilion Great Classified Growth classification is not only based on qualitative criteria by tasting the wines on a ten years period previous to the assessment, but also on commercial considerations such as:
- sales price levels
- national and international commercial distribution
- the estate's reputation on the market
Properties who don't manage to join the club of about sixty Classified Growths are given the denomination of Great Growth ("Grand Cru"), while the remaining wineries of the A.O.C are simply reported as "Saint-Emilion". It is to be noted that the owners must officially apply to appear in the official classification. Thus for example the famous Chateau Tertre-Roteboeuf, whose quality and reputation would easily justify to be listed among the First Great Classified Growths, does not appear here by the will of its owner, François Mitjaville.
The Saint-Emilion Great Growth classification was revised in 1969, 1985, 1996 and 2006. The only two guaranteed vintage (A.O.C) who can apply to the classification are the "Saint-Emilion Grand Cru" and "Saint-Emilion" areas.
By grading 61 properties, the 2006 revision confirmed many growths from the former classification, but also caused a number of surprises and a few inevitable disappointments. Many observers thought that the impressive progression of Perse's Chateau Pavie since 1998 would be rewarded by an upgrade into the First Great Classified Growths (A) category, but finally such was not the case.
Among the estates promoted to the First Great Classified Growths B category are Chateau Troplong-Mondot and Pavie-Macquin, whose efforts made since the Nineties fully justify their new grade. It should be noted that no First Great Classified Growth was relegated to the lower Great Classified Growth class.
Promoted growths from the status of Great Growth ("Grand Cru") to Great Classified Growth ("Grand Cru Classe") are: Chateaux Bellefont-Belcier, Destieux, Fleur Cardinale, Grand Corbin, Grand Corbin-Despagne and Monbousquet.
The demoted growths from the status of Great Classified Growth to Great Growth are: Chateaux Bellevue, Cadet Bon, Faurie de Souchard, Guadet Saint-Julien, La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Belivier), La Tour du Pin-Figeac (Moueix), Lamarzelle, Petite Faurie de Soutard, Tertre Daugay, Villemaurine and Yon-Figeac. If the recent samples of some of the above mentioned properties may justify their current downgrade, there are great chances that estates like Bellevue, Tertre Daugay or Yon-Figeac will be upgraded to their previous rankings by the next revision in 2016 as the progresses noted after 2000, but not entering in the range of vintages (1993 - 2002) appointed for the criteria of selection for the 2006 classification, are noticable.
The two following estates have completely disappeared from the Saint-Emilion Grand Cru Classification: Curé-Bon-la-Madeleine (integrated meanwhile to Chateau Canon) and La Clusière (integrated meanwhile to Chateau Pavie).
Finally, no estate considered as "garagiste" has integrated the classification. Valandraud, Mondotte, Le Dome, Bellevue-Mondotte or Magrez-Fombrauge have, for the least, the potential to be ranked as Great Classified Growths. In sight of the very fine quality reached by the above mentioned estates in recent vintages as well as all the innovative wine making methods used by the "garagistes", it remains to be seen whether the authorities will dare to cross the line in 2016..?St. Émilion Grand Cru Les Vins de St. Émilion (Syndicate Vitocole de Saint-Emilion) – Read about St. Emilion
Vins de Bordeaux:
Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot
Soil: Sandy soils with alluvial gravel deposits
Surface Area: 4,160 ha |
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