30 min decant. Deep dark ruby color. Boysenberry, ripe blueberry, sunflower seeds, pencil wood, radish and wildflowers on the deep and complex nose. Very smooth, tongue drying palate, with nice acidity and black tea notes. Firm, medium intensity tannins on the medium long finish. This wine is absolutely in its prime time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Blind tasting of Grand Cercle wines 2011 vintage: Part II (Château Bellefont-Belcier): Brambly red and blackberry fruit on the nose. The attack is brisk, mid palate has weight. The finish, though somewhat austere has lift as well. Bernard liked this very much, too. Consultant since 2014 is former Petrus director Jean Claude Berrouet, so expect greater freshness in coming years - good news!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Dark, intense and very slightly translucent cherry red color with a light purple hue. Fresh and savory nose with fragrant aromas of licorice, fresh blackcurrants, some perfumed floral character and a toasty hint of smoke. On the palate the wine feels medium-bodied and surprisingly fresh on the palate with quite complex, somewhat angular and very savory flavors of fresh blackcurrants, dark plums, somewhat pronounced herbal bitterness, a little bit of crunchy dark fruits, a little bit of smoky and earthy character and a hint of leather. Although not that tightly-knit, the wine still feels pretty structured with its moderately high acidity and firm medium tannins. The finish is quite bitter and savory with pronounced stony minerality, crunchy dark berries, somewhat sweeter plummy fruit and flavors of savory wood spice, pencil shavings, some earthy tones, a little bit of herbal bitterness and an astringent hint of wood.
This wine feels fairly classicist in style with more emphasis on savory and slightly bitter tones than on overtly ripe fruit character and sweet oak spice. Although quite balanced and somewhat muscular, the wine really doesn't feel like it is built for the really long haul. However, I can see it developing for good many years to come, feeling like it is a bit awkward and immature at this phase. A fairly good effort for a 2011, which has been a vintage producing very irregular and often underwhelming wines. I'd imagine this wine needs to be close to or over 10 years old before it starts to sing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Not tasted blind and this 2011 doesn't disappoint. The wine is creamy and round, has cherries and red as well as dark forest fruits and also a touch of bell pepper. For the rest ok acidity, tannin and bitterness. Start drinking around 2016 or 2017.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
Baronne Guichard wine dinner, Ruth's Chris DC (Ruth's Chris on Connecticut Ave, DC): It is interesting to compare this with Chateau le Prieure. This is more deeply toned and polished but perhaps not as bright and fruit driven. Black fruits, crèmes de cassis, truffle and bitter chocolate. The palate is lively and silky but also shows the structure with noticeable tannins. 91-93 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No
/ Comment
9/9/2020 - vinhonotte wrote: 89 Points
Fine Wines SG - BYOB "The Best of Merlot" (The Communal Bistro Delicacy - CBD): Deep ruby, highly extracted. Aromas of underripe blackberry and cloves. Tannins tight, with underripe blackberry flavours, and somewhat leafy, and cloves spices. Moderate finish
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
7/14/2018 - AGELVIS Likes this wine: 93 Points
30 min decant. Deep dark ruby color. Boysenberry, ripe blueberry, sunflower seeds, pencil wood, radish and wildflowers on the deep and complex nose. Very smooth, tongue drying palate, with nice acidity and black tea notes. Firm, medium intensity tannins on the medium long finish. This wine is absolutely in its prime time.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/26/2016 - thunberg wrote: 88 Points
@Grand Cercle des Vins de Bordeaux, Stockholm
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
9/6/2015 - PanosKakaviatos Likes this wine: 88 Points
Blind tasting of Grand Cercle wines 2011 vintage: Part II (Château Bellefont-Belcier): Brambly red and blackberry fruit on the nose. The attack is brisk, mid palate has weight. The finish, though somewhat austere has lift as well. Bernard liked this very much, too. Consultant since 2014 is former Petrus director Jean Claude Berrouet, so expect greater freshness in coming years - good news!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/15/2015 - forceberry wrote: 89 Points
Dark, intense and very slightly translucent cherry red color with a light purple hue. Fresh and savory nose with fragrant aromas of licorice, fresh blackcurrants, some perfumed floral character and a toasty hint of smoke. On the palate the wine feels medium-bodied and surprisingly fresh on the palate with quite complex, somewhat angular and very savory flavors of fresh blackcurrants, dark plums, somewhat pronounced herbal bitterness, a little bit of crunchy dark fruits, a little bit of smoky and earthy character and a hint of leather. Although not that tightly-knit, the wine still feels pretty structured with its moderately high acidity and firm medium tannins. The finish is quite bitter and savory with pronounced stony minerality, crunchy dark berries, somewhat sweeter plummy fruit and flavors of savory wood spice, pencil shavings, some earthy tones, a little bit of herbal bitterness and an astringent hint of wood.
This wine feels fairly classicist in style with more emphasis on savory and slightly bitter tones than on overtly ripe fruit character and sweet oak spice. Although quite balanced and somewhat muscular, the wine really doesn't feel like it is built for the really long haul. However, I can see it developing for good many years to come, feeling like it is a bit awkward and immature at this phase. A fairly good effort for a 2011, which has been a vintage producing very irregular and often underwhelming wines. I'd imagine this wine needs to be close to or over 10 years old before it starts to sing.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
5/31/2014 - Tao wrote: 89 Points
Tasted at Vinexpo Asia 2014
Bright young ruby red, beautiful colour. Sweet candy nose, smooth and sweet red fruits palate, rather simple!
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
1/19/2014 - Zweder wrote: 89 Points
Not tasted blind and this 2011 doesn't disappoint. The wine is creamy and round, has cherries and red as well as dark forest fruits and also a touch of bell pepper. For the rest ok acidity, tannin and bitterness. Start drinking around 2016 or 2017.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
4/21/2012 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
Earth, chocolate and dark cherry with supple textures and good concentration on ripe, sweet black plums in the finish. 89-90 Pts
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment
3/9/2012 - dcwino wrote: 92 Points
Baronne Guichard wine dinner, Ruth's Chris DC (Ruth's Chris on Connecticut Ave, DC): It is interesting to compare this with Chateau le Prieure. This is more deeply toned and polished but perhaps not as bright and fruit driven. Black fruits, crèmes de cassis, truffle and bitter chocolate. The palate is lively and silky but also shows the structure with noticeable tannins. 91-93 pts.
Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Comment