1978 Château Belair (Dubois-Challon)

Community Tasting Notes (3) Avg Score: 88 points

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  4/30/2022 - GrapeScott wrote: 89 Points

  Good fill, base neck, with a cork in excellent condition. The best of the three bottles I've had. Like all pre-2008 Belairs, this is not for everyone. It is an austere wine, high in acid, low on fruit, but with a haunting nose of sandalwood, red berries, spice notes, tobacco and dusty earth. This continued to improve after three nights, so I'd advise decanting and giving it time to open up. That said, even at its best, this is old school claret, so know what you're getting into.

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  5/9/2021 - GrapeScott wrote: 87 Points

  This is not an easy wine, and perhaps one only a true devotee of Belair could enjoy. The fill, cork and color are excellent. The nose shows savory aromas of tobacco, ditchweed and damson plum. This is an austere claret, as old school as they get, acidic and a bit thin on fruit, and what is there shows tart cherry and red plum. Definitely best with food. I dig it, but I have a soft spot for this estate.

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  11/18/2020 - GrapeScott wrote: 88 Points

  Mid neck fill and cork in excellent condition. Excellent color, bright purple-ruby with a slight garnet rim. Woodsy/vegetal nose of cedar and bell pepper. Tart cherries, earth, cigar leaf, and leather on the palate. Lean and fairly acidic, with some tannic bite on the back end. Belair can be a polarizing wine and I am a fan, but others are likely to like this a lot less than I do. This is old school claret. IMO, this has aged well and should continue to drink at this level for another 5-10 years or more. I never had this when young though so I am just guessing based on my experience with other vintages of Belair and their aging curves, which are usually long.

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