Belair Monange

Château Bélair-Monange traces its origins back to Roman times. Situated at the highest point of Saint-Émilion’s famed limestone plateau, it has long been considered one of the region’s very best crus. By 1850 it was ranked by Cocks & Feret as the leading wine of Saint-Émilion, a position it held well into the twentieth century. Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix purchased the iconic Château in 2008. In 2012, Château Magdelaine was merged into Château Bélair-Monange. The name ‘Monange,’ in addition to its literal translation, ‘my angel,’ was the maiden name of Jean-Pierre Moueix’s mother, Anne-Adèle, the first Moueix woman to call Saint-Émilion her home. Château Bélair-Monange combines the terroirs of the most privileged sites of Saint-Émilion. The limestone from the central plateau parcels offers freshness, minerality, and delicate, lingering aromatics, while the dense, blue clay of the slopes provides intensity, length, and a unique elegance to the wine.

Winemaker notes

A blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, it exhibits a dense ruby/purple color, and pure, flowery, black raspberry and black cherry fruit intermixed with a hint of chalky minerality. The wine is medium-bodied, beautifully concentrated, and appears to be an aberration in a vintage such as 2013. Kudos to Edouard Moueix and his team for this remarkable success. Drink it over the next 12-15+ years.

2013

Wine Advocate 90: The 2013 Belair-Monange from JP Moueix is adorned with a Merlot-driven bouquet as you would expect, albeit more plush than I anticipated: quite floral with rose petal littered over attractive redcurrant and black cherry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannin. No, it is not quite as detailed as the 2013 Trotanoy and perhaps comes across a little pinched on the finish, nevertheless there is decent weight and body here, a fine structure, and if graced with a couple of years in bottle it should drink well for 12-15 years. Though not achieving the level of Trotanoy, this should still drink well for several years.

James Suckling 92: Fresh and bright with raspberry, chalk and stone aromas and flavors. Medium body, fine tannins and a fresh and clean finish. Great surprise. Delicious already.

Decanter 93: There's brooding blackberry fruit on the nose, but not very expressive on the day of tasting. In the mouth the wine is svelte and more open than the nose, showing ample fruit and spice, as well as a vivid character unusual in 2013. It's concentrated and tannic but also appealingly textured, with some complexity on the finish.

Wine Enthusiast 94: With ripe, spicy fruit, this is a concentrated, dense wine. It has young, firm tannins that are beginning to integrate with the juicy black fruits and fine, perfumed acidity. This is a serious wine, showing how well this estate is developing even in a difficult year. 

2014

Wine Advocate 92: The 2014 Belair-Monange was a slightly perplexing wine when I tasted it from barrel, so I was intrigued to discover how it would perform now in bottle. It has what you might describe as a "straight-laced" bouquet: very direct and nicely delineated, albeit without the frills and nuances of some of the best Saint Emilion wines this vintage. There is an attractive wilted rose petal aroma that emerges with aeration, but I was seeking more intensity. The palate is better than the aromatics: silky smooth in texture, well-judged acidity, genuine depth and gentle grip in the mouth. There is tangible mineralité here, great focus with a sense of tension and "bite" towards the finish. I was probably being parsimonious with my score in barrel, although that is partly vindicated by the nose that needs to get its act together and match the potential of the palate. Let's see how this develops over the next few years.

James Suckling 96: Extremely perfumed with rose aromas that turn to strawberries and citrus. Some stones, too. Full-bodied, yet reserved and ultra-refined. It goes on for minutes. Power with finesse.

Vinous 93: The 2014 Bélair-Monange has an open, aniseed-tinged bouquet with plenty of ripe red berry fruit. There is something playful and joyful about these aromatics that demand to be noticed. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity, firm tannin, quite grippy in the mouth but there are some lovely liquorice and spice notes that come through on the finish. Excellent.

Decanter 94: Salty, meaty elements on the nose, quite savoury and toasted with accents of dark blackcurrant, plum, oak and graphite. Silky and a little bit sombre, this has finesse but has lost some of its bright youthful and fun fruity side and now presents a relatively light but still charming body with a juicy core and saline finish. Clean and well defined. Ready to drink but this could age further.

Wine Enthusiast 96: With the amalgamation of Château Magdelaine into this one property, the estate is now a considerable 58 acres. The wine is now performing in top gear. Powerful tannins drive the mainly Merlot blend with 10% Cabernet Franc. It still shows signs of the wood aging and these will disappear to leave a richly endowed wine with a fine future. Drink from 2026.

2020

Wine Advocate 95: The 2020 Belair Monange has also turned out nicely in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of rich cherries, plums, sweet spices, rose petals and creamy new oak. Full-bodied, rich and layered, it remains fresh despite its ripe, sun-kissed profile, and its generous payload of tannin helps to integrate its rather lofty level of alcohol. This is a success in its demonstrative, modern style.

James Suckling 99: Intense aromas of wet earth, limestone cellars and dark fruits such as currants and blackberries. Then turns to flowers. Black truffles, too. Licorice. Gravel. Full-bodied with a solid palate of tannins that melt into the wine. It’s sleek and muscular with fantastic length and presence. Reminds me of great old Belairs from the 1950s. Cool wine. 98% merlot and 2% cabernet franc. Give it six to eight years of time. Best after 2028.

Vinous 98: The 2020 Bélair-Monange is tremendous. What a wine. It is easily the best effort since the Mouiex family bought the property. Rich, ample and dramatic, Bélair-Monange saturates the palate with waves of inky dark red fruit. Sweet floral, espresso and spice notes appear later, adding shades of nuance. Clean mineral notes extend the finish effortlessly. A wine of exotic beauty and allure, Bélair-Monange is a real stunner in 2020.

Decanter 99: Striking yet elegant, this holds its own being tasted after the more plush and ripe Trotanoy while this is more focussed and streamlined. Just as confident, concentrated and intense but in a different way completely. This is more reserved, refined and less overt, with an incredible purity and precision to the layers of red berry fruit and salinity from the limestone. Such nuance and detail, this is seductive with a powdery texture to the tannins. Really very well worked. Hard to pick a favourite as the length and overall sculpting here are exceptional. A gorgeous wine with star power that really leaves a lingering impression.

2021

Wine Advocate 93+: The ethereal 2021 Belair Monange shows its limestone terroir front and center in this cooler vintage, unwinding in the glass with notes of sweet cherries, minty red berries, raw cocoa and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, suave and polished palate that's pure, lively and mineral, concluding with a saline finish.

James Suckling 96: Lots of lush blue and black fruits followed by violets, fresh mint, roasted almonds and black ink with vanilla beans and mocha. Full-bodied, refreshing acidity with firm and racy tannins. Broad and energetic mid-palate with a succulent and layered finish. Superb concentration with depth and tension. It’s difficult not to drink now but your patience will be rewarded.

Decanter 95: A bit quiet aromatically. Bright and shiny straight away, juicy with acidity and minerality to the fore - a real coating of liquorice and flint straight away, fruit feels ripe and perfumed with a lean texture and racy acidity - salty, straight and focused. Tannins are slightly grippy and grainy giving the frame and structure. Needs more time to come together but this feels well worked, with a certain fullness. Salty strawberries, herbal raspberries, wet stone, flint and graphite. You really get the terroir effect here and the final flavour leaves you wanting more. Delicate yet determined. I like it a lot.

Wine Enthusiast 96: The wine comes from a 64-acre vineyard on the slope leading to the Saint-Emilion plateau. It is dense, its tannins still dominant. The wine's fruit and rich structure are impressive. Drink from 2028.

2023

Wine Advocate 94-96: The 2023 Belair Monange is the first vintage from this newly created property that incorporates a balance of fruit from the plateau and fruit from the hillsides, as restructured and replanted parcels are returning to production. Wafting from the glass with attractive aromas of raspberries, violets and kirsch mingled with hints of incense, licorice and rose petals, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with a deep and textural core of fruit, lively acids and powdery tannins, retaining a cool, ethereal profile that foregrounds its limestone origins.

James Suckling 97-98: There’s finesse and beauty to this, with blackberry, dark-chocolate, bark, mushroom and forest-floor character. But it’s all class. Caresses your palate. Medium- to full-bodied and very long. Persistent and sophisticated. This shows the true character of the diverse vineyards of this estate. 98% merlot and 2% cabernet franc.