Saint Emilion

James Suckling bewertet den Essence de Dourthe im Dezember 2018:
Fabulous aromas of blackberries. blueberries. cinnamon. and perfume. Full-bodied. tight and explosive. Pulls back on the palate and then releases. A wine with complexity. depth and excitement. A blend of best wines from Belgrave. La Garde. Le Boscq and Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac. Only made in selected vintages. 6.000 bottles. A structured red for long-term aging yet balanced and beautiful. Try in 2023.

Zur Geschichte der Essence de Dourthe:
Essence de Dourthe find its origins in the prestigious Dourthe estates: Château Belgrave. Château Le Boscq. Château La Garde. Château Grand Barrail Lamarzelle Figeac. Only 14 hectares of the very best gravel and clay soils and the finest. most distinguished. Merlot. Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot vines have been selected; 14 hectares of vines on which the Dourthe oenologists and their teams focus all their talent and give free reign to their passion. Essence is the result of their remarkable achievements in each vineyard. a sublime combination of great terroirs and talents. But Essence is rare: only 6.000 bottles of Essence de Dourthe are produced each year.
 

Der Chateau Quinault L Enclos 2015 ist ein Saint Emilion Grand Cru der aus dem grösten Teil Merlot und etwas Cabernet Franc bereitet wird. Hier zeichnet sich das gleiche Weinmacheream wie auf Chateau Cheval Blanc verantwortlich. die gleiche Perfekte Vinifikation. Eine penible Selektion der besten Trauben des Terroir von Quinault L Enclos.
 

James Suckling bewertet den Chateau Quinault L Enclos 2015 am 02.02.2018 wie folgt:
This is the best wine from here ever with very soft and round tannins. Polished and beautiful. Medium to full body. round and soft tannins and a long and flavorful finish. A gorgeous wine with excellent length and drinkability. Drink or hold.
 

Lisa Perrotti Brown bewertet den Chateau Quinault L Enclos 2015 am 21.02.2018 wie folgt:
A blend of 69% Merlot. 12% Cabernet Franc and 19% Cabernet Sauvignon aged exclusively in 500-liter barrels. 50% new. the deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Quinault l'Enclos opens with expressive black cherries. red currants and black raspberries notes with hints of baking spices. cigar box and bay leaves plus a waft of menthol. Medium to full-bodied. it fills the palate with vibrant red and black fruits. supported by finely grained tannins and wonderful freshness. finishing long and spicy.
 

Antonio Galloni bewertet den Chateau Quinault L Enclos 2015 im Februar 2018 wie folgt:
The 2015 Quinault L'Enclos is absolutely gorgeous. Sweet floral. savory and espresso notes give it noticeable brightness. energy and verve. Those qualities are further enhanced by the decision to age Quinault entirely in larger 500-liter barrels (50% new) for 12 months. Medium in body. with vibrant red fruit flavors and saline notes that bristle. the 2015 is impossible to resist. even at this early stage. This is a superb showing from Pierre-Olivier Clouet and the team at Cheval Blanc.
 

James Suckling bewertet den Chateau Clos Fourtet 2015 am 02.02.2018 wie folgt:
This is very velvety and flamboyant with a sexy mouthfeel and rich and delicious fruit. Exotic and more-ish. All there. So much fun to taste.
 

Lisa Perrotti Brown bewertet den Chateau Clos Fourtet 2015 am 21.02.2018 wie folgt:
The 2015 Clos Fourtet is a blend of 90% Merlot. 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Cabernet Franc. and it was picked between 18 September and 12 October. It has a voluminous bouquet with sweet cassis and blueberry aromas. rather smudged with violets coming through with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded tannin. ripe and voluptuous. dark chocolate infusing the red and black fruit with a touch of mint on the structured. graceful finish. What a fabulous Saint Emilion from Mathieu Cuvelier and his team - Clos Fourtet with breeding and class. It deserves 5-8 years in bottle.
 

Antonio Galloni bewertet den Clos Fourtet 2015 im Februar 2018 wie folgt:
Clos Fourtet is a drop-dead gorgeous beauty in 2015. Powerful. vivid and wonderfully nuanced. it exudes class. Inky red/purplish stone fruit. lavender. spice. mint and orange peel give the 2015 its myriad shades of nuance. but it is the wine's balance and total sense of harmony that elevate it to the realm of the profound. In 2015. Clos Fourtet has a bit more body and resonance than is typically the case. Beneath all of the fruit. however. the 2015 has more than enough energy and structural underpinning to drink well for many years. This is a stunning wine from the Cuvelier family and consulting winemakers Stéphane Derenoncourt and Julien Lavenu. The blend is 88% Merlot. 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Cabernet Franc. Tasted three times.
 

Best Ever Clos Fourtet für den Winespectator!
James Mothels 31.März 2018:
Thoroughly ripe but seemingly light-footed. as a remarkably silky structure lets waves of plum sauce. blueberry reduction and raspberry puree glide through effortlessly. Light licorice. violet and ganache hints add to the finish. showing very fine chalky minerality in the background. Drink now through 2035. 4.417 cases made.
 

Platz 2 der 100 besten Weine des Jahres 2018

James Sucklinger bewertet den Chateau Belair Monange 2015 am 02.02.2018 wie folgt:
Blue fruits. minerals. lavender and licorice aromas are wonderful. Full body and ultra-refined tannins with an integration and refinement that make the wines seamless and beautiful. The powerful tannins hide from you at first. but what structure in the end. It goes on for minutes. Try in 2024.
 

Lisa Perrotti Brown bewertet den Chateau Belair Monange 2015 am 21.02.2018 wie folgt:
This perhaps somewhat controversial marriage between the estates of Chateau Belair and Chateau Magdelaine—both Premier Grand Cru Classé Saint-Emilion estates—to form Chateau Bélair Monange hits pay-dirt with this spectacular 2015 release. Composed of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc. the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Belair Monange has the most singular nose of grilled meats. smoked game. iron ore and fallen leaves over a slowly unfurling ripe fruit core of crushed black plums. blackberry preserves and cassis with fragrant touches of star anise and potpourri. Full-bodied. rich and opulent in the mouth. the palate reveals an arresting backbone of exquisitely ripe. very firm tannins and sparks of background acidity lifting and defining the rich. densely packed layers. culminating in an epically long and multifaceted finish. Possessing its own compellingly beautiful signature. this is a remarkably riveting wine that should not be missed.
 

Antonio Galloni bewertet den Belair Monange 2015 im Februar 2018 wie folgt:
A huge. intense Saint-Émilion. the Bélair-Monange is just as impressive from bottle as it was from cask. That's the good news. The not-so-good news is that the wine is going to need at least a decade to shed some of its considerable baby fat. A rush of super-ripe black cherry. game. smoke and tobacco hits the palate as this dramatic. unrestrained Saint-Émilion shows off its explosive personality. The 2015 speaks with an assertive voice that demands attention – and it got mine. that’s for sure. The blend is 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc.
 

Magnum Flasche 1.5 Liter

James Suckling bewertet den Chateau Belair Monange 2015 am 02.02.2018 wie folgt:
Blue fruits, minerals, lavender and licorice aromas are wonderful. Full body and ultra-refined tannins with an integration and refinement that make the wines seamless and beautiful. The powerful tannins hide from you at first, but what structure in the end. It goes on for minutes. Try in 2024.

Platz 2 der 100 besten Weine des Jahres 2018
 

Lisa Perrotti Brown bewertet den Chateau Belair Monange 2015 am 21.02.2018 wie folgt:
This perhaps somewhat controversial marriage between the estates of Chateau Belair and Chateau Magdelaine — both Premier Grand Cru Classé Saint-Emilion estates — to form Chateau Bélair Monange hits pay-dirt with this spectacular 2015 release. Composed of 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Belair Monange has the most singular nose of grilled meats, smoked game. iron ore and fallen leaves over a slowly unfurling ripe fruit core of crushed black plums, blackberry preserves and cassis with fragrant touches of star anise and potpourri. Full-bodied, rich and opulent in the mouth, the palate reveals an arresting backbone of exquisitely ripe, very firm tannins and sparks of background acidity lifting and defining the rich, densely packed layers, culminating in an epically long and multifaceted finish. Possessing its own compellingly beautiful signature, this is a remarkably riveting wine that should not be missed.
 

Antonio Galloni bewertet den Belair Monange 2015 im Februar 2018 wie folgt:
A huge, intense Saint-Émilion, the Bélair-Monange is just as impressive from bottle as it was from cask. That's the good news. The not-so-good news is that the wine is going to need at least a decade to shed some of its considerable baby fat. A rush of super-ripe black cherry, game, smoke and tobacco hits the palate as this dramatic, unrestrained Saint-Émilion shows off its explosive personality. The 2015 speaks with an assertive voice that demands attention – and it got mine. that’s for sure. The blend is 88% Merlot and 12% Cabernet Franc.

Magnum Flasche 1.5 Liter
 

Zweitwein von Chateau Belair Monange
97% Merlot 3% Cabernet Franc / Der Ausbau erfolgte in 30% neuen Fässern über 16 Monate.

Tastingnote aus dem Februar 2019 von James Suckling:
What a lovely red-cherry and pomegranate nose this medium-bodied. elegantly structured St.-Emilion has. Very fresh finish with plenty of chalky minerality that builds on the long. clean finish. An excellent food-wine. Second wine of Bélair-Monange. A blend of 97 per cent merlot and three per cent cabernet franc. Drink or hold.

 

Château Bélair-Monange was born from the fusion of the vineyards of Châteaux Bélair and Magdelaine. both historic First Classified Growths of Saint-Émilion.

Château Bélair was acquired by Ets. Jean-Pierre Moueix in 2008. Tracing its origins back to Roman times. the vineyard is situated at the highest point of Saint-Émilion’s famed limestone plateau. Château Magdelaine. a contiguous cru acquired in 1952. has always been renowned for the remarkable elegance of its wines. Château Bélair-Monange expresses the unique style of the greatest parcels of these two complementary terroirs.

Following the restructuring of the estate initiated in 2008. another wine embodying the inherent qualities of the vineyard – minerality. concentration of red berries. balance and length – emerged in 2014: ANNONCE DE BÉLAIR-MONANGE

Produced in very limited quantities. ANNONCE enjoys the same attention as the Grand Vin: meticulous vineyard work undertaken with respect for the environment followed by a manual harvest once the grapes have reached optimal maturity. Vinification takes place in concrete and stainless-steel vats. where maceration and extraction are gentle and measured in order to allow the fruit its highest expression. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels.

Although ANNONCE exhibits great charm in its youth. a few years of cellaring or a few hours of decanting will be largely rewarded.
 

Zweitwein von Chateau Belair Monange
95% Merlot 5% Cabernet Franc / Der Ausbau erfolgte in 30% neuen Fässern über 16 Monate.

 

Tastingnote aus Februar 2018
A very precise and transparent second wine of Chateau Belair Monange with medium body, super integrated and refined tannins and a very, very long finish. Balanced and harmonious. Drink or hold.



 

Zweitwein von Chateau Belair Monange
98% Merlot 2% Cabernet Franc / Der Ausbau erfolgte in 30% neuen Fässern über 16 Monate.

Tastingnote aus dem Januar 2021 von James Suckling:
Complex nose of blackberries, raspberries, elderberries and spices. Earthy notes, too. It’s full-bodied with elegant tannins. Suave, fleshy texture on the palate. Flavorful finish with length. Lots of character. Second wine of Belair-Monange. Try after 2024.
 

Eine wichtige Umstrukturierung des Weinbergs wurde 2008 unmittelbar nach dem Erwerb des Weinguts durch Ets eingeleitet. Jean-Pierre Moueix. Anschließend entstand ein weiterer Wein, der die inhärenten Eigenschaften des Weinbergs verkörpert - Mineralität, Konzentration der roten Beeren, Gleichgewicht und Länge -: ANNONCE DE BÉLAIR-MONANGE. ANNONCE wird in sehr begrenzten Mengen hergestellt und genießt die gleiche Aufmerksamkeit wie der Grand Vin: akribische, umweltfreundliche Weinbergarbeiten, gefolgt von einer manuellen Ernte, sobald die Trauben die optimale Reife erreicht haben. Die Weinbereitung erfolgt in Bottichen aus Beton und Edelstahl, in denen Mazeration und Extraktion schonend und gemessen werden, um der Frucht ihren höchsten Ausdruck zu verleihen. Der Wein reift dann in französischen Eichenfässern. Obwohl ANNONCE in seiner Jugend großen Charme zeigt, werden einige Jahre Keller oder einige Stunden Dekantieren weitgehend belohnt.

Winter und Frühling waren sehr regnerisch. Ein später Knospenbruch am 9. April ermöglichte es uns, einen Frühlingsfrost zu vermeiden. Die Blüte vom 23. bis 30. Mai verlief gut und die potenzielle Qualität war signifikant. Der regnerische Frühling verursachte einen schweren Mehltauanfall, der dank der erheblichen Anstrengungen unserer Weinbergarbeiter vereitelt wurde. Während des Sommers hat ein Team von 60 Mitarbeitern die Ernte verdünnt und den gewünschten Ertrag an das Paket und das Alter der Reben angepasst. Nahezu perfekte Balance war die Belohnung für 16.800 Stunden sorgfältiger Arbeit. Die Véraison fand vom 26. Juli bis 12. August statt. Das Hauptmerkmal dieses Jahrgangs waren die 1.136 Sonnenstunden zwischen Juni und September, ein bemerkenswerter Rekord der letzten fünfzig Jahre. Die Ernte fand bei sonnigem Himmel und warmen Temperaturen vom 18. September bis 4. Oktober statt. Dieser Jahrgang von Annonce wird hauptsächlich aus dem Kalksteinplateau hergestellt und bietet eine schöne aromatische Palette roter und schwarzer Früchte, während der charakteristische Charme und die Mineralität des Schlosses erhalten bleiben.