Description
Winery: Chateau Belair-Monange
Grape : Cabernet Franc , Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot , Petit Verdot
Region : France / Bordeaux / St Emilion
Wine Style: Bordeaux Pomerol
Alcohol Content: 12.5%
Food Pairing:
Description:
Château Bélair-Monange, named until 2007 Château Belair, is a Bordeaux vineyard from the appellation Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, ranked Premier grand cru classé B in the Classification of Saint-Émilion wine. The winery is located in the Right Bank of France’s Bordeaux wine region in the commune of Saint-Émilion, in the department Gironde.
Next door neighbour of Château Ausone, Belair may also have been the property of the statesman and poet Decimus Magnus Ausonius (310-395 CE). The vineyard is thought to have been planted between 1730 and 1750.
In 1916 Belair was purchased by the owner of Ausone, Edouard Dubois-Challon, and the two estates have remained continually connected.
Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix purchased the iconic Château in 2008 and immediately undertook extensive renovations of the vineyard, winery, underground quarries, and château in order to restore the cru to its rightful historic status.Internationally renowned, Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix has become a hallmark for the top wines of Bordeaux. The company is the largest wine merchant on the Right Bank, distributing fine wines from Bordeaux and California worldwide.
The philosophy of the Ets. Jean-Pierre Moueix is simple: to produce exceptional wines, one must start with great fruit, possible only by cultivating impeccable vineyards and exercising the utmost respect towards nature.
With some of the oldest vines in all of Bordeaux, especially one parcel from 1905, Belair Monange’s 2012 (14.5% alcohol) is a tribute to this great terroir that was poorly managed and exploited prior to the family of Jean-Pierre Moueix taking over. Now it is Christian Moueix and his son Edouard who manage the property and produce the wine. The 2012 is a beauty, with a deep ruby/purple colour, complex notes of minerals, crushed rock, red and black fruits, a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, great texture, long finish and true ability and character. It should age beautifully for 20 or more years and yet be drinkable another three or four. Production is small, as only 1,300 cases were produced. [95+ Points, Robert M. Parker Jr. – April 2015, robertparker.com]