2021 Ch. Bélair

Tasted blind. Bloody, Merlot notes. Sumptuously sweet and round. A bit alcoholic. Unusual for the vintage. Very chewy, long finish. Doesn’t taste like a top-drawer wine but obviously they have done the best they could with the vintage. (JR)

Coming from multiple parcels (26 hectares) and just about all Merlot (there's a tiny 1% splash of Cabernet Franc), the 2021 Château Belair-Monange has quintessential Saint-Emilion limestone-driven minerality as well as a gorgeous perfume of red and black raspberries, leather, graphite, and savory flowers. A downright mineral bomb, this medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, balanced Saint-Emilion has plenty of mid-palate depth, ripe, building tannins, and a great finish. Hide bottles for 3-5 years, and it's going to drink brilliantly over the following 15-20 years. It's another beautiful, elegant 2021 from the Moueix team.

The 2021 Bélair-Monange has a strict and conservative bouquet, denied its usual flair by the challenges of the growing season. Slightly earthy in style with touches of tobacco and clove, it never quite slips out of second gear. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, quite fresh with a keen line of acidity. I appreciate the smooth, silky texture. Like a few other Right Bank wines, quality seems to cluster on the close, finishing on a high. In retrospect, the nose is the only shortcoming of this Saint-Émilion.