Château Bellefont-Belcier 2019

Excellent vibrancy here, with just a bit more mid-palate density than in 2018. Exciting tension, power and ripe red fruit leading to a salivating and long finish. Although young, try with garlic-infused, roasted leg of lamb.

Very attractive plum and cherry aromas with hints of flowers and wet earth, following through to a medium to full body with linear, polished tannins and a juicy finish. Juicy fruit to finish with some minerality and forest-flower undertones. A little tight, but very pure at the end. Drink after 2025.

The 2019 Bellefont Belcier is delineated and focused on the nose with pure blackberry, briary, crushed stone and cedar scents, the oak here nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, cohesive and smooth, blackberry and white pepper tinged with cedar towards the finish. This sashays along in style, and it is very promising. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting.

Flowers, dark chocolate, cherries, black raspberries, smoke, and licorice permeate the perfume. On the palate, the wine is fresh, silky, and vibrant, with a sweetness to the red fruits, minerality, chalky tannins, and cocoa nuances that linger long after the wine has left the glass. Drink from 2024–2037.

Deep ruby, purple reflections, broad ochre rim. Delicate aromas of cherry and blueberry, a hint of nougat, subtle nuances of oak, inviting bouquet. Juicy, elegant, fine fruit sweetness, delicate hints of blackberry, silky, firm tannins, very balanced and long-lasting, mineral finish, already accessible with assured development and definite ageing potential.

A beautiful, elegant Saint-Emilion that will be loved by both modernists and traditionalists out there, the 2019 Château Bellefont-Belcier comes from a south-facing, limestone terroir just beside Château Pavie and Larcis Ducasse. A blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, it starts out reticent and understated yet builds beautifully with time in the glass and has wonderful cassis and black raspberry fruits intermixed with notes of truffle, tobacco, damp earth, and violets. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has silky tannins, perfect overall balance, and a great finish. It's not a powerhouse, but it shines for its purity, finesse, and elegance. Drink bottles over the coming 15-20 years or so.

70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41 hl/ha. Deep purple with a violet rim. Concentrated black-fruit bouquet with wild cherries, elderberry jelly and sloe juice, followed by chocolate pastilles and a delicate violet scent. On the powerful palate, a tight-knit tannic frame and floury extract sweetness, gently grippy. Encapsulated finish with crushed small black berries, juniper and olive paste paired with fine peel tones. They aimed a touch too high; if the barrique fat can balance it out, it will merit a higher score.

Kunz barrel sample 2020: velvety, dense, fresh, mineral bouquet; blueberries, strawberries, blackcurrant, currants, fine licorice, pralines, light tobacco. Finely interwoven, elegant palate with velvety, sweet fruit, fine tannins, creamy, dense structure, varied, fresh aromatics, long, powerful finish with many lingering aromas.

Velvety, fruity, creamy bouquet: blackberry jelly, herbs, currants, light tobacco, slate. A more velvety, creamy, powerful palate with sweet dark fruit, fine tannins, a finely opulent structure, diverse sweet aromatics, and a long, vigorous finish. Can improve further. 18/20 2025 - 2045

A vintage that shows a resurgence of quality at this Grand Cru Classé that slightly slipped under the radar for a few years. Now owned by Peter Kwok, and overseen by his talented winemaking team, this is well built and muscular, and needs another four or five years in bottle. The fruit is dark and sleek, very much majoring on cassis and blueberry, with black pepper, tight chocolate curls and smoked tobacco leaf. 40% new oak, pH 3.7.

The 2019 Bellefont-Belcier is composed of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, it opens with cedar and clove oil scents over a core of plum pudding, blackberry preserves, and lavender. The palate is medium to full-bodied, rich, and spicy, with chewy tannins and a long spicy finish.

A style elegantly extended by the 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Smooth, fresh, and refined tannins, supported by meticulous winemaking. Not all samples were at the same level. The first was excellent, the second unremarkable, and the third magnificent.

A serious, lofty nose, dark and slightly spicy. On the palate, prunes stand out, with a silky, richly faceted texture and oak still present.

A complex, multi-faceted bouquet combining freshness, fruit and terroir. There are notes of blackberry and blackcurrant followed by liquorice wood and, finally, a hint of menthol. What the nose promises, the palate delivers! The wine is balanced, lively, juicy and long. The tannins, which still need to gain in finesse, settle slowly and reach their full breadth on the finish. A promising and convincing wine!

The nose is fruity and fresh, offering concentrated freshness, control, and a discreet, restrained side. It reveals notes of vibrant blackberry, fresh/vibrant blueberry, and, more subtly, crunchy strawberry, combined with fine touches of fresh violet and tonka bean, as well as a subtle hint of toasted hazelnut, fresh blond tobacco, and a discreet touch of cardamom. The palate is fruity, balanced, racy, and offers freshness, a racy minerality, a lovely glycerol texture, substance, indulgence, and a slightly pulpy edge. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy/juicy blackberry, vibrant/pulpy blackcurrant, and, more delicately, blueberry, combined with hints of cornflower, licorice, cardamom, toasted hazelnut, a touch of graphite (in the background), and a subtle hint of vanilla (in the background). The tannins are precise, supple, racy, and elegant. Savory sapidity and a discreet touch of pleasant bitterness linger on the finish/persistence.

Dark colour of medium intensity. Discreet, fruity nose. Fruity palate with a supple body, developing slender and aromatic. Medium length.

92–94. Barrel Sample. This rich wine offers dense layers of juicy black fruit alongside an accent of chocolate and dense tannins. It's concentrated and firm while still hinting at the vintage's freshness. There's good aging potential here.