An absolutely magnificent wine from Christian Moueix and his son Edouard, this wine is right up there with their 2009 and may eclipse it in terms of its potential longevity. Dense purple, with a near-liqueur of crushed rocks and chalk intermixed with blueberry, black raspberry and cassis, this wine is very full-bodied for a Belair, with ethereal complexity and impressive texture and length. I believe this is the first vintage of the wine to be released in an engraved bottle, which seems to be the direction of all the top estates in the Jean-Pierre Moueix stable. More evidence of concerned Bordelais attempting to stop criminals intent on producing fraudulent bottles of these limited production wines. Forget this baby for 7-8 years and then look for it to evolve over three decades-plus.Obviously, the Moueix family has been investing considerable money and effort into this famous vineyard, which was one of Bordeaux’s most notable underachievers for many decades. It is certainly back now, with yields cut drastically, and the fruit harvested at a much riper stage, producing a wine that truly exploits this great terroir adjacent to Ausone.Robert Parker | 96 RPAromas of berries, chili and a hint of toasted oak. Full body, with velvety tannins and a long, long finish. Juicy and beautiful. Really builds on the palate. One of the best wines ever from here. Super quality. Try in 2018.James Suckling | 95 JSA big, complex wine from this continually improving property, this is now performing at its classed-growth level with concentrated ripe berry fruits and chocolate flavors. The wood aging is still showing through and needs time to integrate better, but as it does, this will be a great wine.Wine Enthusiast | 95 WESolidly built, with the chalky spine running from start to finish, while the core of red currant, raspberry and black cherry fruit is held in reserve. Shows a lovely floral flash through the finish, where the chalky edge really starts to emerge.—Non-blind Bélair-Monange vertical (December 2016). Best from 2020 through 2035. 1,350 cases made.Wine Spectator | 95 WSAn exceptional vintage, clearly, the 2010 has power, depth and concentration that’s far more evident than in the 2009, dominated by rich, brambly fruits, liquorice root and dark spices. At this point in time, the vineyard work was starting to reap rewards. A number of difficult plots had been pulled up and the new owners had begun to understand better the needs of the vineyard. ’We were learning how to work with the difference between the austerity of the limestone plateau and the more powerful clay on the slopes’, is how Edouard Moueix puts it. It’s perhaps not yet fully expressing the lyricism of the limestone as it does in more recent years, but there’s an awful lot to celebrate here. It needs double-decanting to really show itself, but is definitely at the start of its drinking window. Drinking Window 2020 - 2038Decanter | 94 DEC(Château Bélair-Monange) The 2010 Château Bélair-Monange is another powerful wine in the making, but today it is most noteworthy for its sense of restrained structural integrity. I noticed in my literature that the malolactic fermentation took place partially in new oak barrels this year at Bélair-Monange, and this seems to me to be a bit of a departure from previous practices here (though I may just be ill-informed on this matter). In any case, the 2010 Bélair-Monange is very promising. The bouquet is deep, closed and nicely reserved, as it wafts from the glass in a complex blend of black cherries, dark berries, woodsmoke, coffee bean and a complex base of chalky soil tones. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and absolutely rock solid at the core, with lovely complexity waiting in the rings, ripe, firm and beautifully integrated tannins and great length and grip on the still very primary finish. Like its stable-mate, Château Magdelaine, 2010 may well be a vintage at Château Bélair-Monange where extended bottle age will allow the ripe fruit of the vintage to recede into the background a bit and the great terroir of this estate to play a greater role in its aromatic and flavor profile. (Drink between 2025-2075)John Gilman | 93+ JGThe 2010 Belair-Monange has a ripe and candied bouquet with touches of boiled sweets and liquorice infusing the opulent red fruit. The palate is full-bodied and sinewy with ample red and black fruit, white pepper and Chinese 5-spice notes. Just when I think it is going to kick on towards the finish, it just loses a bit of momentum and seems to run out of ideas. Enjoyable, but not really the archetypal Right Bank. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners 10-Year On Bordeaux horizontal.Vinous Media | 90 VM
