A St. Emilion Superstar: Belair-Monange

Longtime St. Emilion lovers may remember the old Château Magdelaine, the source of many fine-boned bottles of classic St. Emilion. It has been 15 years since the name disappeared, after the Moueix family merged the property with nearby Château Belair to create the new Château Belair-Monange. The succeeding years have given us more than enough evidence to verify the wisdom of this development, as tastings consistently demonstrate the wine as among the appellation’s finest.

Located on the limestone plateau and hillsides around St. Emilion, the vineyards have noble neighbors: châteaux Canon and Ausone. As for the wine, Belair-Monange combines the hedonism of succulent Merlot fruit with the raciness and chalky minerality of its limestone soils. It’s a magical combination: the fruit ensures suppleness in cooler vintages, while the acidity and minerality provide freshness and attack in (the many) warmer years.

We have a range of recent vintages in stock, including the opulent and well-priced 2018, the energetic, concentrated 2019 and the exuberant 2020. A special word must be dedicated to the 2022; from what is rapidly becoming recognised as an all-star vintage, the 2022 Belair is a magnificent wine of great depth of flavor and manifold beauties. It is already giving pleasure and will only improve for years to come.