Chateau Bel-Air Jean & Gabriel Lussac St.-Emilion 2018
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James
Suckling -
Robert
Parker
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Blueberry, coffee, bark and chocolate aromas follow through to a full body with round tannins that are chewy and polished at the same time. Pretty depth of fruit and composure to this wine. Old-vine cuvee with 45 years of age. 50% merlot and 50% cabernet franc. Try after 2023.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Cuvée Jean Gabriel—a blend of 50% Merlot and 50% Cabernet Franc—spills out of the glass with scents of ripe red and black plums, redcurrant jelly and Morello cherries with wafts of mossy tree bark and damp soil. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers a good amount of juicy red and black fruits with a soft texture and just enough freshness, finishing earthy.
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James
Suckling -
Robert
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Jeb
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James
Suckling
In 1978, Jean-Noël Roi took over the estate, which had been in his family for over a century. In 2008, Antoine, who had just graduated with a bachelor degree in Winemaking and Oenology, joined his father as assistant winemaker and estate manager. His brother Guillaume looks after marketing and sales. Together they represent the fifth generation running the estate.
In 2014, the family started working with the very talented consultant Stephane Derenonourt. With his help, expertise and knowledge, partnered with the thorough and meticulous work carried out in the vineyard and cellar, Chateau Bel-Air is now able to make wines that equal the very best and reflect the complexity and subtlety of its terroir.
Fully aware of the challenges of climate change, and intent on protecting its ecosystem, the estate is committed to achieving level 3, which is the highest level of the “HVE” or High Environmental Value (HEV) classification.
In most of France, wines are named by their place of origin and not by the type of grape (with the exception of Alsace). Just like a red Burgundy is by law, always made of Pinot noir, a red Bordeaux is a blended wine composed mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Depending on the laws of the village from which the grapes come, the conditions of the vintage and decisions of the winemaker, the blend can be further supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and in rare cases, Carmenere. So popular and repeated has this mix of grape varieties become worldwide, that the term, Bordeaux Blend, refers to a wine blended in this style, regardless of origin.