Winemaker Notes
Blend: 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Blackcurrants, rose petals and cocoa powder on the nose. Fresh and slightly tart in a lively way, the fruit and acidity is at the fore giving life and energy. It's light and lean, but doesn't feel as if it's missing the mid-palate depth, it's complete in its way with redcurrants, creamy black cherries, freshly-picked strawberries and a salty, wet stone finish.
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Jeb Dunnuck
I loved the 2021 Château Bellefont-Belcier and it's certainly well worth seeking out. Based on 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon that hit 13.75% alcohol and is still resting in just 30% new barrels, it shines for its purity and elegance, with vivid blue fruits, cassis, chalky mineral, and white flower-like aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied on the palate, it shows the vintage's elegant, seamless style, is perfectly balanced, and has outstanding length. If it puts on weight over the course of its élevage, it will check in near the top of the barrel range. Tasted numerous times. Barrel Sample : 91-93
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James Suckling
Racy strawberries and red plums with a subtle sweet-sour accent. Fresh herbs, stones and grapefruit as well. Medium body on the palate with a linear set of fruit rounded by chalky tannins. Juicy and vibrant finish. Already delicious.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2021 Bellefont Belcier opens in the glass with aromas of dark cherries, berries, violets and licorice framed by a discreet touch of new oak. Medium to full-bodied, ample and seamless, it's layered and enveloping, with good depth at the core and impressive mid-palate plenitude, concluding with an expansive finish.
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Vinous
The 2021 Bellefont Belcier is a sensual, beguiling Saint-Émilion built on expressive aromatics and nuance more than power. Sweet tobacco, spice, leather, crushed flowers, rose petal, mint and blood orange are all beautifully lifted. Polished, silky tannins wrap it all together. This is beautifully done. Even so, my impression is of a wine that is in transition, rather than a wine with a fully defined style. The open bouquet leads me to believe the 2021 may be more of a medium-term proposition. Tasted three times. –Antonio Galloni
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.