Chateau Bellefont Belcier (Futures Pre-Sale) 2021
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Suckling
James - Decanter
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Parker
Robert -
Dunnuck
Jeb
Product Details
Your Rating
Somm Note
Winemaker Notes
Blend: 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A racy and refined Bellefont with stone, chalk and salty character. Wet earth and green olives, too. Medium to full body with a core of pretty fruit and solid tannins that are fine and polished.
Barrel Sample: 93-94 -
Decanter
An excellent, structured and captivating Bellefont-Belcier in 2021 having been spared the frosts that ravaged many other estates. Sweet fragrant blackcurrants on the nose, so seductive with perfume and ever so faint bramble tones giving nuance. Smooth, silky, gorgeously textured. Really just a silky carpet of juicy, bright and fresh fruits. The acidity shines through brightly, zesty and lively while the refined tannins give a streamlined structure and support and the concentrated flavours that linger long on the tongue. Mouthwatering with clarity and drive. I like the hints of spice that come through also showing a well balanced touch of oak. Lots going on here - very impressive. Thomas Duclos consultant. A yield of 35hl/ha. 75% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon - a touch more than usual. Drinking Window: 2026 - 2049.
Barrel Sample: 94 -
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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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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Since 1994, the vineyard and its outhouses have been considerably renovated with a view to raising the property to the status of the Great Classified Vintages of Saint-Émilion.
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.