Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (90)

Good deep red-ruby. Currant, smoke and roast coffee on the expressive nose. Suave and sweet, with a fine-grained texture and enticing inner-mouth perfume to the flavors of redcurrant and tobacco. Finishes with fine tannins and very good length.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (93)

Powerful, dense and explosive, with notable thrust to the red cherry, plum, leather and licorice flavors, the dramatic, full-throttle 2015 Bellefont-Belcier is every bit as impressive as it was from barrel. Dark red cherry, mocha, new leather and spice build into the racy, voluptuous finish. The tannins need time to soften, but all the elements are in the right place. In a word: terrific.

Jeb Dunnuck (95-97)

Tasted on multiple occasions, the 2018 Château Bellefont-Belcier always showed brilliantly, with a full-bodied, sexy style that’s very much in the vintage. Coming from a 12.5-hectare vineyard just beside Larcis Ducasse (this is an incredible terroir) and a blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, aging in 40% new French oak, its deep purple color is followed by a classic bouquet of ripe black fruits, tobacco leaf, earth, and spice box. Deep, rich, and textured, with sweet tannins, it’s another rock star effort this vintage that’s going to benefit from just short-term cellaring and keep for two decades or more.

Jeb Dunnuck (95-97)

Tasted on multiple occasions, the 2018 Château Bellefont-Belcier always showed brilliantly, with a full-bodied, sexy style that’s very much in the vintage. Coming from a 12.5-hectare vineyard just beside Larcis Ducasse (this is an incredible terroir) and a blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, aging in 40% new French oak, its deep purple color is followed by a classic bouquet of ripe black fruits, tobacco leaf, earth, and spice box. Deep, rich, and textured, with sweet tannins, it’s another rock star effort this vintage that’s going to benefit from just short-term cellaring and keep for two decades or more.

Jeb Dunnuck (95-97)

An estate that deserves more recognition in the market today, the 2019 Château Bellefont-Belcier comes from a fabulous terroir not far from Larcis Ducasse and Château Pavie. Gorgeous cassis and black raspberry fruits give way to a full-bodied, incredibly elegant 2019 with loads of floral notes, the classic minerality of this terroir, ripe tannins, and blockbuster of a finish. The elegance and purity of this wine paired with its richness and depth are something.

Jeb Dunnuck (98)

The finest wine I've tasted from this estate, the 2020 Château Bellefont-Belcier is an incredibly gorgeous blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep ruby/purple-hued, it offers a great nose of cassis, ripe black cherries, camphor, dried flowers, cedar, and forest floor. Bringing gorgeous richness, it nevertheless stays flawlessly balanced, with ultra-fine tannins and a great finish. The purity of fruit here is just about off the charts. While it already offers pleasure, it's going to benefit from short-term cellaring and have 20-25 years of prime drinking. This estate uses a five-day cold soak and fermentation, all in concrete, spanning 25 days. Malolactic fermentation occurs in barrel (four months on lees), and the wine spends 18 months in 30% new French oak, with the balance in once- and twice-used barrels. Yields in 2020 were also reasonable at 34 hectoliters per hectare.

James Suckling (96-97)

This well-defined and sophisticated wine shows a gorgeous center-palate of near perfectly ripe fruit. Lots of dark berries and minerals with some pine, while the texture is full and compact with layers of well-integrated, fine tannins. The finish is seamless. Just a hint of salt at the end of the pretty fruit. 72% merlot, 18% cabernet franc and 10% cabernet sauvignon.

James Suckling (96-97)

This well-defined and sophisticated wine shows a gorgeous center-palate of near perfectly ripe fruit. Lots of dark berries and minerals with some pine, while the texture is full and compact with layers of well-integrated, fine tannins. The finish is seamless. Just a hint of salt at the end of the pretty fruit. 72% merlot, 18% cabernet franc and 10% cabernet sauvignon.

Experience the premium vintage of Bellegrave 2017, meticulously crafted in the prestigious Pomerol region of Bordeaux, France. This red blend embodies the elegant savoir-faire of artisanal winemaking, marrying Merlot and Cabernet Franc in delightful harmony. Hailing from ancient soils with integrated organic farming methods, Bellegrave 2017, is not just a product of land, but the testimony to the Bellegrave winemakers' dedication and skilled expertise.

Careful harvest and traditional vinification capture the distinct terroir, releasing sumptuous aromas of ripe black fruits, truffle, and delicate spices, while exhibiting richness and complexity in every sip. Matured for 15-18 months in discrete oaken embrace, Bellegrave 2017, reaches perfect refinement while preserving the inherent fruit dominance.

Limited bottles of Bellegrave 2017 reflect the essence of exceptional winemaking, delightful in its youth yet poised to age gracefully, ensuring an enduring wine experience for the discerning palate. Revel in the nuance and luxury of Bellegrave 2017 – a true connoisseur's choice.

Unveiling the character of a masterfully crafted wine, the Bellegrave 2006 is a vintage of distinction and grandeur. Born in the prestigious vineyards of Pauillac, in the heart of Bordeaux, France, this blend is known for its expressive, profound profile. The astute wine producer, Château Bellegrave, has meticulously harvested the finest Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes to achieve an engaging balance of power, richness and finesse.

Enveloped in classy French oak over a 20-month period, Bellegrave 2006 embodies the quintessence of Bordeaux style wines, expressing an intriguing array of black fruits, developed earthy notes, and subtle hints of sweetness. The palate is rewarded with a luxurious, full-bodied texture, articulating fine tannins and lingering depth. One appreciates the admirable marriage between fruit concentration and complex spice nuances that embody the artistry and legacy of this prolong ageing offering.

Bellegrave 2006 is an eloquent testimony to exceptional French winemaking, etching an indelible mark on the landscape of Pauillac wines across the globe.

James Suckling (92-93)

A solid young Pomerol with black-olive and blueberry aromas and flavors. Full and flavorful.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (88-90)

Medium ruby. Cool aromas of blackberry, violet, licorice and mocha. Light and lively in the mouth, with good density and sound framing acidity. Not hugely ripe but rather stylish and bright. Tannins spread out on the persistent, fresh finish. The crop level in these vines, located on what director Nicolas Thienpont describes as soft calcaire between Beausejour-Becot and Angelus, was just 30 hectoliters per hectare.

James Suckling (92)

Lots of coffee and chocolate, with plum and dried cherries. Full-bodied with round yet fine tannins, and a fruity finish. Starting to come around, but will be better after 2013. 14+23+22+33. $470HK

Wine Advocate (94)

The first bottle of 2005 Bellevue that I tasted had a maderized, oxidized nose that was off-putting. This note is from a second bottle. This second bottle showed absolutely no trace of oxidation, but did offer plenty of crushed, chalky minerality, notes of plum, blueberry, black raspberry and cherry fruit, a dense purple color, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and fabulous structure, purity and length. It should drink well for at least another 20+ years.

Jeb Dunnuck (94-96)

I've always enjoyed this wine (I recently finished a case of the 2003, which needs to be drunk up), and the 2019 Château Bellevue showed beautifully. Dense purple-hued with lots of cassis, gravelly earth, violets, and spicy oak, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a soft, opulent mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's a beautiful wine in the making and well worth a case purchase.

Wine Advocate (94+)

Even in a vintage such as 2003 there are wines that are youthful, unevolved and still in need of bottle age. The 2003 Bellevue Mondotte is one of those wines. From a tiny (5 acres) estate owned by Gerard Perse, this blend of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits youthful aromas of blue and black fruits, chalk dust, lead pencil shavings and Christmas fruitcake. Full, ripe and moderately tannic, it requires another 3-5 years of bottle age and could turn out to be one of the longest-lived wines of the vintage, lasting another 25-30 years.

Wine Advocate (95+)

This tiny, 5-acre vineyard with nearly 50-year old vines produces only 4,000 bottles from a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The broodingly tannic, backward 2006 is remarkably concentrated, pure, and deep. It is an amazing tour de force in winemaking, but like nearly all the Perse 2006s, it is a massively built vin de garde with no compromises meant for serious connoisseurs and long-term cellaring. Forget it for 7-8 years, and drink it over the following 25-30.

Wine Advocate (94)

Very little wine is produced (about 400 cases) from this tiny 5-acre vineyard, but it is always among the most concentrated and richest of Bordeaux. The inky/purple-colored 2007 offers sweet cassis fruit notes interwoven with notions of graphite, chalk dust, and toast. Full-bodied with terrific purity and intensity (14.5% alcohol), it should drink well for 20+ years.

Wine Advocate (95+)

An extraordinary effort in this vintage, this 2008 was made from lower yields than the 2010 (the 2008's equaled 20 hectoliters per hectare) and is a blend of 90% Merlot and equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon that came in at 14% natural alcohol. Michel Rolland has been the consultant for all the Perse estates since their acquisition, and the 2008's fruit was harvested very late, October 20. The result is a backward, dense purple-colored wine revealing a crushed rock-like liqueur along with highly extracted, massive flavors of black currants, sweet cherries, licorice and toast. This full-bodied effort requires 5-6 years of bottle age and should last for 25-30 years.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (94+)

Saturated dark ruby. High-toned aromas of black raspberry, blueberry and smoky oak. Superripe, lush, chewy and deep, with a distinctly high-toned quality to the fine-grained flavors of wild dark berries, espresso, graphite and dark chocolate. For all its sweetness, there's no shortage of acidity here. The broad, sweet, building tannins give shape to the fruit of this massive wine, which remained impressively fresh in the recorked bottle.

Wine Advocate (96)

The smallest of the Perse estates, this tiny property situated on pure limestone produces a wine made from a blend of 90% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. One of the superstars of this vintage, the 2012 is opaque purple and exhibits tremendous concentration and richness, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and a layered texture that builds incrementally without any heaviness or cloying characteristics. This is stunning, great, old-style, yet progressively made Bordeaux to drink over the next 25-30 years. The alcohol level is 14.3%.

Vinous (98)

Bellevue Mondotte is magnificent in 2016. Stunningly rich and concentrated, with tremendous structure, the 2016 has so much to offer. Crème de cassis, raspberry jam, lavender, graphite, game, menthol and a whole rush of inky blue/purplish fruit emerge from this explosive, captivating Saint-Émilion. In 2016 Bellevue Mondotte balances sumptuousness with saline-infused energy and persistence. It is without question one of the truly great wines of the vintage.

Vinous (98)

Bellevue Mondotte is magnificent in 2016. Stunningly rich and concentrated, with tremendous structure, the 2016 has so much to offer. Crème de cassis, raspberry jam, lavender, graphite, game, menthol and a whole rush of inky blue/purplish fruit emerge from this explosive, captivating Saint-Émilion. In 2016 Bellevue Mondotte balances sumptuousness with saline-infused energy and persistence. It is without question one of the truly great wines of the vintage.

Jeb Dunnuck (96-98)

The 2018 Bellevue Mondotte is a blockbuster that just jumps out of the glass with its crème de cassis, crushed violets, blackberry, and licorice aromas and flavors. It's powerful, opulent, and massively textured, yet never over the top or too much. It has building tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish.

James Suckling (98-99)

This is a terrific wine that has everything, from seamless texture to great depth of fruit. Full-bodied, yet agile and energetic. Pure merlot. One of the best I have had from here.

James Suckling (98-99)

This is a terrific wine that has everything, from seamless texture to great depth of fruit. Full-bodied, yet agile and energetic. Pure merlot. One of the best I have had from here.

James Suckling (95-96)

An intense, full-bodied red with lots of fruit and dark chocolate. Round and juicy tannins. Flavorful finish. Very rich. Salt and minerals. Pure merlot.

Wine Spectator (91)

Loads of mineral, violet and berry character. Full-bodied, with masses of fruit and round, ripe tannins. Very well done indeed. Score range: 89-91

Vinous - Neal Martin (85)

The 2008 Berliquet feels a little gawky on the nose, missing the cohesion of some of its peers, scents of iris and crushed rose petals infusing the mixture of red and black fruit. There is a sense of “airiness” about these aromatics, almost ephemeral in nature. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannin, a little dryness on the back palate, masculine and rather broody with a slightly clipped finish. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 10-Year On tasting.

Jeb Dunnuck (93-96)

A rough blend of 78% Merlot and 22% Franc made by the team at Canon (Thomas Duclos also consults here), the 2018 Château Berliquet sports a deeper purple color as well as a complex, layered style in its black raspberry, white flowers, dried earth, spice, and forest floor aromas and flavors. It's medium to full-bodied, has a rounded, expansive texture, beautiful tannins, and brilliant freshness and purity as well as a serious kick of minerality on the finish. Coming from a smaller 10-hectare terroir located on the clay and limestone soils on the upper plateau, it will spend 16 months in 45% new French oak. Tasted twice.