Château Bellevue-Mondotte 2021

This red's flavors of steeped plum and boysenberry preserves carry an exotic edge, while the relatively lush feel (particularly in this generally lean vintage) gives graphite, anise and warm earth details space. Shows a nice flash of violet at the end. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2037.

Fragrant blackcurrants and black cherries on the nose, smells vivid and vibrant. Plump and sweet with real ease of drinking. Quite straight but finessed, nothing sticking out harshly; tannins have a slight mineral grip with underlying tones of tobacco, cedar and clove, yet still lots of fruit. Easy to enjoy – clean and clear, a stony element on the finish with plenty of flavour and juiciness throughout. Very nice.

The 2021 Bellevue Mondotte, which lies next to Pavie-Decesse and likewise will be blended into Château Pavie beginning with the next vintage, has quite a ripe and ostentatious bouquet, perhaps more so than I recall from en primeur. Potpourri and hints of iodine emerge with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied and tensile, with fine, dry tannins and a touch of baking spice toward the finish. It pulls up just a little short, but otherwise is a decent valedictory Saint-Émilion that will be no more from 2022 on.

One of the darker-colored wines of the vintage opens with espresso, chocolate, flowers, black cherries, blueberries, and plums. The palate is even better thanks to all its layers of chocolate-coated cherries, licorice, espresso, and crushed rock characteristics. The finish, with its strong, salty edge, lingers. Produced from 100% old-vine Merlot, this is the final vintage for Bellevue-Mondotte, as the vines were integrated into Chateau Pavie the following year. Drink from 2026–2052.

Dark ruby core, purple reflections, subtle brightening on the rim. Delicate hints of cloves and wood spices, black fruit with notes of cassis and blackberries. Complex, juicy palate with a delicate fruit sweetness, ripe savoury tannins, and a hint of nougat on the finish. Will benefit from additional ageing.

A bigger, riper wine in the Pavie arsenal, the 2021 Bellevue Mondotte (100% Merlot) has tons of red and blue fruits, candied violets, truffle, and licorice, with more classic limestone minerality emerging with air. This richer, medium to full-bodied, plush, round, sexy 2021 has ripe, polished tannins and a gorgeous finish. Hitting 13.95% alcohol and a pH of 3.62, drink this beauty over the coming 15 years or so.

Kunz barrel sample 2022: (100% Merlot, 26.56 hl/ha, 13.95% alc./vol.) Fruity, broad, opulent bouquet—cherry compote, licorice, herbs, tobacco, coal. Dense, velvety, firm palate with dark fruit, muscular structure, powerful aromatics, finely sandy tannins, long, slightly drying finish. Has room to improve.

(100% Merlot, 26.56 hl/ha, 13.95% vol. alcohol) Fruity, broad, opulent bouquet, cherry compote, licorice, herbs, tobacco, coal. Dense, velvety, firm palate with dark fruit, muscular structure, powerful aromatics, fine sandy tannins, long, slightly drying finish. Can improve further. 17/20 2028 - 2045

Deep clay within the limestone soils gives opulence and density through the mid palate. Another wine in the Pavie stable that has been impressively handled over ageing, with lilac and peony notes giving a floral curl, and slow steady progression through the palate, starting with more opulence and weight then lifting up with limestone salinity. The austerity is clear at the end, give this a little longer in bottle than Pavie Decesse before opening. 90% new oak. Now entirely Merlot after pulling up the old and no longer productive Cabernet vines. Last vintage at the 2ha Bellevue Mondotte as the vines are to be included in Pavie as of 2022.

The 2021 Bellevue-Mondotte is 100% Merlot, from a tiny vineyard of only 2 hectares. It has a deep garnet-purple color and needs a little swirling to unleash energetic scents of crushed blackberries, wild blueberries, and redcurrants, followed by hints of underbrush, rose oil, Darjeeling tea, and tapenade. The medium-bodied palate is a little tighter than the other wines in the Pavie stable, delivering electric intensity and tension, with firm, fine-grained tannins, and finishing long, with a spicy lift.

Soft and relaxed on the nose, like the last night of a holiday. Notes of pine cone and warm sand, with a certain salinity, evoke a seaside garden at dusk. Rich and summery on the palate—warm, dense, and ripe—with a saline, savory finish that lingers on.

The bouquet of Bellevue-Mondotte shows a touch of élevage through nuances of roasting, but ultimately cherry and redcurrant notes, complemented by a hint of liquorice, take the lead. Slender in style, the wine offers velvety tannins. The aromatic expression seems somewhat restrained, yet there is energy, a fine structure, a solid mid-palate and a fruity finish. An elegant wine that deserves a little time to blossom and fully come together. Promising outlook!

The nose is fruity, fresh, and offers flesh, a touch of small-scale concentration, fine intensity, and generosity. It reveals notes of pulpy raspberry, pulpy/juicy blackberry, and, more slightly, violet, combined with hints of crushed red berries, a fine touch of fleshy blackcurrant, fine hints of licorice, as well as discreet touches of racy minerality, vanilla, and a subtle hint of lily. The palate is mineral and offers freshness, good definition, juiciness, fine crunch, and a certain purity of fruit. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/fresh cherry, pulpy raspberry, and, more slightly, tangy/juicy plum, combined with hints of fresh flowers, fine touches of racy minerality, a discreet sense of place, a hint of saffron (its floral side), as well as a subtle hint of pepper and fresh tobacco. The tannins are small and mellow. Indulgence, a fine chew, and good work on the bitters (in the background). Lovely tannin grain.

This is the last year of this pure merlot because it is now part of Chateau Pavie. Lovely aromas of currants, black olives and chocolate follow through to a medium body with beautiful texture and flavors. Juicy finish. Delicious now, but drink or hold.