1998 | Château Bélair-Monange | Chateau Magdelaine Saint-Emilion

Very deep ruby-red with the barest hint of amber at the rim. Rich, deep, utterly captivating aromas of black cherry, red plum and cocoa, complicated by a hint of vanilla and a lovely spicy calcaire freshness. Very dense, rich and lush on the palate, with spicy raspberry, graphite, white pepper and mineral flavors displaying palate-staining intensity and amazing precision.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: Undoubtedly the finest effort from Magdelaine in many years, the deep saturated ruby-colored 1998 offers up concentrated, jammy black cherry as well as subtle vanilla aromas. On the palate, it is full-bodied, opulent, and ripe, with outstanding concentration, purity, and moderate tannin in the finish. This Merlot-based St.-Emilion displays considerable intensity and structure.

• Wine Spectator: Plum and sweet tobacco aromas that turn to blueberry. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, caressing finish. Solid core of sweet, ripe fruit, with an exotic raspberry character. A beautiful wine since the beginning.

Producer Information

Château Bélair-Monange is a Bordeaux winery and vineyard rated as a Grand Cru Classé B in the classification of Saint-Émilion estates. It makes red wine based on Merlot with a subsidiary component of Cabernet Franc. It was known as Château Bélair (Dubois-Challon) until the 2008 vintage. The vineyard is located just outside Saint-Émilion village. Since the 2012 merger with Châtea Magdeleine (see below) it covers 23.5 hectares. 2014 saw the debut of the second wine, Annonce de Bélair-Monange. The third wine is Haut Roc Blanquant (Grand Cru). Plantings are 90 percent Merlot and 10 percent Cabernet Franc. The last few vines of Malbec and Petit Verdot were removed by the current owners, Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix. Vines are on average around 40 years old, with some planted in the 1930s and a few plants dating back as far as the 1900s. A large scale replanting programme is being spread out over the coming decades. In the sections of vineyard on the plateau and top terrace, soils are limestone. Vines at the peak of the plateau (88m/288ft) are considered to enjoy the best terroir. The parcels on the lower slopes have a combination of clay and limestone. The estate was formed in the 14th Century, on land cultivated by the Romans. Wine production didn't begin on the property until the 1700s. In 1850 Beéair was rated as the leading wine of Saint-Émilion in the authoritative Cocks et Ferret guide. It held this status well into the 20th century. It is a close neighbor of the Grand Cru Classé A Château Ausone and was owned by the same family for much of the 20th Century, even sharing Ausone's cellars. The family name Dubois-Challon, though not an integral part of the property title, was used to distinguish the estate from numerous other Bélairs in Bordeaux. It was managed for a time by Pascal Delbeck, who had been the head winemaker at Ausone but, in 2003, he began selling shares to the Moueix family's négociant business Éstablissements Jean-Pierre Moueix. By 2008, the Mouiex family was in complete control and the name was changed to Bélair-Monange. Anne-Adèle Monange is the mother of Jean-Pierre Moueix, grandmother of Christian, and great-grandmother of Edouard, who now runs the property. In 1931 Adèle was the first woman from the family to settle in Saint-Émilion. In the later 20th century the estate had fallen into a comparitive state of neglect, considering its former reputation. With a new team in charge the wine saw a marked upturn in quality. Vineyard selection was made stricter, yields were lowered and the grapes were picked later.

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