1990 | Château Bélair-Monange | Chateau Magdelaine Saint-Emilion

Dark and slightly evolved color. Very nice complex nose, fruity and fine. The mouth is particularly aromatic.

Reviews:

• Wine Advocate: The 1990 Château Magdelaine is what you describe as "classic" Saint Emilion—the kind produced in smaller and smaller quantities (and in this particular case, not at all). It has a clear, dark garnet color. The nose is forward with black fruit, cedar, wet woodland and tobacco aromas that actually give it a Left Bank allure. The palate is very well balanced with fine tannins. For a 1990 Right Bank, it shows surprising structure and reserve, to the point where you would justifiably argue that it actually needs more time. Don't be afraid to open bottles of this lovely Saint Emilion now, but don't feel afraid to store larger formats for many more years.

• Wine Enthusiast: Very, very sweet and minerals, and right bank Merlot ‘bloody’ character. Round. Very rich and full. Very, very fresh – this wine gave both physical and intellectual pleasure.

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.

DISCLAIMER** This is a single item listing unless otherwise noted in the description. Retailer advises either in stock or in route to their location. Usually ships within one to four business days. Longer processing times may occur especially around holiday(s). Some items may become backordered or delayed without notice due to demand & will ship out upon arrival. Overseas 700ml products typically have longer processing/transit times. You can always verify product availability by calling 1-888-548-0333. Please refer to our cancellations & returns agreement or reach out to our support team at help@caskcartel.com for any additional questions.

Our dedicated team specializes in creating personalized shopping experiences. If you’re looking for a specific item or collection that isn’t appearing on our marketplace, please reach out to us at concierge@caskcartel.com or fill out the product inquiry form and one of our dedicated team members will be in touch.  Whether it’s a product you’ve experienced while traveling or a rare, hard to find item you’ve been searching for, we have an established global network of retailers with the ability to locate and source the rarest and hardest to find products.