Anson: A vertical of Château Bélair-Monange

This was the first year that the Moueix family was in charge from beginning to end. They had changed the name for the 2008 vintage from Belair to Bélair-Monange, but had only overseen the harvest. Immediate changes included manually working the soils, ploughing by hand to move the roots deeper down - former owner Pascal Delbeck didn't use chemicals but was a fan of fertiliser. They also increased the green harvest, dropping the crop to concentrate flavours until they could make more fundamental improvements to the vineyard. The results are enjoyable, with an attractive floral edge to the wine and rich raspberry, black cherry and blackcurrant coulis flavours helped by the natural power of the vintage. It doesn't have the concentration of some of the more recent vintages, but this is a lovely 2009. They were still vinifying and ageing in the former underground cellars of Belair at this point.

An exceptional vintage, clearly, the 2010 has power, depth and concentration that's far more evident than in the 2009, dominated by rich, brambly fruits, liquorice root and dark spices. At this point in time, the vineyard work was starting to reap rewards. A number of difficult plots had been pulled up and the new owners had begun to understand better the needs of the vineyard. 'We were learning how to work with the difference between the austerity of the limestone plateau and the more powerful clay on the slopes', is how Edouard Moueix puts it. It's perhaps not yet fully expressing the lyricism of the limestone as it does in more recent years, but there's an awful lot to celebrate here. It needs double-decanting to really show itself, but is definitely at the start of its drinking window.

This was the last vintage that Belair Monange and Magdelaine were separate properties, and ironically this wine was made in the Magdelaine cellars because work was ongoing at Belair. This is a gorgeous wine with clear minerality and energy - a lyricism that shows the benefits of limestone in a dry year like 2011. The tannins are a little more angular than the 2010 but there's so much to enjoy in the softer raspberry and redcurrant flavours and peony edging. It's certainly beginning to open up for drinking, particularly if given a few hours in a carafe.

A warm and welcoming claret with attractive richness, elegance and length on the palate, but not the class of a better vintage. This was a work in progress for the Moueix family. Their fantastically well-placed property has soared higher since.

This is fruit-forward, with raspberry and redcurrant notes and a beautiful smoky edge. 2013 was the most challenging vintage of recent years, and yet this is gulpable stuff. It's extremely good for the year, helped by the complexity of the vineyard. Although the limestone plateau found it tough to ripen, the south-facing slopes were warmer and therefore the grapes for this wine were largely drawn from there. It was also helped by the fact that behind the scenes they were working on the creation of a second wine - the first commercial release of which was 2014 - allowing for greater selection in the grand vin at this point.

This was the first official vintage where the grand vin was joined by second label Annonce de Bélair-Monange, and they had also had three years of sourcing grapes from across both estates at this point. This is seriously good, with rich liquorice and fresh mint notes, well balanced but with punch, showing crushed raspberry fruits and a saline finish that I get in pretty much every recent vintage of Bélair-Monange. Its great persistency, richness and texture are testament to the success of their strategy here. 31,000 bottles produced - a good yield.

A delicious depth of damson fruit with a striking liquorice edge; complex and spicy with bold, muscular tannins.

2014 was the first vintage of the estate's second wine, Annonce, and it finds its feet immediately. Its composition is decided by tasting during blending rather than drawing from specific plots in the vineyard. In 2014 there was less rain during harvest in St-Emilion than in Pomerol, which meant the grapes had a little longer to ripen, and the result here is extremely enjoyable. It's easy to approach with a sweetness to the fruit, showing round touches of blackberry and brambles, reflecting the high levels of Merlot. 30% new oak.

Clearly a bigger and more structured wine than the 2014, this has blackberry and fig notes along with a lick of minerality, suggested by both the texture and the gunsmoke edge to the finish. It's enjoyable and approachable, although still young. The alcohol levels are high in 2015, but the St-Emilion plateau is a relatively forgiving spot for generous alcohols because there's a natural minerality and freshness from the limestone. 30% new oak.

It's hard to believe that this is a second wine and it would certainly stand up confidently against many grand vins, even in this excellent quality vintage. More serious than the 2015, it has more depth to its dark fruits with swirls of liquorice and smoke adding interest to the finish. I would give it a few years before opening - although it tasted great when this same bottle was tried again after 48 hours - and it has real potential for ageing. The definition of an insider wine and definitely worth getting hold of. 30% new oak.