Chateau Belair Monange, Premier Grand Cru Classe, St. Emilion, Bordeaux, 2010

Tasting: St. Emilion Grand Cru & Premier Grand Cru Classe

Muted savoury tone, and rather raisiny fruit. Rich but very tannic and assertive, pungent and markedly alcoholic, and there’s a certain hollowness to the fruit quality, which seems cowering beneath the other components. There is an attractive sweetness of raisiny fruit here, but it’s very subdued. Long but tannic and with a hot finish.

Tasting: St. Emilion Grand Cru & Premier Grand Cru Classe

Elegant, leafy red fruit nose. Touch of minty freshness. Palate round on attack but then long, fresh and balanced. Dark fruit notes on the palate. Lovely fruit and flavour.

Tasting: St. Emilion Grand Cru & Premier Grand Cru Classe

Nicely concentrated, quite fragrant nose. Rich, quite chocolaty fruit on the palate, even a little sweet and seemingly quite forward, but natural acidity is there and although it shows well now, it will show more complexity as it matures.