2010 Chateau Bellevue Mondotte Grand Cru, Saint-Emilion

This is incredibly intense and powerful with aromas of iron, spice and berry. Full body with a dense center palate of dark fruits and chocolate. Very long and refined. Balanced. Very closed. Try in 2018.

96 points James Suckling

The wine is not as powerful as one might expect, given the owners and winemaking team, coming in at 14.3%. A sensational, rather massive example for a 2010, this opaque purple wine offers up notes of subtle barbecue smoke, blackberry and cassis as well as a hints of lead pencil shavings and a confiture of red and black fruits in the mouth. Full-bodied, unctuously textured and excruciatingly tannic, this is a big, blockbuster style of wine meant for 10-50+ years of cellaring. This miniature 5-acre vineyard, beautifully situated in St.-Emilion, has produced a blend of 90% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Yields were 24 hectoliters per hectare.
 
95+ points Robert Parker Junior Feb 2013

Château Bellevue Mondotte is one of Saint Émilion's hidden gems, a tiny Grand Cru estate perched on the limestone plateau that has quietly earned a reputation for producing wines of remarkable concentration and finesse. The property sits alongside some of the appellation's most famous neighbours, with meticulous vineyard work and low yields delivering wines that reward patience and careful cellaring.

The vineyard's clay and limestone soils are perfectly suited to Merlot, which dominates the blend and gives the wine its richness and plush texture, while Cabernet Franc contributes perfume and structure. The warm and highly regarded 2010 vintage produced wines of exceptional depth and longevity, and Bellevue Mondotte was one of the standout performers.

The colour remains deep garnet with only the first hints of brick appearing at the rim. Aromas of black cherry, cassis and plum have evolved beautifully alongside cedar, cigar box and graphite. With air come notes of truffle, tobacco leaf and dark chocolate that add further complexity. The palate is powerful yet beautifully composed, combining ripe dark fruit with silky tannins and remarkable freshness. Layers of earth, spice and mineral notes unfold across a long, savoury finish that lingers effortlessly.

A magnificent partner for slow roasted lamb shoulder, beef Wellington, wild mushroom pithivier or aged Comté cheese. Drinking superbly now after a decant, while the structure and pedigree suggest many more years of graceful evolution ahead.