2016 Ch Bellevue, St-Émilion, Grand Cru Classé

Deep in color, this blend of 100% Merlot is all about the rich, silky textures, polished tannins, freshness, and the ripe, plush, plummy, mineral-driven finish with that touch of dark chocolate, spice and earth in the endnote. This could be the best ever wine from Bellevue.

97-98 pts - James Suckling

This is very exciting this year with a profound depth and power of fruit in addition to mineral undertones. Full and intense. Great finish. Better than the 2015?

Made of 100% Merlot on clay and limestone soils, the 2016 Bellevue is medium to deep garnet-purple colored and charges out of the glass with enthusiastic notions of crushed red and black plums, kirsch, ripe blackberries and rose petals plus touches of yeast extract, black olives, aniseed and cinnamon toast. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house with a solid frame of ripe, grainy tannins and oodles of freshness lifting the densely packed, multilayered fruit to a good, long finish.