Annonce de Belair Monange - Saint Emilion 2015

Château Bélair-Monange was born from the fusion of the vineyards of Châteaux Bélair and Magdelaine, both historic First Classified Growths of Saint-Émilion. Appellation Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Area under vine 23.5 hectares (58 acres) Soil types Limestone on the plateau. Clay on limestone in the slopes Vineyard grape varietals 90% Merlot - 10% Cabernet Franc Average vine age 25 years Viticulture « Culture raisonnée » Soil tilling (4 ways) Vine growth management adapted to the climatic conditions Harvest Manual harvest Double sorting: manual and optical Winemaking In thermo-regulated concrete and stainless-steel vats Gentle & controlled maceration & extraction Aging 16 months in French oak barrels (30% new) History Château Bélair was acquired by Ets. Jean-Pierre Moueix in 2008. Tracing its origins back to Roman times, the vineyard is situated at the highest point of Saint-Émilion’s famed limestone plateau. Château Magdelaine, a contiguous cru acquired in 1952, has always been renowned for the remarkable elegance of its wines. Château Bélair-Monange expresses the unique style of the greatest parcels of these two complementary terroirs. Following the restructuring of the estate initiated in 2008, another wine embodying the inherent qualities of the vineyard – minerality, concentration of red berries, balance and length – emerged in 2014: ANNONCE DE BÉLAIR-MONANGE Produced in very limited quantities, ANNONCE enjoys the same attention as the Grand Vin: meticulous vineyard work undertaken with respect for the environment followed by a manual harvest once the grapes have reached optimal maturity. Vinification takes place in concrete and stainless-steel vats, where maceration and extraction are gentle and measured in order to allow the fruit its highest expression. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels. Although ANNONCE exhibits great charm in its youth, a few years of cellaring or a few hours of decanting will be largely rewarded.

James Suckling: 93 Points
A very impressive second wine (of Château Belair-Monange) with good concentration and the same kind of vitality and fresh red-fruit character as the first wine. Substantial but elegant tannins give it a firm backbone that should enable it to mature through at least 2025, but this should hold longer than that.

Wine Advocate: 90 Points
Composed of 95% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, the medium to deep garnet-purple colored 2015 Annonce from Bélair Monange reveals a nose of warm red currants, black cherries and mulberries with touches of cigar box and dried herbs. Medium-bodied with a pleasantly grippy frame and oodles of freshness, it delivers a good amount of youthful red and black fruit flavors with a satisfyingly savory finish.