Elegant and structured, the 2015 Annonce de Bélair-Monange is the second wine of Château Bélair-Monange, crafted with the same care and attention as the Grand Vin. With a core of lush Merlot and a touch of Cabernet Franc, it offers ripe blackberry and fig aromas, a subtle minerality, and a refined, lingering finish. Approachable now yet rewarding with a few years of cellaring, this Saint-Émilion Grand Cru reflects the unique limestone and clay soils of its privileged vineyard plateau.

Decanter | D 91
Published: Mar 8, 2019
Drink: 2020-2026

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.

Belairmonange.com

Following the restructuring of the property that began upon acquisition, a second wine combining the intrinsic qualities of the vineyard – minerality, concentration, balance and persistence – was established: Annonce de Bélair-Monange.

Produced in very limited quantities, Annonce benefits from the same attention as the Grand Vin, both in the vineyard and in the cellar.

2nd wine of Château Bélair-Monange
Appellation: Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Vineyard size: 26 hectares (64 acres)

Vineyard grape varietals: 90% Merlot – 10% Cabernet Franc

Soil types: Limestone on the plateau, clay on limestone in the slopes

Château Bélair-Monange traces its origins back to Roman times. Situated at the highest point of Saint-Émilion’s renowned limestone plateau, it has long been considered one of the region’s very best crus. In 1850 it was ranked by Cocks & Feret as the leading wine of Saint-Émilion, a position it held well into the twentieth century.

The vineyard combines the terroirs of the most privileged sites of Saint-Émilion. The limestone from the central plateau parcels offers freshness, minerality, and delicate, lingering aromatics, while the dense, blue clay of the slopes provides intensity, length, and a unique elegance to the wine. 

An important restructuring of the property was initiated in 2008 immediately following the acquisition of the estate by Ets. Jean-Pierre Moueix. 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.