Type
Read More
Type
Photo
AI Chat
-
(3x75cl) 2018The Wine Cellar Insider (99)
With all the richness, density and concentration required, you also find endless waves of perfectly ripe, black, blue and dark red fruits, crushed rocks, stone, licorice, smoke, flowers and espresso. Here you find, intensity, purity, minerality, silk and velvety tannins and a seamless, 60 second finish that just won't quit. The wine blends is 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc. Only 1,150 cases were produced.Inc. VAT£529.21 -
The Wine Cellar Insider (99)
With all the richness, density and concentration required, you also find endless waves of perfectly ripe, black, blue and dark red fruits, crushed rocks, stone, licorice, smoke, flowers and espresso. Here you find, intensity, purity, minerality, silk and velvety tannins and a seamless, 60 second finish that just won't quit. The wine blends is 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc. Only 1,150 cases were produced.Inc. VAT£699.58 -
Decanter (97)
Gorgeously aromatic and concentrated nose, rich with wild flowers and bramble fruits. Lovely cool blue fruits on the palate, blueberries, plums and black cherries with lashings of graphite, slate and liquorice giving a real spicy menthol mineral tone to the palate. Such complexity with poise and polish. Youthful for sure, but this will be excellent. The texture is so attractive and likeable. This has energy and vibrancy despite still being knitted down, it's just giving a hint of what's to come. Buy and hold on to.Inc. VAT£1,302.07 -
Decanter (97)
Gorgeously aromatic and concentrated nose, rich with wild flowers and bramble fruits. Lovely cool blue fruits on the palate, blueberries, plums and black cherries with lashings of graphite, slate and liquorice giving a real spicy menthol mineral tone to the palate. Such complexity with poise and polish. Youthful for sure, but this will be excellent. The texture is so attractive and likeable. This has energy and vibrancy despite still being knitted down, it's just giving a hint of what's to come. Buy and hold on to.Inc. VAT£1,001.52 -
Decanter (97)
Gorgeously aromatic and concentrated nose, rich with wild flowers and bramble fruits. Lovely cool blue fruits on the palate, blueberries, plums and black cherries with lashings of graphite, slate and liquorice giving a real spicy menthol mineral tone to the palate. Such complexity with poise and polish. Youthful for sure, but this will be excellent. The texture is so attractive and likeable. This has energy and vibrancy despite still being knitted down, it's just giving a hint of what's to come. Buy and hold on to.Inc. VAT£475.92 -
James Suckling (95-96)
A complete wine for the vintage, with blackberry, stone, black-licorice and light walnut character. Medium-to full-bodied and linear, with very fine tannins running the length of the wine.Inc. VAT£148.13 -
(6x75cl) 2000Vinous - Neal Martin (94)
The 2000 Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse was tasted from two bottles directly from the cellar. The first was oddly vegetal, but the second chimed with previous encounters. Sensual red cherries, raspberry preserve, rose petal and hints of black truffle feature on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with mint-tinged red berry fruit, displaying fine depth and focus and fanning out gently on the white pepper and orange peel finish. This is worth seeking out.Inc. VAT£1,051.85 -
(1x300cl) 2015James Suckling (100)
This is extraordinary. There has never been a wine like this here since the famous 1990 or underrated 1989. Violets, flowers, stones and limestone. Oyster-shell undertones. Full-bodied, muscular and so structured. A phenomenal wine that reminds me of the great Bordeaux of the 1950s. Try in 2026.Inc. VAT£714.83 -
(1x300cl) 2016Jeb Dunnuck (100)
Cassis, crushed rocks, graphite, and liquid violet notes all emerge from the 2016 Château Beauséjour, one of the magical wines in this great, great vintage. Possessing full-bodied richness, building tannin, world-class purity of fruit, and an incredible finish, it’s one of those “iron fist in a velvet glove” wines that carries awesome richness and depth, yet just glides over the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness. This legendary Saint-Emilion needs 6-7 years of cellaring and will keep for 3-4 decades. Don’t miss this wine!Inc. VAT£907.94 -
Decanter (97)
Gorgeously aromatic and concentrated nose, rich with wild flowers and bramble fruits. Lovely cool blue fruits on the palate, blueberries, plums and black cherries with lashings of graphite, slate and liquorice giving a real spicy menthol mineral tone to the palate. Such complexity with poise and polish. Youthful for sure, but this will be excellent. The texture is so attractive and likeable. This has energy and vibrancy despite still being knitted down, it's just giving a hint of what's to come. Buy and hold on to.Inc. VAT£508.43 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)
A curl of woodsmoke and cedar aromatics, peony and crushed roses, fleshy black fruits, rose petals, love the switch between the texture of opulent silk and pumice stone tannic grip, this is exceptionally good. Josephine Duffau Lagrosse's first vintage from beginning to end. A low 3.4ph, reflecting the limestone soils, bottling two months later than usual because of new cellar construction, so 18 months in barrel, 70% new oak, rest in one year old oak. Axel Marchal and Julien Viaud consultants. A potential 100 points during En Primeur, living up to billing.Inc. VAT£764.38 -
(1x150cl) 2023Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)
Somehow manages to feel understated and yet hard to ignore, with its vivid aromatic spirals of peonies and crushed rose petals, set against raspberry and brambled autumnal fruits. The mid palate is what really grips you here, with a flashy but extremely pure shot of liquorice root, liquorice bud, aniseed and fennel. Slows things down through the palate with pumice stone grainy tannins, and contrasts the concentration of 2022 at this estate with balance and finisse. Harvest September 13 to October 3, Axel Marchal and Julien Viaud consultants. There will be a new wine cellar ready for the harvest of 2024, more concrete vats (from 9 currently up tp 15). Camille de Vigneau the technical director with Josephine Duffau Lagarrosse. Brilliant winemaking, one of the wines of the vintage. 60% new oak.Inc. VAT£265.07 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)
Somehow manages to feel understated and yet hard to ignore, with its vivid aromatic spirals of peonies and crushed rose petals, set against raspberry and brambled autumnal fruits. The mid palate is what really grips you here, with a flashy but extremely pure shot of liquorice root, liquorice bud, aniseed and fennel. Slows things down through the palate with pumice stone grainy tannins, and contrasts the concentration of 2022 at this estate with balance and finisse. Harvest September 13 to October 3, Axel Marchal and Julien Viaud consultants. There will be a new wine cellar ready for the harvest of 2024, more concrete vats (from 9 currently up tp 15). Camille de Vigneau the technical director with Josephine Duffau Lagarrosse. Brilliant winemaking, one of the wines of the vintage. 60% new oak.Inc. VAT£367.00 -
(6x75cl) 2023Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)
Somehow manages to feel understated and yet hard to ignore, with its vivid aromatic spirals of peonies and crushed rose petals, set against raspberry and brambled autumnal fruits. The mid palate is what really grips you here, with a flashy but extremely pure shot of liquorice root, liquorice bud, aniseed and fennel. Slows things down through the palate with pumice stone grainy tannins, and contrasts the concentration of 2022 at this estate with balance and finisse. Harvest September 13 to October 3, Axel Marchal and Julien Viaud consultants. There will be a new wine cellar ready for the harvest of 2024, more concrete vats (from 9 currently up tp 15). Camille de Vigneau the technical director with Josephine Duffau Lagarrosse. Brilliant winemaking, one of the wines of the vintage. 60% new oak.Expected Price Range£576 - £684 -
Esteemed by experts and wine enthusiasts alike, the Begude Bandol Rouge 2020 is a luxurious expression of the prestigious Bandol region in France. The vineyard, Domaine de la Bégude, occupies a covetable area at the highest point of this appellation, ennobling it with remarkable terroir characteristics. This inimitable blend is dominated by Mourvedre, a grape grown for its formidable structure and intensity. Complemented with Grenache and Cinsault, the Begude Bandol Rouge 2020 rewards the palate with intriguing notes of black berries and spices.
Renowned for their sustainable viticulture ethos and meticulous hand-harvesting, the Tari family, custodians of Domaine de la Bégude, achieve a wine of profound complexity and excellent ageing potential. Sticklers for organic practices and limited intervention winemaking, the wine’s vibrant expression of fruit is undeniable. Trust the Begude Bandol Rouge 2020 to enchant with its dark intensity and captivating complexity. A hallmark of French artisanal winemaking.
Inc. VAT£244.40 -
Esteemed by experts and wine enthusiasts alike, the Begude Bandol Rouge 2020 is a luxurious expression of the prestigious Bandol region in France. The vineyard, Domaine de la Bégude, occupies a covetable area at the highest point of this appellation, ennobling it with remarkable terroir characteristics. This inimitable blend is dominated by Mourvedre, a grape grown for its formidable structure and intensity. Complemented with Grenache and Cinsault, the Begude Bandol Rouge 2020 rewards the palate with intriguing notes of black berries and spices.
Renowned for their sustainable viticulture ethos and meticulous hand-harvesting, the Tari family, custodians of Domaine de la Bégude, achieve a wine of profound complexity and excellent ageing potential. Sticklers for organic practices and limited intervention winemaking, the wine’s vibrant expression of fruit is undeniable. Trust the Begude Bandol Rouge 2020 to enchant with its dark intensity and captivating complexity. A hallmark of French artisanal winemaking.
Inc. VAT£237.20 -
(12x75cl) 2000Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (87)
Good full red. Redcurrant, raspberry and a whiff of mushroom on the nose. Supple on entry, then perfumed in the middle, with clean, fresh, slightly clenched black cherry and redcurrant flavors. Turns a bit dry toward the back, finishing with floral red fruit flavors and a faint minty quality.Inc. VAT£912.54 -
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (86-89)
Ruby-red. Nicely ripe aromas of black cherry, dark chocolate, licorice and minerals, with a touch of tar. Fatter and fuller than usual for this wine, but still a bit youthfully clenched and brooding, with notes of kirsch, licorice, menthol and currant leaf. Finishes with some edgy oak tannins and bright dark berry fruit.Inc. VAT£717.67 -
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (90)
Good ruby-red. Fresh, sexy nose features currant, plum and smoked meat. Large-scaled and sweet, even voluptuous for this chateau. Not the last word in personality yet, but this is silky and mouthfilling, and the serious tannins are nicely ripe. (An earlier sample showed blueberry, blackberry and menthol on the nose and palate and came across a bit more medicinal and less fleshy. As a result, the tannins seemed a tad dry. I scored this bottle 88 points.) Belair seems greatly improved beginning with this vintage.Inc. VAT£166.79 -
(12x75cl) 2008Wine Advocate (93+)
The first substantial and reassuringly great Belair-Monange in many decades, the 2008 represents the epitome of elegance and minerality. Its deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by sweet red and black fruits intermixed with notes of spring flowers and crushed rocks, a layered mouthfeel, superb nobility and remarkable intensity offered in a finesse-filled format. Kudos to Edouard and Christian Moueix for their resurrection of this iconic 6.2 acre vineyard.Inc. VAT£2,154.07 -
(12x75cl) 2009Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (96)
Medium intensity baked plum aromatics, enticing and open, laced with campfire, cinnamon, incense, pumice stone, salted cracker, fennel, saffron, blackberry and sage. Great quality, giving the limestone kick, tightrope walking across the palate, a brilliant wine, juicy and individual, leaning in to its character, with a joyful welcome. 50% new oak for ageing.Inc. VAT£2,581.27 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (96)
Medium intensity baked plum aromatics, enticing and open, laced with campfire, cinnamon, incense, pumice stone, salted cracker, fennel, saffron, blackberry and sage. Great quality, giving the limestone kick, tightrope walking across the palate, a brilliant wine, juicy and individual, leaning in to its character, with a joyful welcome. 50% new oak for ageing.Inc. VAT£908.75 -
(12x75cl) 2010Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)
Considering that this was two years before Belair tooks today's shape by bringing in the vineyards of Château Magdeleine (also Moueix owned), it is extremely impressive just how complete, balanced and just purely enjoyable this is. As with the 2009, it has a ton of personality and character, placing it fully on the limestone plateau with its pumice stone minerality, and its restrained, subtle but pleasure-driven fennel and anis-studded brambled fruits. 50% new oak for ageing.Inc. VAT£3,213.67 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)
Considering that this was two years before Belair tooks today's shape by bringing in the vineyards of Château Magdeleine (also Moueix owned), it is extremely impressive just how complete, balanced and just purely enjoyable this is. As with the 2009, it has a ton of personality and character, placing it fully on the limestone plateau with its pumice stone minerality, and its restrained, subtle but pleasure-driven fennel and anis-studded brambled fruits. 50% new oak for ageing.Inc. VAT£802.78 -
(12x75cl) 2011Vinous - Neal Martin (93)
The 2011 Bélair-Monange has a very earthy, introspective bouquet, almost subdued compared to others, developing light minty aromas with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins, good fruit concentration with layers of blackberry, raspberry, fig and white pepper. Fine cohesion towards the finish, this conveys plenty of energy although it would benefit from a couple more years in bottle. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Inc. VAT£1,708.87 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (93)
The 2011 Bélair-Monange has a very earthy, introspective bouquet, almost subdued compared to others, developing light minty aromas with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins, good fruit concentration with layers of blackberry, raspberry, fig and white pepper. Fine cohesion towards the finish, this conveys plenty of energy although it would benefit from a couple more years in bottle. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.Inc. VAT£535.55 -
Wine Spectator (96)
Remarkably pure, sleek and refined, with a faint chalk thread perfectly embedded in the core of red currant, cherry and damson plum fruit. Very sleek, with refined tannins and impressive length, this is balanced to a T. A wine of distinction that seems destined to improve as the remaining limestone portions of the vineyard are replanted. This is also the first vintage that includes the portions from the former Magdelaine estate. Tasted non-blind. Score range: 93-96 -JMInc. VAT£104.80 -
Wine Spectator (96)
Remarkably pure, sleek and refined, with a faint chalk thread perfectly embedded in the core of red currant, cherry and damson plum fruit. Very sleek, with refined tannins and impressive length, this is balanced to a T. A wine of distinction that seems destined to improve as the remaining limestone portions of the vineyard are replanted. This is also the first vintage that includes the portions from the former Magdelaine estate. Tasted non-blind. Score range: 93-96 -JMInc. VAT£538.18 -
(6x75cl) 2013Wine Advocate (90)
The 2013 Belair-Monange from JP Moueix is adorned with a Merlot-driven bouquet as you would expect, albeit more plush than I anticipated: quite floral with rose petal littered over attractive redcurrant and black cherry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannin. No, it is not quite as detailed as the 2013 Trotanoy and perhaps comes across a little pinched on the finish, nevertheless there is decent weight and body here, a fine structure, and if graced with a couple of years in bottle it should drink well for 12-15 years. Though not achieving the level of Trotanoy, this should still drink well for several years.Inc. VAT£452.44 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)
A huge, dramatic wine for the year, the 2014 Bélair-Monange possesses tremendous depth and overall intensity. Succulent black cherry, leather, spice and menthol are some of the many notes that flesh out in this dramatic, massively endowed Saint-Émilion. The fruit feels very ripe, yet there is plenty of underlying structure and acidity to balance things out. Since 2012, Bélair-Monange has been made from three parcels on gravel, clay and limestone. It is that very intersection that yields one of the most distinctive wines in Saint-Émilion. The 2014 is also the first vintage that includes fruit from the replanting done on the plateau. Bélair-Monange increasingly gives the two established flagships in the Moueix family's range (Trotanoy and La Fléur-Petrus) a run for their money.Inc. VAT£529.09
-
(3x75cl) 2018
The Wine Cellar Insider (99)
With all the richness, density and concentration required, you also find endless waves of perfectly ripe, black, blue and dark red fruits, crushed rocks, stone, licorice, smoke, flowers and espresso. Here you find, intensity, purity, minerality, silk and velvety tannins and a seamless, 60 second finish that just won't quit. The wine blends is 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc. Only 1,150 cases were produced.In Bond£432.99 -
The Wine Cellar Insider (99)
With all the richness, density and concentration required, you also find endless waves of perfectly ripe, black, blue and dark red fruits, crushed rocks, stone, licorice, smoke, flowers and espresso. Here you find, intensity, purity, minerality, silk and velvety tannins and a seamless, 60 second finish that just won't quit. The wine blends is 80% Merlot with 20% Cabernet Franc. Only 1,150 cases were produced.In Bond£563.00 -
Decanter (97)
Gorgeously aromatic and concentrated nose, rich with wild flowers and bramble fruits. Lovely cool blue fruits on the palate, blueberries, plums and black cherries with lashings of graphite, slate and liquorice giving a real spicy menthol mineral tone to the palate. Such complexity with poise and polish. Youthful for sure, but this will be excellent. The texture is so attractive and likeable. This has energy and vibrancy despite still being knitted down, it's just giving a hint of what's to come. Buy and hold on to.In Bond£1,053.00 -
Decanter (97)
Gorgeously aromatic and concentrated nose, rich with wild flowers and bramble fruits. Lovely cool blue fruits on the palate, blueberries, plums and black cherries with lashings of graphite, slate and liquorice giving a real spicy menthol mineral tone to the palate. Such complexity with poise and polish. Youthful for sure, but this will be excellent. The texture is so attractive and likeable. This has energy and vibrancy despite still being knitted down, it's just giving a hint of what's to come. Buy and hold on to.In Bond£816.00 -
Decanter (97)
Gorgeously aromatic and concentrated nose, rich with wild flowers and bramble fruits. Lovely cool blue fruits on the palate, blueberries, plums and black cherries with lashings of graphite, slate and liquorice giving a real spicy menthol mineral tone to the palate. Such complexity with poise and polish. Youthful for sure, but this will be excellent. The texture is so attractive and likeable. This has energy and vibrancy despite still being knitted down, it's just giving a hint of what's to come. Buy and hold on to.In Bond£378.00 -
James Suckling (95-96)
A complete wine for the vintage, with blackberry, stone, black-licorice and light walnut character. Medium-to full-bodied and linear, with very fine tannins running the length of the wine.In Bond£120.00 -
(6x75cl) 2000
Vinous - Neal Martin (94)
The 2000 Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse was tasted from two bottles directly from the cellar. The first was oddly vegetal, but the second chimed with previous encounters. Sensual red cherries, raspberry preserve, rose petal and hints of black truffle feature on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with mint-tinged red berry fruit, displaying fine depth and focus and fanning out gently on the white pepper and orange peel finish. This is worth seeking out.In Bond£856.70 -
(1x300cl) 2015
James Suckling (100)
This is extraordinary. There has never been a wine like this here since the famous 1990 or underrated 1989. Violets, flowers, stones and limestone. Oyster-shell undertones. Full-bodied, muscular and so structured. A phenomenal wine that reminds me of the great Bordeaux of the 1950s. Try in 2026.In Bond£585.00 -
(1x300cl) 2016
Jeb Dunnuck (100)
Cassis, crushed rocks, graphite, and liquid violet notes all emerge from the 2016 Château Beauséjour, one of the magical wines in this great, great vintage. Possessing full-bodied richness, building tannin, world-class purity of fruit, and an incredible finish, it’s one of those “iron fist in a velvet glove” wines that carries awesome richness and depth, yet just glides over the palate with no sensation of weight or heaviness. This legendary Saint-Emilion needs 6-7 years of cellaring and will keep for 3-4 decades. Don’t miss this wine!In Bond£743.30 -
Decanter (97)
Gorgeously aromatic and concentrated nose, rich with wild flowers and bramble fruits. Lovely cool blue fruits on the palate, blueberries, plums and black cherries with lashings of graphite, slate and liquorice giving a real spicy menthol mineral tone to the palate. Such complexity with poise and polish. Youthful for sure, but this will be excellent. The texture is so attractive and likeable. This has energy and vibrancy despite still being knitted down, it's just giving a hint of what's to come. Buy and hold on to.In Bond£413.00 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (100)
A curl of woodsmoke and cedar aromatics, peony and crushed roses, fleshy black fruits, rose petals, love the switch between the texture of opulent silk and pumice stone tannic grip, this is exceptionally good. Josephine Duffau Lagrosse's first vintage from beginning to end. A low 3.4ph, reflecting the limestone soils, bottling two months later than usual because of new cellar construction, so 18 months in barrel, 70% new oak, rest in one year old oak. Axel Marchal and Julien Viaud consultants. A potential 100 points during En Primeur, living up to billing.In Bond£617.00 -
(1x150cl) 2023
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)
Somehow manages to feel understated and yet hard to ignore, with its vivid aromatic spirals of peonies and crushed rose petals, set against raspberry and brambled autumnal fruits. The mid palate is what really grips you here, with a flashy but extremely pure shot of liquorice root, liquorice bud, aniseed and fennel. Slows things down through the palate with pumice stone grainy tannins, and contrasts the concentration of 2022 at this estate with balance and finisse. Harvest September 13 to October 3, Axel Marchal and Julien Viaud consultants. There will be a new wine cellar ready for the harvest of 2024, more concrete vats (from 9 currently up tp 15). Camille de Vigneau the technical director with Josephine Duffau Lagarrosse. Brilliant winemaking, one of the wines of the vintage. 60% new oak.In Bond£214.00 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)
Somehow manages to feel understated and yet hard to ignore, with its vivid aromatic spirals of peonies and crushed rose petals, set against raspberry and brambled autumnal fruits. The mid palate is what really grips you here, with a flashy but extremely pure shot of liquorice root, liquorice bud, aniseed and fennel. Slows things down through the palate with pumice stone grainy tannins, and contrasts the concentration of 2022 at this estate with balance and finisse. Harvest September 13 to October 3, Axel Marchal and Julien Viaud consultants. There will be a new wine cellar ready for the harvest of 2024, more concrete vats (from 9 currently up tp 15). Camille de Vigneau the technical director with Josephine Duffau Lagarrosse. Brilliant winemaking, one of the wines of the vintage. 60% new oak.In Bond£295.50 -
(6x75cl) 2023
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)
Somehow manages to feel understated and yet hard to ignore, with its vivid aromatic spirals of peonies and crushed rose petals, set against raspberry and brambled autumnal fruits. The mid palate is what really grips you here, with a flashy but extremely pure shot of liquorice root, liquorice bud, aniseed and fennel. Slows things down through the palate with pumice stone grainy tannins, and contrasts the concentration of 2022 at this estate with balance and finisse. Harvest September 13 to October 3, Axel Marchal and Julien Viaud consultants. There will be a new wine cellar ready for the harvest of 2024, more concrete vats (from 9 currently up tp 15). Camille de Vigneau the technical director with Josephine Duffau Lagarrosse. Brilliant winemaking, one of the wines of the vintage. 60% new oak.Expected Price Range£576 - £684 -
Esteemed by experts and wine enthusiasts alike, the Begude Bandol Rouge 2020 is a luxurious expression of the prestigious Bandol region in France. The vineyard, Domaine de la Bégude, occupies a covetable area at the highest point of this appellation, ennobling it with remarkable terroir characteristics. This inimitable blend is dominated by Mourvedre, a grape grown for its formidable structure and intensity. Complemented with Grenache and Cinsault, the Begude Bandol Rouge 2020 rewards the palate with intriguing notes of black berries and spices.
Renowned for their sustainable viticulture ethos and meticulous hand-harvesting, the Tari family, custodians of Domaine de la Bégude, achieve a wine of profound complexity and excellent ageing potential. Sticklers for organic practices and limited intervention winemaking, the wine’s vibrant expression of fruit is undeniable. Trust the Begude Bandol Rouge 2020 to enchant with its dark intensity and captivating complexity. A hallmark of French artisanal winemaking.
In Bond£183.00 -
Esteemed by experts and wine enthusiasts alike, the Begude Bandol Rouge 2020 is a luxurious expression of the prestigious Bandol region in France. The vineyard, Domaine de la Bégude, occupies a covetable area at the highest point of this appellation, ennobling it with remarkable terroir characteristics. This inimitable blend is dominated by Mourvedre, a grape grown for its formidable structure and intensity. Complemented with Grenache and Cinsault, the Begude Bandol Rouge 2020 rewards the palate with intriguing notes of black berries and spices.
Renowned for their sustainable viticulture ethos and meticulous hand-harvesting, the Tari family, custodians of Domaine de la Bégude, achieve a wine of profound complexity and excellent ageing potential. Sticklers for organic practices and limited intervention winemaking, the wine’s vibrant expression of fruit is undeniable. Trust the Begude Bandol Rouge 2020 to enchant with its dark intensity and captivating complexity. A hallmark of French artisanal winemaking.
In Bond£177.00 -
(12x75cl) 2000
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (87)
Good full red. Redcurrant, raspberry and a whiff of mushroom on the nose. Supple on entry, then perfumed in the middle, with clean, fresh, slightly clenched black cherry and redcurrant flavors. Turns a bit dry toward the back, finishing with floral red fruit flavors and a faint minty quality.In Bond£726.00 -
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (86-89)
Ruby-red. Nicely ripe aromas of black cherry, dark chocolate, licorice and minerals, with a touch of tar. Fatter and fuller than usual for this wine, but still a bit youthfully clenched and brooding, with notes of kirsch, licorice, menthol and currant leaf. Finishes with some edgy oak tannins and bright dark berry fruit.In Bond£566.00 -
Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (90)
Good ruby-red. Fresh, sexy nose features currant, plum and smoked meat. Large-scaled and sweet, even voluptuous for this chateau. Not the last word in personality yet, but this is silky and mouthfilling, and the serious tannins are nicely ripe. (An earlier sample showed blueberry, blackberry and menthol on the nose and palate and came across a bit more medicinal and less fleshy. As a result, the tannins seemed a tad dry. I scored this bottle 88 points.) Belair seems greatly improved beginning with this vintage.In Bond£136.00 -
(12x75cl) 2008
Wine Advocate (93+)
The first substantial and reassuringly great Belair-Monange in many decades, the 2008 represents the epitome of elegance and minerality. Its deep ruby/purple color is accompanied by sweet red and black fruits intermixed with notes of spring flowers and crushed rocks, a layered mouthfeel, superb nobility and remarkable intensity offered in a finesse-filled format. Kudos to Edouard and Christian Moueix for their resurrection of this iconic 6.2 acre vineyard.In Bond£1,763.00 -
(12x75cl) 2009
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (96)
Medium intensity baked plum aromatics, enticing and open, laced with campfire, cinnamon, incense, pumice stone, salted cracker, fennel, saffron, blackberry and sage. Great quality, giving the limestone kick, tightrope walking across the palate, a brilliant wine, juicy and individual, leaning in to its character, with a joyful welcome. 50% new oak for ageing.In Bond£2,119.00 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (96)
Medium intensity baked plum aromatics, enticing and open, laced with campfire, cinnamon, incense, pumice stone, salted cracker, fennel, saffron, blackberry and sage. Great quality, giving the limestone kick, tightrope walking across the palate, a brilliant wine, juicy and individual, leaning in to its character, with a joyful welcome. 50% new oak for ageing.In Bond£738.00 -
(12x75cl) 2010
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)
Considering that this was two years before Belair tooks today's shape by bringing in the vineyards of Château Magdeleine (also Moueix owned), it is extremely impressive just how complete, balanced and just purely enjoyable this is. As with the 2009, it has a ton of personality and character, placing it fully on the limestone plateau with its pumice stone minerality, and its restrained, subtle but pleasure-driven fennel and anis-studded brambled fruits. 50% new oak for ageing.In Bond£2,646.00 -
Jane Anson Inside Bordeaux (98)
Considering that this was two years before Belair tooks today's shape by bringing in the vineyards of Château Magdeleine (also Moueix owned), it is extremely impressive just how complete, balanced and just purely enjoyable this is. As with the 2009, it has a ton of personality and character, placing it fully on the limestone plateau with its pumice stone minerality, and its restrained, subtle but pleasure-driven fennel and anis-studded brambled fruits. 50% new oak for ageing.In Bond£649.00 -
(12x75cl) 2011
Vinous - Neal Martin (93)
The 2011 Bélair-Monange has a very earthy, introspective bouquet, almost subdued compared to others, developing light minty aromas with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins, good fruit concentration with layers of blackberry, raspberry, fig and white pepper. Fine cohesion towards the finish, this conveys plenty of energy although it would benefit from a couple more years in bottle. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.In Bond£1,392.00 -
Vinous - Neal Martin (93)
The 2011 Bélair-Monange has a very earthy, introspective bouquet, almost subdued compared to others, developing light minty aromas with time in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins, good fruit concentration with layers of blackberry, raspberry, fig and white pepper. Fine cohesion towards the finish, this conveys plenty of energy although it would benefit from a couple more years in bottle. Tasted blind at the annual 10-Year-On tasting.In Bond£427.00 -
Wine Spectator (96)
Remarkably pure, sleek and refined, with a faint chalk thread perfectly embedded in the core of red currant, cherry and damson plum fruit. Very sleek, with refined tannins and impressive length, this is balanced to a T. A wine of distinction that seems destined to improve as the remaining limestone portions of the vineyard are replanted. This is also the first vintage that includes the portions from the former Magdelaine estate. Tasted non-blind. Score range: 93-96 -JMIn Bond£84.00 -
Wine Spectator (96)
Remarkably pure, sleek and refined, with a faint chalk thread perfectly embedded in the core of red currant, cherry and damson plum fruit. Very sleek, with refined tannins and impressive length, this is balanced to a T. A wine of distinction that seems destined to improve as the remaining limestone portions of the vineyard are replanted. This is also the first vintage that includes the portions from the former Magdelaine estate. Tasted non-blind. Score range: 93-96 -JMIn Bond£428.50 -
(6x75cl) 2013
Wine Advocate (90)
The 2013 Belair-Monange from JP Moueix is adorned with a Merlot-driven bouquet as you would expect, albeit more plush than I anticipated: quite floral with rose petal littered over attractive redcurrant and black cherry fruit. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannin. No, it is not quite as detailed as the 2013 Trotanoy and perhaps comes across a little pinched on the finish, nevertheless there is decent weight and body here, a fine structure, and if graced with a couple of years in bottle it should drink well for 12-15 years. Though not achieving the level of Trotanoy, this should still drink well for several years.In Bond£361.00 -
Vinous - Antonio Galloni (96)
A huge, dramatic wine for the year, the 2014 Bélair-Monange possesses tremendous depth and overall intensity. Succulent black cherry, leather, spice and menthol are some of the many notes that flesh out in this dramatic, massively endowed Saint-Émilion. The fruit feels very ripe, yet there is plenty of underlying structure and acidity to balance things out. Since 2012, Bélair-Monange has been made from three parcels on gravel, clay and limestone. It is that very intersection that yields one of the most distinctive wines in Saint-Émilion. The 2014 is also the first vintage that includes fruit from the replanting done on the plateau. Bélair-Monange increasingly gives the two established flagships in the Moueix family's range (Trotanoy and La Fléur-Petrus) a run for their money.In Bond£423.00
The most prevalent and recognised or 'international grape' varieties in the world are mostly of French origin. The enduring popularity and respect of French wine has meant that Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvingon, Merlot and many others have been exported and experimented with around the world.
