Château Belair (Dubois-Challon)

St. Émilion 1er Grand Cru Red Bordeaux Blend

9.135 ratings
8.95 pro ratings
St. Émilion, Libournais, Bordeaux, France
Red Bordeaux Blend
Chili & Hot Spicy, Potato, White Rice, Mushrooms, Pasta, Pork, Salami & Prosciutto, Pungent Cheese, Lamb, Tomato-Based, Onion, Shallot, Garlic, Beef, Hard Cheese, Venison
Top Notes For
Keith Levenberg

Wonderful showing, though it needed a half hour or so in a decanter to compose itself and freshen up. Initially it seemed more autumnal than the 2000 was recently and I wondered whether it might have been better a few years ago. No, not at all, this is on a whole other level from the bottle I had in 2009, and those extra 5 years in the bottle are paying dividends in terms of maturity relative to the 2000. It has a deep tobacco flavor along with some cedar and lead pencil that almost give it some Left Bank personality, except that it cuts a much more slender figure. It has a pleasantly bitter streak like shades of the green pepper that sometimes arises in Loire cabernet franc, but that savory snap of bitterness isn't actually accompanied by anything green. Ultimately it pushes some of the buttons of a Loire wine while also serving as a reminder of what makes Bordeaux so inimitable at the end of the day. For all its wild flavors checking off all the boxes of animal, mineral, and vegetable, this is still an exceptionally classy bottle of wine, even aristocratic in its elegance and grace. There is no doubt this is from a privileged terroir, and the time in the bottle seems like it is confounding the easy style dichotomies. It is at the age where it doesn't make sense anymore to call it a "traditional Bordeaux," it is just Bordeaux, textbook Bordeaux that got itself right in the zone without breaking a sweat.

Wonderful showing, though it needed a half hour or so in a decanter to compose itself and freshen up. Initially it seemed more autumnal than the 2000 was recently and I wondered whether it might have been better a few years ago. No, not at all, this is on a whole other level from the bottle I had in 2009, and those extra 5 years in the bottle are paying dividends in terms of maturity relative to the 2000. It has a deep tobacco flavor along with some cedar and lead pencil that almost give it some Left Bank personality, except that it cuts a much more slender figure. It has a pleasantly bitter streak like shades of the green pepper that sometimes arises in Loire cabernet franc, but that savory snap of bitterness isn't actually accompanied by anything green. Ultimately it pushes some of the buttons of a Loire wine while also serving as a reminder of what makes Bordeaux so inimitable at the end of the day. For all its wild flavors checking off all the boxes of animal, mineral, and vegetable, this is still an exceptionally classy bottle of wine, even aristocratic in its elegance and grace. There is no doubt this is from a privileged terroir, and the time in the bottle seems like it is confounding the easy style dichotomies. It is at the age where it doesn't make sense anymore to call it a "traditional Bordeaux," it is just Bordeaux, textbook Bordeaux that got itself right in the zone without breaking a sweat.

1 person found it helpfulNov 8th, 2015
Davide Gilioli

Silky tannins and ripe plum, black spices, tobacco and puffs of mint... rich-bodied and very long lasting in the mouth. Amazing bottle!

Silky tannins and ripe plum, black spices, tobacco and puffs of mint... rich-bodied and very long lasting in the mouth. Amazing bottle!

Dec 29th, 2016
Edward Erades

Fris in de neus beetje aards potloodslijpsel. Lekker vleugje choco uitnodigend. De smaak zacht gepolijste tanine heerlijk toegespitst rood fruit die fijne choco hint en heerlijke afdronk. Waanzinnig goed op dronk

Fris in de neus beetje aards potloodslijpsel. Lekker vleugje choco uitnodigend. De smaak zacht gepolijste tanine heerlijk toegespitst rood fruit die fijne choco hint en heerlijke afdronk. Waanzinnig goed op dronk

Jun 7th, 2024
Angus Powles

With Camerons. One bottle duff. The other opening up nicely between hour 3 and 4 of opening, thereafter wonderful.

With Camerons. One bottle duff. The other opening up nicely between hour 3 and 4 of opening, thereafter wonderful.

Jun 25th, 2022
Steven Lee

Before the moueix take over. Much cheaper compare to now. Decant for an hour. Very smooth and elegant. Tannin is smooth. Sweet, black tea, herbs, blackcurrant, mineral and chalky. Caramel, raspberry. Toffee. Glysterine and lilacl and abit of blue fruit

Before the moueix take over. Much cheaper compare to now. Decant for an hour. Very smooth and elegant. Tannin is smooth. Sweet, black tea, herbs, blackcurrant, mineral and chalky. Caramel, raspberry. Toffee. Glysterine and lilacl and abit of blue fruit

May 22nd, 2021
Nicolas facchin

Classic right bank notes, with dark berries and tobacco, mature and ready to drink. Classic old Bordeaux

Classic right bank notes, with dark berries and tobacco, mature and ready to drink. Classic old Bordeaux

Mar 6th, 2021
Erin Chaney

Strong merlot with old world flavor. Would be great with beef.

Strong merlot with old world flavor. Would be great with beef.

Dec 17th, 2017
yoh koda

2000年

2000年

Aug 26th, 2017
Sam Friedland

Over the hill, some cherry in the beginning. 1997

Over the hill, some cherry in the beginning. 1997

Aug 6th, 2017
Martin Sher

Sadly this was a little tired.

Sadly this was a little tired.

Feb 25th, 2017