Château Belair (Dubois-Challon)
St. Émilion Red Bordeaux Blend
St. Émilion, Libournais, Bordeaux, France
Some funk, barnyard, roasted meat on the nose / assertive palate with a surfeit of spice and nice acid structure / chocolate, oak, cassis / a little tight rather than opulent
Some funk, barnyard, roasted meat on the nose / assertive palate with a surfeit of spice and nice acid structure / chocolate, oak, cassis / a little tight rather than opulent
Jun 27th, 2018
Smoky and cedery(!) with black fruits and hints of sous bois. At its peak but with many miles to go.
Smoky and cedery(!) with black fruits and hints of sous bois. At its peak but with many miles to go.
Jan 13th, 2018Finally a great bottle of this wine (third of the case, the first two were a bit mute)! Quite dense (like an Ausone from a hot year), with a distinct (Franc-associative) fragrance of bonfires and salty (sea-blown) willow bark. A lovely and well-balanced drink that will last for years and years to come (but only if the bottle looks good; here the capsule was in impeccable condition and level was IN)!
Finally a great bottle of this wine (third of the case, the first two were a bit mute)! Quite dense (like an Ausone from a hot year), with a distinct (Franc-associative) fragrance of bonfires and salty (sea-blown) willow bark. A lovely and well-balanced drink that will last for years and years to come (but only if the bottle looks good; here the capsule was in impeccable condition and level was IN)!
Jan 10th, 2016Lovely wine - needs about an hour of decanting time to come round and shake off the cobwebs. Nice clear bricking; nose of blackcurrents, hints of vanilla, light rose pepper, fine Virginia tobacco, a faint trace I violets. Still some tannin present but beautifully integrated!
Lovely wine - needs about an hour of decanting time to come round and shake off the cobwebs. Nice clear bricking; nose of blackcurrents, hints of vanilla, light rose pepper, fine Virginia tobacco, a faint trace I violets. Still some tannin present but beautifully integrated!
Oct 1st, 20151983 - very good but closed - should have decanted. Was afraid it would kill it but this old guy still had some lead in his pencil. Needs some time to be teased out of retirement though.
1983 - very good but closed - should have decanted. Was afraid it would kill it but this old guy still had some lead in his pencil. Needs some time to be teased out of retirement though.
Jun 26th, 2015
Vintage 2001 Really nice, soft tannins, red fruit, oak. #bordeaux #bordeauxwines #saintemilion #chateaubelair #france #frenchwine
Vintage 2001 Really nice, soft tannins, red fruit, oak. #bordeaux #bordeauxwines #saintemilion #chateaubelair #france #frenchwine
Apr 2nd, 2015
Delivers every time. Even with a tough vintage. Still under the radar, but shows why the right bank is incredible.
Delivers every time. Even with a tough vintage. Still under the radar, but shows why the right bank is incredible.
Dec 10th, 2014
Developed but still years to go, soft structure but focused.
Developed but still years to go, soft structure but focused.
May 17th, 2014