Château Bellevue-Mondotte - Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2003 (750ml)

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Producer	Château Bellevue-Mondotte
Country	France
Region	Bordeaux
Subregion	Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Varietal	Merlot
Vintage	2003
Sku	120717
Size	750ml
ABV	14.00%

 

LOGAN

The acquisition of Château Bellevue-Mondotte in 2001 by Gérard Perse is the latest episode in a passionate process, strictly based on the quality of the chosen terroirs, whether they are prestigious, such as Château Pavie, or little known, such as Clos Lunelles or Château Bellevue-Mondotte.

Partly enclosed by Château Pavie-Decesse, on the clay-limestone plateau of Saint-Emilion, Château Bellevue-Mondotte truly benefits from an "immense" terroir, as Gérard Perse likes to emphasize. Overlooking the Dordogne valley by more than 80 meters, the small estate (2.5 hectares) combines in an optimal way the qualities required for a high-level viticulture: natural poverty of the soils, excellent sunshine thanks to the southern exposure, natural drainage of the grounds because of the slope, very little gelling character of the vineyard protected from the northern wind.

In the vineyards as well as in the cellar, the Perse spirit reigns with a lot of rigor, passion and attention, with the aim of elaborating the most beautiful harvests for the most precise vinifications. The annual production is very small, around 400 cases. The teams of Gérard Perse harvest the grapes by hand before vinification in thermo-regulated wooden vats and an 18 to 24-months ageing period, 80 to 100% in new barrels. The result is Château Bellevue-Mondotte, a dense, well-defined Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, with blackberry, cherry, blackcurrant and the toasted notes of its breeding. The tannins are present but well-framed and speak in favor of long cellaring, over 15 years.

ROBERT PARKER94

Even in a vintage such as 2003 there are wines that are youthful, unevolved and still in need of bottle age. The 2003 Bellevue Mondotte is one of those wines. From a tiny (5 acres) estate owned by Gerard Perse, this blend of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits youthful aromas of blue and black fruits, chalk dust, lead pencil shavings and Christmas fruitcake. Full, ripe and moderately tannic, it requires another 3-5 years of bottle age and could turn out to be one of the longest-lived wines of the vintage, lasting another 25-30 years. [Robert M. Parker, Jr., 28/08/2014]

Anticipated maturity: 2017-2047

VINOUS90+

Deep ruby-red. Full-blown aromas of mocha, truffle and nutty oak, with an exotic suggestion of apricot. Fat, sweet and fine-grained; impressively rich and deep but could use a bit more mid-palate lift. Today I don’t find much primary fruit, but then this wine may still be in shock from the recent bottling in February. Finishes with dusty, somewhat tough tannins. [Stephen Tanzer, 05/01/2006]