Chateau Bellefont Belcier St-Emilion Grand Cru 2018 – 750ml Consortium

95pts James Suckling

A dense, rich red, yet the tannins are so fine and integrated with beautiful texture and finesse. It’s full-bodied, showing pretty balance and refinement with lots of exotic fruit and richness. Tight now. Try after 2024.

94pts Decanter

Well-located on the limestone slopes near Pavie, this has been under the ownership of Peter Kwok since 2017. Here he delivers a measured wine that has plenty of limestone character in a saline twist through the finish, while maintaining that St-Emilion gloss. Chocolate pods and just the right kind of bite; feels confident and with potential ahead. 30% new oak. Drinking Window 2024 – 2040

94pts Jeb Dunnuck

I continue to love this Saint-Emilion, which hails from a 12.5-hectare vineyard located just beside Larcis Ducasse, on the Côte Pavie hillside. Based on 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Château Bellefont-Belcier’s deep purple hue is followed by a ripe, medium to full-bodied 2018 with loads of blueberry and currant bud-like fruits as well as notes of leafy tobacco, spring flowers, truffle, and earth. Nicely textured, with fine, polished tannins and solid depth of fruit, it needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will evolve for 25 years or more. It doesn’t quite have the depth or density I remember from barrel, but it’s still a beautiful wine.

93pts Wilfred Wong of Wine.com

The 2018 Château Bellefont-Belcier is strikingly rich and elegant at the same time. This beautifully balanced wine will enjoy excellent development in the cellar. TASTING NOTES: This wine shines with aromas and flavors of ripe red fruit and subtle oaky notes. Pair it with a grilled, well-marbled ribeye.

92pts Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate

A blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Bellefont Belcier has a deep garnet-purple color and classic notes of warm plums, blackberry preserves and cedar chest, plus wafts of lavender, clove oil and chocolate box. The medium to full-bodied palate is impressively well-poised with soft, rounded tannins and just enough freshness supporting the juicy black fruits, finishing with a bright, cheery skip in its step. Lots to love here!

About the Winery

The BELLEFONT-BELCIER estate is very old and its history can be traced back to the 17th century. Towards the end of the 18th century Count Louis François de Belcier actually founded the vineyard, ideally situated on the southern slope of Saint-Émilion, between PAVIE and LARCIS-DUCASSE. Then in 1803, on this magnificent site, he built the chateau which he named “BELLEFONT”, or “Belle Fontaine” (Beautiful Fountain), because of the numerous springs nearby, rising from the chalky-clay slope.in 1889, the chateau passed into the hands of the FAURE family. Pierre FAURE, a brilliant agricultural engineer and author of many drainage works and other agricultural improvements, had the famous circular vat built, intact since its identification and today one of the jewels of this property. It was at this time that the vineyard became one of the guiding lights of the Bordeaux region, receiving many awards (the unique Gold Medal awarded by the Ministry for Agriculture to the Bordeaux wines, at the General Agriculture Competition, Paris, 1892).