Appellation: Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Clasśe
Size: 750mL
Ratings:
97 James Suckling
"Fascinating aromas of plums, peaches, lavender, violets, and other flowers. Hints of fresh herbs, too. So complex. Full-bodied yet so elegant and polished with a curated and focused palate. Hints of chocolate at the end. It’s so subtle and complex. Weightless on the palate. About 30% was aged in 30 hectoliter casks. 72% merlot, 18% cabernet franc and 10% cabernet sauvignon."
98 points Jeb Dunnuck
"The finest wine I've tasted from this estate, the 2020 Chateau Bellefont-Belcier is an incredibly gorgeous blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep ruby/purple-hued, it offers a great nose of cassis, ripe black cherries, camphor, dried flowers, cedar, and forest floor. Bringing gorgeous richness, it nevertheless stays flawlessly balanced, with ultra-fine tannins and a great finish. The purity of fruit here is just about off the charts. While it already offers pleasure, it's going to benefit from short-term cellaring and have 20-25 years of prime drinking. This estate uses a five-day cold soak and fermentation, all in concrete, spanning 25 days. Malolactic fermentation occurs in barrel (four months on lees), and the wine spends 18 months in 30% new French oak, with the balance in once- and twice-used barrels. Yields in 2020 were also reasonable at 34 hectoliters per hectare. Best After 2026"
94+ points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
"The 2020 Bellefont Belcier is a terrific follow up to the excellent 2019. Wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, licorice, bay leaf and spices, it's medium to full-bodied, seamless and refined, with lovely depth at the core, vibrant acids and a long, chalky finish. It's great to see one of Saint-Émilion's sleeping giants awakening."
93 Decanter
"Sappy, deeply fruited, blackberry and bilberry with subtle juice and smoke running through it. Very much back on the right road for this estate under the Peter Kwok team, with Jean-Christophe Meyrou director and the excellent Jerome Aguirre as winemaker. The toasted black coffee finish is well judged, adding to the savoury and enjoyable feel. 30% new oak. A yield of 37hl/ha, 3.65pH."
92 points Vinous
The 2020 Bellefont-Belcier has quite a backward nose, rather introspective with black fruit, cedar and cigar box aromas. It's more dark than light. The palate is medium-bodied with very supple tannins, fleshy yet with well-judged acidity and pure, lightly spiced black fruit towards the harmonious finish. This conveys a sense of flow that I appreciate. One to watch."