The 2022 Belair-Monange St. Emilion is a Bordeaux blend that has garnered significant attention and praise from professional wine reviewers. This wine, produced by Belair-Monange in the Saint Emilion sub-region of Bordeaux, France, is predominantly composed of 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc. The grapes were harvested between September 8 and September 20, 2022, indicating a meticulous selection process aimed at achieving optimal ripeness.
According to William Kelley from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, the wine has a "full-bodied, deep and powerful" profile with "aromas of blackberries, cherry preserve, black tea, and licorice." Kelley notes the wine's "layered, somewhat liqueured core of fruit" and "powdery tannins," awarding it a score of 94-95 points.
James Suckling offered an exceptionally high score of 97-98 points, highlighting its "loads of mocha, red fruits and hazelnut" aromas. He describes the wine as "full-bodied and juicy with dusty and fine tannins," and praises its "elegant and long" finish.
Jeff Leve from The Wine Cellar Insider awarded the wine an impressive 97-99 points, calling attention to its "notes of flowers, licorice, plums, espresso and chocolate-covered cherries." Leve emphasizes the wine's balance and "plush, soft, polished" texture, making it a standout in his reviews.
Jeb Dunnuck, who rated the wine 95-97+ points, commends its "incredible bouquet of black raspberries, chalky minerality, spring flowers, and graphite." He particularly notes its "great mid-palate" and structure, suggesting it will benefit from 7-8 years of bottle aging.
Jane Anson from janeanson.com gave the wine a perfect score of 98-100 points. She describes it as having "a slab of limestone minerality" and "juicy pomegranate, orange rind, blackberry, and raspberry fruits." Anson highlights its "measured delivery" and potential for long-term aging.
Neal Martin from Vinous also rated the wine 96-98 points, praising its "copious red fruit on the nose laced with graphite and sous-bois scents." Martin finds the wine "supremely focused" with a "surfeit of tension on the finish."
Decanter magazine's review echoes similar high praise, awarding it 98 points and calling it a "fabulous wine in the making" with "perfumed aromatics on the nose" and "clean and intense" flavors.
Wine Enthusiast’s Roger Voss gave the wine another perfect score of 98-100 points, describing it as "rich and full of balanced structure and dense fruits," predicting it will "develop over many years."
Lastly, Lisa Perrotti-Brown from The Wine Independent, who rated it 97-99 points, noted its "deep garnet-purple color" and "beautifully layered" palate, calling it "pure decadence."
Overall, the 2022 Belair-Monange St. Emilion is a highly acclaimed wine with potential for long-term aging, praised for its rich, complex flavors and balanced structure.