David Biraud

Meilleur ouvrier de France 2004
Meilleur sommelier de France 2002

Great youth is on display with this violet color, reminiscent of the wine's initial run off from the vats; dark, concentrated, brilliant and limpid are all terms to describe its appearance. This small property has already established a distinctive style. The wine's aromatic range is vast: it begins with fresh fruit notes of slightly sweet crushed black currant and a whole basketful of black mountain berries, then continues with toasted aromas from oak aging which subtly contribute to Bellevue Mondotte's style. Concentrated, precise fresh fruit creates a straightforward, artful expression of balance and maturity true to the traditional profile of this property's great Merlot.

The wine's balance and the attention paid to its freshness is perfectly evident at this stage of its development.

Elegant, fine-grained tannins create the structure which supports the wine's generous character. These tannins bring freshness and a welcome sharpness that are indispensable in achieving balance. The finish is smooth, airy and long. This is a successfully made wine like its celebrated neighbor, Pavie. Two growths, each with their own personality, both great châteaux. This is a wine for rediscovery in the coming years to fully understand that 2018 was a vintage which produced greatness.

David Biraud

Meilleur ouvrier de France 2004
Meilleur sommelier de France 2002

This small vineyard of 2 hectares is situated in the center of the Pavie limestone plateau. The wine's extremely intense color is black and concentrated, predominantly violet, tingeing the walls of the wineglass with its rich hue. The aromas are fresh, with delicate, black fruit. The scent of this wine, so powerful, concentrated and lively is almost astounding. The oak aging is evident, but the wine has the personality make its presence amply felt.

The first impression in the mouth is firm, with fine, gripping tannins that are young but balanced by the wine's acidity. There's an imposing freshness from Bellevue Mondotte's Merlot, expressing the terroir and the maturity offered by the vineyard's sun-rich exposition.

The finish is very long and inviting, with flavors displaying themselves very well indeed. This is a wine which shows its Merlot wonderfully, with a sharper, more lively expression than the variety achieves in neighboring vineyards. Still spirited and full of energy, the wine will settle down with aging to produce a style with power, roundness, taste and pleasure. The vintage was a challenging one, but the vineyard's ideal situation produced the goods. Wait an additional 3 to 5 years to enjoy these bottles at their best.

David Biraud

Meilleur ouvrier de France 2004
Meilleur sommelier de France 2002

This small vineyard is ideally situated on the heights of the limestone plateau, naturally providing excellent exposition and good maturity. This wine perfectly illustrates the results.

With a hue so deeply purple, it is difficult to see through it; the color is pronounced and will stand the test of time. Rich in expressive black fruit aromas like blueberry and blackberry, the wine's style is well-defined. The oak aging still dominates but merges well with the jammy black fruit.

The first impression in the mouth is straightforward and substantial. The wine's structure conveys softness and freshness, with a wonderful texture in the mid-palate. A stimulating lively character contributes to the overall balance, with tight tannins that are well-incorporated and stunningly fresh for this degree of maturity.

The finish is very long, amply demonstrating the wine's flavorful style. Built for the long term, the wine is drinking well now but aging will bring out greater dimension. This is a young great growth which has everything necessary to develop with time. If you decide to open the bottle now, think of pairing it with red meats like braised beef, smoked breast of wild duck, or simmered beef cheeks with carrots.

David Biraud

Meilleur ouvrier de France 2004
Meilleur sommelier de France 2002

Bellevue Mondotte's two-hectares have produced a complete wine, with very fine, ripe fruit aromas of cherries, black currants, and fresh blackberries. The harvest's clearly apparent maturity does not preclude an appealing elegance. In the mouth the wine is smooth, powerful and full-bodied, with a good tannic presence, balance and extraction. An attractive, flavorful, mouthwatering finish is accompanied by tight tannins to prolong the length of a still-aging wine, made from some of the vintage's finest Merlot.

David Biraud

Meilleur ouvrier de France 2004
Meilleur sommelier de France 2002

This wine, still in barrel, shows a deep and very opaque purple color. The initial aromatic impression is a burst of fresh, mature fruit with no overripeness. In the mouth the attack is direct, developing a tight texture underscoring the wine's structure and character. The mid-palate is impressive, with fine-grained tannins and a concentrated texture. This is a surprisingly generous wine given its fresh and balanced aromatic profile. Great density, expressing strength and the complexity of terroir.

David Biraud

Meilleur ouvrier de France 2004
Meilleur sommelier de France 2002

This greatly successful 2010 vintage displays a youthful black color, plenty of body and an already round texture. New oak aromas from controlled barrel aging defines the wine's initial impression on the nose without overshadowing its black fruit character. There is generous body and massive texture in the mouth. The mid-palate shows young, attractive tannins that are powerful and somewhat difficult at this early stage; give this wine several years to develop. Its pronounced youth imparts a forceful style and concentration of great depth. Very long finish. With time this will be a very food friendly wine.

David Biraud

Meilleur ouvrier de France 2004
Meilleur sommelier de France 2002

It is in vintages like this that great Merlot from the limestone plateau display incredible presence and attractiveness. Inky black with deep violet highlights, the wine's visual appearance already shows how very ripe the vintage was. Pronounced aromas of jammy black fruit are warm, concentrated, crisp and juicy. The attack makes a powerful first impression, evolving into a tight and full texture with impressive body and volume. The generous structure reprises a note of freshness on the finish. The wine is long and surprisingly fresh on the palate; rich in character, it needs at least 15 years to reveal its full potential and complexity. The structure will develop as this Bellevue Mondotte continues its long aging. It will go best with game dishes like hare, venison stew, or a rare steak served with pear cooked in red wine and spices.

David Biraud

Meilleur ouvrier de France 2004
Meilleur sommelier de France 2002

The brilliant violet color is deep and intense. Aromatically, the wine is clean and straightforward: a spiciness evokes the sun's ripening of the grapes, and there are diverse fragrances of cedar and exotic wood which already give great pleasure. The wine is still tight, firm and direct on the palette, with good balance from tannins enveloped in a smooth and soft structure. The fleshy, round finish is fine and fresh, a reflection of the wine's generous nature. Retro-olfactive aromas of roasted coffee and fine tobacco display the attractive personality of this 2008 Bellevue Mondotte now, and the vintage will soon show a surprising freshness. Give it another five to eight years to reach full development.

David Biraud

Meilleur ouvrier de France 2004
Meilleur sommelier de France 2002

Still deep and violet, the color remains unchanged since the wine was first bottled. The aromas are very open, with crisp black berries and spicy nutmeg-white pepper notes. Robust tannins produce a rather firm mid-palate which will evolve into a powerful structure defining the wine's style. A very well-built wine with a slightly austere finish of great quality requiring time to express the vintage's character. Pair with rich sauced dishes to reveal its full personality.

David Biraud

Meilleur ouvrier de France 2004
Meilleur sommelier de France 2002

This wine has a very young, purple color with violet highlights. The aromas are clean, with very good intensity. Fresh notes of blackberries and black currants dominate an aromatic profile of great character and complexity. On the palate the wine is powerful, with pronounced tannins forming the foundation of a still-young structure that is massive and balanced. The wine's freshness will be long-lasting, as has been seen in older vintages of Pavie Decesse. The finish is long and generous, displaying the mature character typical of wines that age gracefully; with sufficient time to breathe, its full dimension becomes evident.

David Biraud

Meilleur ouvrier de France 2004
Meilleur sommelier de France 2002

The wine's color is a very deep and intense violet which is normal for this vintage. There is a well-developed and complex aromatic palette of chocolate, cacao, and black currant that is typical in wines touched by the sun, joined by an attractive spiciness. Supporting all this is a balanced woody character which is elegant and striking. The wine is somewhat paradoxical: it has an aromatic style reminiscent of those from the south of France; but the palate is surprisingly different, with still-developing, tight tannins, and the particularly dense and elegant body characteristic of a mature Bordeaux harvest. The long finish shows very good balance. This is a wine for long keeping which will develop fully only after five to 12 more years.

Winter foods like tasty game dishes will perfectly accompany this wine at table.

David Biraud

Meilleur ouvrier de France 2004
Meilleur sommelier de France 2002

This small-production wine retains a very deep color, its purple indicating a slow evolution. The wine is aromatically powerful, with resinous notes of incense, fine spices and Szechuan pepper. Fiery, smoky notes offer a multi-layered complexity reflecting the wine's generous character. There is a powerful directness in the mouth, with fine tannins enveloped in a lively structure and a prominent mid-palate showing a maturity which gives the wine an added touch of nobility. The finish is generous and bright, with a good length and flavorful spice. Serve at the proper temperature to rein in the power of this Bellevue Mondotte and let it breathe to bring out this great wine's aromas. Its qualities are evident now, but it can easily bear another five to 10 years of aging.

David Biraud

Meilleur ouvrier de France 2004
Meilleur sommelier de France 2002

In 2003, this tiny vineyard belonging to Vignobles Perse produced a wine with a beautifully intense ruby-red colour that is still quite young. The bouquet is complex, with hints of juicy black fruit jam as well as overtones of cocoa and a certain smoky quality that comes from ageing in new barrels. The palate is straightforward and powerful, and the tannin is beautifully rich and ripe. Full-bodied and suave. There is something of a Mediterranean style to this wine due to the heat wave that summer. This is why it is best served at cool room temperature (16-18°C). 2003 Bellevue Mondotte has a very long aftertaste, the sign of a great terroir. It has much to gain by decanting and needs a further 1-2 years to come together, and will keep 5-10 without any problem. This is a beautifully made wine full of promise.

David Biraud

Meilleur ouvrier de France 2004
Meilleur sommelier de France 2002

Dark crimson and purplish-red colour as well as an intense bouquet of smoked bacon and ripe berry fruit. These aromas are both rich and complex, but still youthful and strongly marked by barrel ageing at this stage. 2002 Bellevue Mondotte is straightforward and round on the palate, with elegant, fine-grained tannin. The texture and mouth feel are very attractive, while the aftertaste is both long and subtle. This wine is enjoyable now, but will greatly benefit from decanting. There is every likelihood it will keep for at least 5-7 years based on this estate's track record. It makes an ideal partner for meat dishes, especially beef, duck, venison, and boar (roasted in order to bring out the wine's character and finesse).

David Biraud

Meilleur ouvrier de France 2004
Meilleur sommelier de France 2002

This wine's regal crimson colour leads one to expect considerable concentration from the very first. The nose is still closed-in and takes time to come out, but its wonderful potential is revealed after aeration. The bouquet is complex and beautifully elegant, with overtones of overripe black fruit, roast coffee, and strong spice, especially pepper. In fact, the aromatics are definitely on a level with the greatest wines of Bordeaux. The first impression of 2001 Bellevue Mondotte on the palate is fairly massive, with tight, well-knit, elegant, and ripe tannin. What tremendous structure! The balance is fully worthy of the best great growths and there is a delicious, mouth-watering freshness on the finish. The complexity of the terroir is beginning to come through, and there is every indication that this wine will age beautifully over the next 10-15 years. However, it is also enjoyable young with rare meats such as grilled rib of beef or roast pigeon.