Lots of lush blue and black fruits followed by violets, fresh mint, roasted almonds and black ink with vanilla beans and mocha. Full-bodied, refreshing acidity with firm and racy tannins. Broad and energetic mid-palate with a succulent and layered finish. Superb concentration with depth and tension. It’s difficult not to drink now but your patience will be rewarded. Try after 2027.

Begins with a salt lick and kick of mandarin peel that places you on the limestone plateau, then things soften and widen through the mid palate, showing gunsmoke and a slowbuild of raspberry, redcurrant and red cherry fruits - still on the cool and savoury side, staying true to the vintage, but with delicious finesse and juiciness. A real success, delivering on En Primeur promise. Harvest September 28 and October 2. An upscore.

Cool blue fruit touches on the nose, excellent acidity gives a rush of succulent and mouth watering cherry and strawberry fruit before this settles quite quickly revealing the minerality so characteristic of this estate. Chalky, wet stone and graphite touches come in with a saltiness that perfectly balances the sweet and concentrated red fruits. This feels refined and well worked with a brightness that is so enjoyable. The 1% Cabernet Franc gives structure and backbone. It's a light style, this is more delicate and refined and all the better for it showing the class of the winemaking and nuances of the terroir. A real beauty.

A blend of 99% Merlot with 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Belair-Monange is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. After a little swirling, evocative scents of violets, star anise, and cloves emerge from the glass, leading to a core of raspberry coulis, black cherry preserves, and juicy plums, plus a touch of fertile loam. The medium-bodied palate is plush and spicy, with delightfully pure red and black berry layers, and a refreshing lift to the finish. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Coming from multiple parcels (26 hectares) and just about all Merlot (there's a tiny 1% splash of Cabernet Franc), the 2021 Château Belair-Monange has quintessential Saint-Emilion limestone-driven minerality as well as a gorgeous perfume of red and black raspberries, leather, graphite, and savory flowers. A downright mineral bomb, this medium-bodied, nicely concentrated, balanced Saint-Emilion has plenty of mid-palate depth, ripe, building tannins, and a great finish. Hide bottles for 3-5 years, and it's going to drink brilliantly over the following 15-20 years. It's another beautiful, elegant 2021 from the Moueix team.

Elegant, floral, vibrant , and fresh, the perfume blends sweet red plums cherries, tobacco leaf, spice, mint, cocoa, and a judicious touch of espresso. The medium-bodied palate is about its finesse, over power, finishing with a strong display of minerality that adds to all of the oceanic-influenced bright, fresh, red fruits, with just a touch of spearmint. and chocolate on the backend. The wine blends 99% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2026-2050.

(93+ points) The ethereal 2021 Belair Monange shows its limestone terroir front and center in this cooler vintage, unwinding in the glass with notes of sweet cherries, minty red berries, raw cocoa and spices, followed by a medium to full-bodied, suave and polished palate that's pure, lively and mineral, concluding with a saline finish. - William Kelley

On the trim side (the hallmark of the vintage), with damson plum and bitter cherry fruit flecked liberally with savory and dried violet hints. Shows refinement, rather than the grainy aspect typical in this vintage, gracefully revealing notes of chalk and potpourri through the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2036. - JM

The 2021 Bélair-Monange has a strict and conservative bouquet, denied its usual flair by the challenges of the growing season. Slightly earthy in style with touches of tobacco and clove, it never quite slips out of second gear. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, quite fresh with a keen line of acidity. I appreciate the smooth, silky texture. Like a few other Right Bank wines, quality seems to cluster on the close, finishing on a high. In retrospect, the nose is the only shortcoming of this Saint-Émilion. -- Neal Martin