Château Bellevue-Mondotte

 Tastingbook AI /Artificial Intelligence, Wine Writer  tasted  1 wines  from  Château Bellevue-Mondotte . In a tasting of  100 wines 

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Tastingbook.com has rated Bordeaux’s 100 best-known wines from 2022 vintage without tasting them. The points are formed by the tastingbook AI which takes into account the wine ratings of the world's 50 best-known wine Critics, wine ratings by thousands of tastingbook's professionals from the last 52 Bordeaux vintages (1980-2021), also taking into account the climatic conditions of those vintages, the quality and the reputation of the producers and their ability to produce wines in vintages similar to 2022. As a new element, regional weather information collected from satellites over the past 12 years has now been included.
 
Based on tastingbook’s more than 70,000 wine reviews and other statistics generated during the last 51 Bordeaux vintages, the tastingbook’s artificial intelligence predicted the score for the 2022 Bordeaux wines, like it did successfully for the 2020 and 2021 vintages. The score now given is the one to which the wines of the mentioned wineries should be able to achieve according to this prediction.

7m 8d ago

 Markus Del Monego MW/BWW2022-Best Germany Wine Critic of the World, MW (Germany)  tasted  1 wines  from  Château Bellevue-Mondotte . In a tasting of  745 wines 

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This years "en primeur" tasting seemed like a journey in time. Bordeaux is back to a more moderate alcohol level and the style is lighter and more elegant. One could say the wines are reminiscent of the 80s, however made with more experience and the modern techniques today. It is not a powerful vintage. The wines are elegant, however the well made ones have an excellent persistence, depth and length. They offer a convincing potential for a long ageing and promote elegance in Bordeaux again. It is a true vintage of terroir although there is a lot of talk about a vintners vintage. However, terroir was the decisive factor in 2021.

Professor Axel Marchal has presented the 10 key points of this vintage on the occasion of the Union des Grands Crus press tasting:

"1. The start of the growing season was marked by severe frost on the 7th and 8th of April.

2. Wet and gloomy weather in May slowed down the vine growth although a providential window of fine weather helped flowering unfold in ideal conditions in early June.

3. Thunderstorms in June slowed down the onset of water stress.

4: Cool, dull weather in July increased the threat of vine diseases.

5. Véraison (colour change) was observed in mid-August, while vine growth had not stopped yet.

6. Thanks to a cool summer, the dry white wines are brilliant, lively and aromatic.

7. The wonderful Indian Summer allowed the red grape varieties to ripen in ideal conditions and preserved aromas.

8. The Merlots are fresh and aromatic while the Cabernets from the finest terroirs are well-structured with good balance.

9. The development of Botrytis cinerea in Sauternes was delayed by the cool summer and eventually triggered by rainfall in mid-September.

10. Despite low yields, the botrytised sweet white wines are of excellent quality."

It will be exciting to see the evolution of this vintage which produced in many cases yields on a very low scale. Arguably it will be a vintage praised for it finesse in the future. A vintage rated on finesse and persistence rather than on sheer power and opulence.

1y 4m ago

 Jeff Leve, Wine Writer (United States)  tasted  1 wines  from  Château Bellevue-Mondotte . In a tasting of  20 wines 

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2020 Bordeaux is the grand finale of the never-before-experienced, three consecutive run of great vintages. Yes, there has been a few back-to-back double plays, but this is the first time Bordeaux has ever experienced a full hat trick. There are differences in the vintages, which will become more apparent as the wines age and evolve. Each vintage is unique. Perhaps 2020 is closest to 2018, for its opulent, velvet drenched, sensuous style.  Though, it is important to note that you also find freshness, lift and elegance. Here is something to consider about 2020, alcohol levels are lower for many estates, which is surprising with hot, dry years like 2020.

1y 10m ago

 Jeannie Cho Lee MW, Wine Writer (South Korea)  tasted  1 wines  from  Château Bellevue-Mondotte . In a tasting of  20 wines 

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My overall impression after tasting over 300 wines from across all appellations of Bordeaux is that it is generally an excellent vintage for red wines. The 2020 red wines have as much depth and concentration as the previous two vintages, 2018 and 2019, but tastes lighter, less denser on the palate. For example, the four first growths I tasted – Mouton, Lafite, Margaux and Haut-Brion were outstanding in their sculpted expression of their own individual terroirs. Anyone who really wants to understand the character and terroir of Lafite for example, should really seek out the 2020 vintage. What I loved about Margaux in this vintage is the sculpted, precise, detailed expression despite the immense concentration of flavors. Haut-Brion was incredibly layered and complex while Mouton was expressive and deep with amazing freshness.

2y 3m ago

 Markus Del Monego MW/BWW2022-Best Germany Wine Critic of the World, MW (Germany)  tasted  1 wines  from  Château Bellevue-Mondotte . In a tasting of  650 wines 

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2020 – the paradox vintage 

2020 began with mild temperatures even breaking temperature record highs at the beginning of February. These conditions led to a premature budbreak. Budding developed unevenly, very much depending on the locations although the coo and humid weather in April had not a very significant impact on slowing down the growth of the vines. Finally all the vines came into bloom at the end of May without any significant coulure or millerandage. At the start of June, frequent rain intensified the pressure of mildew. From mid-June, the weather changed. The whole Bordelais saw a period of very dry weather for two months. However, the earlier accumulation of water reserves prevented water stress. Around July 18 a heat wave began to build up but the cool nighty prevented water stress on the wines again. The veraison started at the end of July and went on till the beginning of August. The heatwave in August accentuated water stress, but shorter rainy episodes avoided a complete block. The dry and sunny weather in September encouraged the grapes maturity and harvest started on September 10 with a rather mild weather. Towards the middle of September, rain prevented the fruits from wilting but as its frequency was quite concerning, the haves was pushed forward. "Le diabolique" is the title given to this vintage by Véronique Sanders. It is a very special French word, which is not correctly translated with “diabolic” in English. In France, the expression means to overcome the devil. And the vintners succeeded. 2020 is clearly a vintner’s vintage which asked a permanent reinvention of the wineries, struggling hard with this difficult vintage. However, the vintage surprises with excellent wines, exemplary freshness and elegance and very dense structure. In former times it was said that the vine has to suffer to make exquisite wines, in this vintage the people have suffered to make a great wine. The first part of notes for this tasting with over 800 wines you will find today. More notes will follow over the coming days.

2y 4m ago

 Izak Litwar , Wine Writer (Denmark)  tasted  1 wines  from  Château Bellevue-Mondotte . In a tasting of  50 wines 

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BORDEAUX 2019 / Ch. Margaux 2019 - only 37% of the whole production into Grand Vin. 90% Cabernet Sauvignon + 7% Merlot + 2% Cabernet Franc + 1% Petit Verdot, 14.9% alcohol. Ch. Margaux' technical director, Philippe Bascaules, told me, that Merlot needed to be vinified gently due to its voluptuousness and high alcohol. He made a comparison between 2018 and 2019 Grand Vin - "when I taste 2018 Ch. Margaux, I taste 2018 vintage first, then Ch. Margaux. When I taste 2019 Ch. Margaux, it's Ch.  Margaux first, then 2019 vintage!"
It's a showcase of Cabernet Sauvignon with wonderful aromas of cigar box and tobacco leaves. Extremely elegant and multi-faceted, sophisticated and very stylish for the property. Exceptional complexity and purity. Liquid silk. True perfection here! 99-100p. 

3y 2m ago

 Christer Byklum , Wine Writer (Norway)  tasted  1 wines  from  Château Bellevue-Mondotte . In a tasting of  30 wines 

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2010 Anne Gros Clos de Vougeot Le Grand Maupertui/Bright ruby. Scented, red berries, some dark fruits, fruity, ripe, light sous bois note, intense nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, fruity, dark fruits, sweet notes, layered, intense, big, bit warm, somewhat alcoholic, rich and long. 93p

3y 5m ago

 Christer Byklum , Wine Writer (Norway)  tasted  1 wines  from  Château Bellevue-Mondotte . In a tasting of  37 wines 

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More than 180 wines was tasted from Saint-Emilion during late March and early April this year. With a margin my biggest report to date from here. Saint-Emilion is always heterogeneous as the soils and microclimates are quite varied. Some are on flatter lands, others on the plateau with gently rolling hills in almost all aspects and yet others again are on the quite steep côte, or hill. These make for very different expressions, but also different problems may occur during a year’s growing cycle. The limestone vineyards seem to have done very well. And as for Pomerol where Olivier Berrouet of Petrus said, “The effort this year was to resist the temptation”. Those that did exactly that made some astonishing and refined Saint-Emilions. The temptation being taking too much out of the must. For me, Angelus, Ausone and Valandraud made exquisite wines at the very top of what they have ever done. The first two are graceful, elegant, nuanced and refined, Angelus a bit richer than Ausone. Valandraud shows that as well as a treasure throw of complexity. 2018 as well as 2017 are the two greatest Valandraud’s I’ve tasted to date. If this continues, are we looking at Premier Grand Cru Classé A soon?  At Pavie the fruit was probably the most refined and elegant to date, but the wood was just so incredibly hard, I just hope it will handle it. If it does, it will be a spectacular Pavie.

4y 5m ago

 Andrew Caillard MW, Wine Writer (Australia)  tasted  1 wines  from  Château Bellevue-Mondotte . In a tasting of  126 wines 

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Every now and again one stumbles across a paradox that confounds the accepted natural order of things. The 2016 Bordeaux vintage was born out of a growing season that was near-catastrophe and near-perfection. After the Hesperian Dragon’s relentless torment, the Titan God Atlas had seemingly kept the sky aloft with the help of a Phoenix. Following five months of diabolical weather patterns, a warm to hot dry summer arrived in the nick of time, not only saving a vintage, but creating one of the most spectacular vintages in a lifetime.

 The sense of relief in Bordeaux must have been as thrilling as avoiding the bullet of Russian Roulette, or the adrenalin of surviving a base-jump. The razor’s edge has never been so exquisitely fine. While the end result is not always perfect, with the odd abrasions here and there, the overall quality of the 2016 Bordeaux vintage is remarkably consistent with many Chateaux making some of their best wines in 50 years. Typically, the wines have deep colours, pure fruit aromatics, generous saturated flavours, dense rich tannin structures and bell clear acidities. Precision, freshness, elegance, smoothness and “delicate opulence” are words that are being used by various Chateaux to describe their wines.

 The Bordelais are, of course, the world’s greatest spin doctors. They leave snake charmers for dead when it comes to the art of mesmerising. The newly opened and impressive Cité du Vin, which sits on the banks of the Garonne River in Bordeaux, sparkles like a polished turd; a monument to the exaggerations and optimism of this particular type of fine wine game. Momentum is achieved through belief. There is no room for wavering or self-doubt.

6y 5m ago

 Markus Del Monego MW/BWW2022-Best Germany Wine Critic of the World, MW (Germany)  tasted  1 wines  from  Château Bellevue-Mondotte . In a tasting of  272 wines 

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BORDEAUX VINTAGE 2016 / Tasting "en primeur" is a challenge every year. The wines tasted are showing a tendency only and it is still the beginning of a longer process of evolution and maturation in the barrels. There might be some changes during the next year and a half until the wines will be bottled, but already today the tendency is quite clear. For most of the red wines it will be an outstanding vintage, a vintage for Cabernet, old vines, limestone and clay soil. It was a challenging year for the vintners. An incredibly wet spring was worrying the winegrowers and at the beginning of June, the spirits were down. However warm and dry weather between June 3 and June 11 creating an close to ideal situation for the flowering and good weather conditions starting in mid June changed the nature of the vintage. The fine weather continued into July and August. The month of August was featuring hot weather and a remarkable amount of sunshine but the absence of rain let to water stress. Heavy rain in mid September set an end to water stress and when the sun returned on September 20 the vintage was saved as there was excellent weather till to the end of the harvest. The effects were various. the white wines are on a good quality level and display fruit and flavour but the acidity is lower than in previous vintages and the white wines show an opulent and rather soft style. The noble sweet wines are extremely pure and are more on the rich and powerful side than on the freshness. For the red wines originating from the right terroirs and old vines, the vintage an be called outstanding. Water stress was managed well on limestone and clay terroirs, Cabernet varieties did extremely well and old vines found water even during the stressful dry periods of summer. In some few red wines the tannins are slightly harsh, almost bitter, a result of water stress and/or intense extraction. In general the red wines are on an excellent level with an advantage for the left bank, mainly the Médoc area, and the classic great terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. 

6y 5m ago

 Li Yong Liú, Wine Merchant (China)  tasted  1 wines  from  Château Bellevue-Mondotte . In a tasting of  23 wines 

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Château Ausone 2007 / Dark ripe nose with leather, plum, mint, strawberry jam. Beautifully textured on palate with juicy sweet fruit, velvety tannins, a certain note of drier fruit like prunes and some woody notes. Classical and aristocratic texture with great complexity and length. Warm, ripe and big, but very finely balanced and precise. 

6y 11m ago

 Izak Litwar , Wine Writer (Denmark)  tasted  1 wines  from  Château Bellevue-Mondotte . In a tasting of  61 wines 

“I did have quite great expectations for 2015 vintage while tasting barrel samples in two first weeks in April 2016. Mainly because I witnessed during 10 days stay in Bordeaux (28.09 - 08.10), exceptional quality of grapes, their ripeness inside and outside, and very favourable weather in September and October, which promised so much. Expectations weren't fulfilled 100% unfortunately. Anyway, 2015 has nothing to be ashamed of!”

7y 3m ago