Château Bellevue-Mondotte

Gérard Perse saw the estate's tremendous potential and acquired it in 2001. Under his intelligent management, Chateau Bellevue-Mondotte's terroir showed its mettle by achieving an incredible score of 95 + /100 for its first vintage under new mangement - from a Robert Parker totally under its spell.

Many successful estates have benefited from the now famous "Perse method" involving a constant search for excellence. These includes Châteaux Pavie, Pavie-Decesse, Monbousquet in Saint-Emilion as well as Clos Lunelles since 2001 in the Castillon - Côtes de Bordeaux appellation.

The purchase of Château Bellevue-Mondotte is the latest manifestation of Gérard Perse's passionate interest in making the most not only of famous terroirs such as Château Pavie, but also vineyards as little known or even totally unknown as Clos Lunelles and Château bellevue-Mondotte.

In Bordeaux, where significant changes generally take place over a long period, Gérard Perse's rapide rise is a major event.

Gérard Perse views Bellevue-Mondotte, a partial enclave of Château pavie-Decesse on the Saint-Emilion clay-limestone plateau, as a terroir that is minuscule in size, but immense in terms of quality.

This small estate is located 80 meters above the Dordogne Valley. Like its prestigious neighbours, Bellevue-Mondotte combines all of the characteristics of a great vineyard: meagre soil, south-facing sun exposure, excellent natural drainage thanks to the hillside location, as well as protection from northely winds, and frost.

After hand harvesting and a careful sorting, alcoholic fermentation starts naturally in temperature-controled wood vats. This initial step is followed by a long maceration (seven weeks) and malolactic fermentation in barrel. Aging lasts for 24 months - during the first six months, the wine rests on its fine lees, in 100% new oak barrels. The final assemblage occurs at the moment of bottling, which is done without fining or filtering.

An exacting degree of attention is the rule here, from the care given the vines to the precise vinification and aging of the wines. Château Pavie's vineyard director, cellar master and their teams watch over Bellevue-Mondotte with a dedication to creating wines of great generosity. Here is merlot with a concentrated expression that is both rare and elegant.