2020 Chateau Bellevue-Mondotte Saint-Emilion Grand Cru (Pre-arrival)

“The 2020 Bellevue Mondotte is another powerhouse from the team at Pavie. All Merlot from the upper plateau above Château Pavie (the soils here contain a touch more clay), this full-bodied, deep, concentrated 2020 has a tight, unevolved bouquet of darker raspberries, cassis, truffly earth, and chocolate. Balanced, structured, and incredibly pure, it’s mostly potential at this point and needs to be forgotten for 5-6 years.”

“The 2020 Bellevue Mondotte is made from 100% Merlot, with an alcohol of 14.92% and a pH of 3.54. It is aging in French oak barriques, 90% new. Displaying an opaque purple-black color, it sashays out of the glass with flamboyant notes of plum preserves, blackberry compote and blueberry pie, plus hints of hoisin, Chinese five spice and camphor with a touch of dried rose petals. The concentrated, seductive, full-bodied palate delivers layer upon layer of black and blue fruit preserves, accented by exotic spices and supported with firm, ripe, rounded tannins plus fantastic freshness. The finish is epically long and achingly fragrant. Wow!”