Château Belle-Vue 2018

A blend of 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Carménère, aged for approximately 14 months in oak, 30% new, the 2018 Belle-Vue reveals pretty notions of crushed blackberries, mulberries and boysenberries, plus suggestions of underbrush, ground cloves and menthol. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled and refreshing, delivering bags of crunchy black fruits and a soft texture, finishing with a minty kick. It has 14% alcohol.

Solid dark cherry and plum fruit is lined with a light licorice note. Open-knit finish has a subtle tug of earth. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Carmenère. Drink now through 2022. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 8,700 cases made, 6,100 cases imported.

An excellent indication of how 2018 can really deliver wines with swagger and polish in the right spots. This is full of brambled black fruits, fresh acidity, firm tannins and a spicy uplift of cinnamon and black pepper from the mid-palate through to the finish. Still young and needs to soften, but good quality. A yield of 51hl/ha, deep gravel soils, 14 months in oak. HVE3. 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Carmenère complete the blend.

Dark cherries, blueberries and herbs on the nose. It’s full-bodied with chewy tannins. Juicy, yet structured. Flavorful finish with pretty length. Clean. Try after 2024.

48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc, 1% Carmenère. Barrel sample. By no means the deepest crimson. Sweet fruit on the nose. Competent but not the most dramatic vintage I've tasted from this property. Sucky-stony texture with quite a high register of fine tannin. (JR)

The 2018 Belle-Vue, a Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel, no less, has a fresh bouquet of blackberry, briar and light graphite scents that opens nicely with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with gentle grip and saline in the mouth. The cohesive, graphite-tinged finish is simple but effective. Fine.

The melange of flowers, spice-box, cherries, wet earth and cocoa smells just great. On the palate, things get even better with all the sweet, fresh, energetic, juicy, ripe, soft, textured, red fruits, spice and herbs in the finish. One of the few Bordeaux produced using all 5 allowable grape varieties, the wine was made blending 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 20% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Carmenere.

Deep dark ruby, opaque core, purple reflections, delicate bright rim. Fine nuances of vanilla and liquorice, layered with blackberry confit, very attractive bouquet. Juicy, round and harmonious, ripe cherries, integrated ripe tannins, mineral, delicate chocolate touch on the finish, versatile food wine.

Red towards the rim with a purple core. Floral nose with sweet red berries, plum, mocha and fine toast. Youthful palate with high freshness, youthful and grippy tannins, digest red-fruit notes and good length. Drink from 2022.

Another great estate that consistently produces an impressive wine, the 2018 Château Belle-Vue is 48% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot, 20% Petit Verdot (this estate likes Petit Verdot), and the balance Cabernet Franc and Carménère. Possessing a beautiful elegance and purity, it's medium-bodied, with a great core of cassis and black raspberry fruits as well as loads of floral nuances. Silky, beautifully balanced, and layered, it's another 2018 that has a cool climate-like style in its aromatics yet has a solid core of sweet fruit. I suspect it's the finest vintage I've tasted from this domaine (the 2016 is in the same realm), and it's going to evolve for 15+ years.

Purple with a ruby core. Fragrant forest-berry cocktail, followed by blueberry drops and light notes of blond tobacco. Mid-palate shows a soft texture, gorgeous extract richness and lightly supportive tannins, with a well-toned body. Aromatic finish of blackberry and juniper.

Kunz barrel sample 19: silky, powerful bouquet, cassis, black cherries, liquorice, nougat. Creamy, full-bodied palate with sweet fruit, fine tannins, a finely opulent structure, powerful aromatics, and a long, delicate finish.

A name to return to again and again in the Haut-Médoc, delivering confident, sleek wines that in 2018 showcase cassis and blackberry fruits with plenty of muscular tannins and rosemary spice. The tannins remain pretty chunky at 3 years old, but with a few hours in a carafe start to open up and let the fruit out. As things really relax you get espresso, chocolate and grilled oak. 51hl/ha yield, deep gravel soils, 30% new oak. Vineyard located in Macau, just to the south of Margaux. Harvest September 26 to October 17 - and this is the first vintage with both Carmanère and Cabernet Franc in the blend alongside the estate’s three usual varieties.

The 2018 is closing down gently; it remains impressive, with great breadth, a fleshy palate, and a beautiful grain of tannins. Give it two or three years.

A truly beautiful bouquet, complex and intense with floral, fruity and spicy notes. Hints of black berries, slightly candied. On the palate, the wine is slightly suave on the attack. It has well-coated tannins that are in tune with the acidic structure. The wine has gained significant aromatic intensity during its maturation. A wine that will reward patience.

Logo on the cork: LA