Château Bellevue 2023

Gorgeous floral and ripe fruit aromatics leap from the glass, leading to a palate of both juiciness and wet-stone minimality. The excellent clay and limestone terroir from this three-hectare vineyard reveals refinement and elegance. The estate took time to carefully pick only the very best Merlots, and it shows in the glass. A wonderful wine in this vintage that proves how Merlot can be successful in 2023!

Black cherries, crushed rocks, flowers, espresso, and liquorice fill the aromatic profile. The wine is lifted, vibrant, and elegant. The finish is long, bright, and loaded with ripe fruits, accompanied by a salty edge in the vibrant finish. The wine is produced from 100% old-vine Merlot. Drink from 2029-2045.

Score: 91–93. Very suave nose with floral aromas, elegant small vegetal notes (blackcurrant leaf), and crisp fresh fruit. The palate is all silk and elegance, leading to a very lovely saline finish.

A lovely, elegant, fresh, finely bred, precise nose offering depth with finesse, a beautifully fine, racy/precise grain, airy, with a touch of graphite and complexity. It shows notes of fresh wild blackberry, graphite, and, more subtly, juicy/fresh blue fruits, along with touches of fresh blond tobacco and a discreet hint of sweet spices, a subtle hint of graphite and camphor. The palate is delightfully fresh, mineral, racy, and offers accuracy and tension, good definition, and a certain gourmandise. It reveals notes of juicy/fleshy blackberry, fresh blackcurrant and, more lightly, blueberry, combined with touches of fresh raspberry as well as fine hints of lily, tonka bean, almond and subtle toasty nuances, with an imperceptible hint of fresh flowers/sap in the background. The tannins are supple and gourmand. Softness, savoriness. Lovely freshness and minerality. Supple, with a delicate spherical feel.