2020 Bellefont-Belcier, St-Émilion

SKU #1695218 98 points Jeb Dunnuck

The finest wine I've tasted from this estate, the 2020 Château Bellefont-Belcier is an incredibly gorgeous blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep ruby/purple-hued, it offers a great nose of cassis, ripe black cherries, camphor, dried flowers, cedar, and forest floor. Bringing gorgeous richness, it nevertheless stays flawlessly balanced, with ultra-fine tannins and a great finish. The purity of fruit here is just about off the charts. (3/2023)

97 points James Suckling

Fascinating aromas of plums, peaches, lavender, violets, and other flowers. Hints of fresh herbs, too. So complex. Full-bodied yet so elegant and polished with a curated and focused palate. Hints of chocolate at the end. It’s so subtle and complex. Weightless on the palate. (1/2023)

95 points Decanter

Crushed herb and tobacco leaf along with red berry fruit enchant. Very pure and fresh, indeed gaining in coolness, with more cool blue fruit than either the 2018 or 2019, even if the alcohol level is the same. 30% new oak for ageing, plus 20% in ovoid wooden vats of 40-hectolitres, accentuating fruit purity. 'Our most precise vintage so far,' winemaking director, Jean-Christophe Meyrou, told me two years ago when tasting from barrel. It shines from bottle, but needs a few more years to enter a proper drinking window. (PK) (4/2023)

94 points Jane Anson

The steady restoration of Bellefont-Belcier to a classified St Emilion worth following continues with this vintage, and it is packed with dark cherry fruits, pomegranate, crayon, tobacco and saffron. Jean-Christophe Meyrou director, Jerome Aguirre as winemaker. 37hl/h yield. Upscore from En Primeur. 3.65ph, 30% new oak, 20% large oak casks with the rest in neutral barrels, with no added sulphur during fermentation, vinification in concrete tanks, harvest Sepmteber 15 to October 9. (1/2023)

94 points Wine Advocate

The 2020 Bellefont Belcier is a terrific follow up to the excellent 2019. Wafting from the glass with aromas of dark berries, licorice, bay leaf and spices, it's medium to full-bodied, seamless and refined, with lovely depth at the core, vibrant acids and a long, chalky finish. It's great to see one of Saint-Émilion's sleeping giants awakening. (WK) 94+ (4/2023)

94 points The Wine Independent

A blend of 65% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2020 Bellefont-Belcier is deep garnet-purple in color. Blackberry preserves, stewed plums, and fruitcake notes waft from the glass, followed by nuances of roses, tilled soil, and unsmoked cigars. The full-bodied palate is plush and seductively rich, delivering a lively backbone and velvety tannins, finishing long and layered. (LPB) (3/2023)

94 points Vinous

The 2020 Bellefont-Belcier signals a major move away from the potent, brooding style of years past towards an expression of this site that seeks greater finesse. That is immediately apparent in the wine's feel and tannin profile. Dark plum, lavender, espresso, menthol, licorice and spice are all laced together. I would give the 2020 a few years to soften. It is super-promising, that much is clear. (AG) (2/2023)

Jancis Robinson

Cask sample. Fresh and vibrant with a touch of leaf and spice, the Cabernet showing its presence. Dances on the palate with juicy fruit and an elegant touch of tannin. Firm finish, the oak well integrated. 16.5/20 points (JL) (4/2021)