Moueix Annonce de Belair-Monange, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, France 2016

Appellation - Saint-Émilion Grand Cru

Vineyard grape varietals - 90% Merlot – 10% Cabernet Franc

Château Bélair-Monange traces its origins back to Roman times. Situated at the highest point of Saint-Émilion’s renowned limestone plateau, it has long been considered one of the region’s very best crus. In 1850 it was ranked by Cocks & Feret as the leading wine of Saint-Émilion, a position it held well into the twentieth century.

The vineyard combines the terroirs of the most privileged sites of Saint-Émilion. The limestone from the central plateau parcels offers freshness, minerality, and delicate, lingering aromatics, while the dense, blue clay of the slopes provides intensity, length, and a unique elegance to the wine.

An important restructuring of the property was initiated in 2008 immediately following the acquisition of the estate by Ets. Jean-Pierre Moueix. Another wine embodying the inherent qualities of the vineyard – minerality, concentration of red berries, balance and length – emerged in 2014: ANNONCE DE BÉLAIR-MONANGE.

Produced in very limited quantities, Annonce enjoys the same attention as the Grand Vin: meticulous vineyard work undertaken with respect for the environment followed by a manual harvest once the grapes have reached optimal maturity. Vinification takes place in concrete and stainless-steel vats, where maceration and extraction are gentle and measured in order to allow the fruit its highest expression. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels.

Although Annonce exhibits great charm in its youth, a few years of cellaring or a few hours of decanting will be largely rewarded.