2016 Bellevue Mondotte

Deep purple-black, the 2016 Bellevue Mondotte has a dark, seductive, opulent nose of star anise, cumin seed, dried roses, incense and cedar chest over a core of plum preserves, baked blueberries, dates and Christmas cake plus hints of unsmoked cigars and tapenade. The full-bodied palate is a behemoth of fruit with a rock-solid frame to match, featuring firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing very long and very spicy.

Made from 100% Merlot and cooler limestone and clay soils, the 2016 Château Bellevue shows a beautiful minerality and freshness in its black raspberry, crushed rocks, graphite, and dried flower aromas and flavors. It's medium-bodied, focused, and precise on the palate, with fine yet certainly present tannins. Give this beauty 3-5 years and it will cruise for two decades.

The 2016 Bellevue Mondotte has a heady, quite alcoholic bouquet, as I remarked when tasting it out of barrel, and it lacks the delineation and terroir expression of, say, Pavie Decesse or Pavie. The full-bodied palate offers firm grip, luscious ripe tannin and black cherries mixed with boysenberry jam and fig. The grippy finish is almost oppressive. This is a gargantuan Saint-Émilion – nothing new there – though I would like more precision on the luxuriant finish.