2006 Château Bellevue-Mondotte

Deep, bright ruby. Flamboyant nose combines liquid graphite, tropical dark chocolate, licorice, violet and roasted oak. Dense and powerful if a bit youthfully musclebound, even monolithic, with superconcentrated dark fruit and chocolate liqueur flavors. This very full wine showed a lusher texture with air, with a total absence of any rough edges. Finishes with big, chewy, spreading tannins that reach the front teeth. A rock-solid and very impressive young Saint-Emilion that needs at least five years to burn off some of its baby fat.

This tiny, 5-acre vineyard with nearly 50-year old vines produces only 4,000 bottles from a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The broodingly tannic, backward 2006 is remarkably concentrated, pure, and deep. It is an amazing tour de force in winemaking, but like nearly all the Perse 2006s, it is a massively built vin de garde with no compromises meant for serious connoisseurs and long-term cellaring. Forget it for 7-8 years, and drink it over the following 25-30.

(14.5% alcohol; 90% merlot with 5% each cabernet franc and sauvignon) Good bright ruby-red. Superripe aromas of blackberry, licorice and violet. Lush on entry, then large-scaled, tactile and rich, conveying an impression of fullness without heaviness. A distinctly muscular style of merlot with a powerful structure, but here the tannins are thoroughly ripe and the back end boasts terrific aromatic persistence. Very impressive.