Bellevue Mondotte 2008 375ml

Château Bellevue Mondotte is a tiny estate in the Saint-Émilion region, located just to the east of the village. The 2.5 hectare (6 acre) vineyard is located at the top of the limestone plateau, where it faces south over the Dordogne valley. Most of the plantings are Merlot, with about 10 percent divided between Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Bellevue Mondotte employs strict green harvesting and fruit selection, lowering yield significantly. This means that production is small, typically totaling 400 cases a year. Château Bellevue Mondotte is aged in 100 percent new French oak barrels for 24 months. The final blend takes place just before the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. In 2001 Bellevue Mondotte was acquired by Gérard Perse, owner of the adjacent Château Pavie Decesse and the neighboring Pavie.

Robert Parker – 95+ Points

“An extraordinary effort in this vintage, this 2008 was made from lower yields than the 2010 (the 2008's equaled 20 hectoliters per hectare) and is a blend of 90% Merlot and equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon that came in at 14% natural alcohol. Michel Rolland has been the consultant for all the Perse estates since their acquisition, and the 2008's fruit was harvested very late, October 20. The result is a backward, dense purple-colored wine revealing a crushed rock-like liqueur along with highly extracted, massive flavors of black currants, sweet cherries, licorice and toast. This full-bodied effort requires 5-6 years of bottle age and should last for 25-30 years.”

Antonio Galloni – 94 Points

“(90% merlot with 5% each cabernet franc and sauvignon): Saturated ruby. Musky aromas of dark fruits, coffee, mocha, chocolate and potpourri spices. Concentrated but classically dry, offering no easy sweetness today in spite of its great ripeness. Lush and deep but also quite penetrating. Perhaps most impressive today on the palate-staining back end, which features huge, broad tannins and a chewy impression of solidity.”