| 93 Points:
“Blueberry, coffee, bark and chocolate aromas follow through to a full body with round tannins that are chewy and polished at the same time. Pretty depth of fruit and composure to this wine. Old-vine cuvee with 45 years of age. 50% merlot and 50% cabernet franc. Try after 2023.” – James Suckling (March 2021)
FROM THE IMPORTER
Château Bel-Air Lussac Saint-Emilion
In the heart of the Lussac Saint-Emilion
appellation, Château Bel-Air comprises 30 hectares, including 21 hectares of vines. In 1978, Jean-Noël Roi took over the estate which had been in his family for over a century.
The vineyard stands on a wide plateau of clay with areas of silica gravel, with a subsoil of clay and iron pan. It is composed of 70% de Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. The vines are, on average, 35 years old, a good age for producing well balanced wines. The grapes are harvested only when they are fully ripe, as the quality of the aromas and the later development of the tannins depend on it.
Vatting time is long : it takes several weeks to produce a wine that will be good for laying down. Fermentation temperatures are strictly controlled by automatic thermoregulation. In maturing the wine, the most traditional methods are used : 150 oak stave barrels, one third of which are renewed each year.
A further guarantee of quality is that our wines are
bottled at the château 18 to 20 months after harvesting. By that time, our wine has a fine, deep colour, it is tannic without being aggressive. Its fruit makes it a pleasant drink in its early years, but it reaches full maturity at five or ten years old or even more. Unending watchfulness, constant questioning, nothing left to chance, every act and gesture honed to perfection – this is how a great wine is born. This care and attention has brought our wine recognition and the many Gold and Silver Medals won at competitions in Paris and Bordeaux.
The 1998 vintage was the first year of our new prestige wine. Made from very old vines and matured only in new barrels it will be known as cuvée Jean Gabriel as a tribute to our father and grandfather.
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