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Points: “Blackberry, bark, mushroom and orange-peel aromas follow through to a medium body with firm, tight tannins that run the length of the wine, coupled with citrusy acidity and a vivid finish. Very well done. Drink after 2024.” – James Suckling (February 2022)
90 Points: “Such a perfumed nose, really quite heady and seductive, lots of dried flowers, chocolate and black plum aromas. Intense on the palate, this has clear power and backbone. The tannins are fine but plump and this has depth but also precision. I love the Cabernet aspects coming through, the strictness and spice but then the expansiveness on the palate. Nicely fresh, touching on seering but there's clarity and detail on show too. One to watch! 14%. 50% down on yields from frost and massive selection. 50% Merlot, 50% Cab Franc. Antoine 5th generation winemaker. Stephane Derenoncourt. 5ha, average 45 years old vines, half Merlot half Cab Franc.
First vintage 2014. Only clay terroir, deep for Merlot with veins of blue clay. Clay but lighter for Cab Franc. Part of malo in oak barrels. 30% new oak, 30% one year and the rest in two year old barrels. First time in 2021 we bought some 500l barrels. Drinking Window: 2024 – 2034.” – Georgina Hindle, Decanter (March 2022)
FROM THE CHATEAU
In tribute to our ancestors, this wine is born from the desire to produce a wine of the
Lussac Saint-Emilion appellation that equals the very best. In this way, with the help of [wine consultant] Stéphane Derenoncourt, we meticulously selected and vinified five hectares of old
vines in order to produce the best wine possible.
IN THE VINEYARD
Soil: Blue clay
Blend: 50% Merlot, 50% Cabernet Franc
Average age of vines: 40 years old
Consultant: Stéphane Derenoncourt
Vine management: Plot by plot, sustainable viticulture. Multiple manual work in the vines: De-budding; leaf-thinning; removing the secondary shoots; “green harvest”
VINIFICATION
Vats: Small concrete vats, temperature-controlled
Yields: Merlot 35hl/ha, Cabernet Franc 35hl/ha
Fermentation: Natural. Gentle temperatures and soft extraction.
Malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels: 40% of new oak, 40% of one
year old barrels and 20% of two years old barrels
Ageing: 18 months in French oak barrels, same percentage as above
Production: 24,000 bottles
Tasting note: The wine is almost black in colour. The complex, intensely fresh
bouquet opens on toasty notes, enhanced by powerful black fruit aromas. The
wine is generous, full-bodied and silky on the palate, and gains structure from
the extremely fine-grained Cabernet tannins, which envelop the palate and are
present throughout the tasting. It evolves towards an impressively long finish.
The body, structure and freshness of the wine are are remarkably well balanced. An
extremely elegant wine with a great ageing potential.
Fully aware of the challenges of climate change, and intent on protecting its ecosystem, the estate is committed to achieving level 3, which is the highest level of the “HVE” or High Environmental Value (HEV) classification.
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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