Château Bellevue La Mongie
 
Bordeaux
Bordeaux Supérieur
Michel Boyer and his dad produce this wine from 35 to 40 year old vines in a clay-based soil just next to the Saint Emilion vineyards. Made from 90% Merlot & 10% Cabernet Franc, this wine has more body and substance than most Bordeaux Supérieur wines I have tasted, including my own selections.

The nose is a rich blend of black fruits and spices with an attractive earthy character, and further enhanced by the oak barrel ageing. This initial presentation follows through in the taste, which fills the mouth with a soft roundness, balanced with soft, ripe tannins and fruit acidity. The finish is long and carries on with the same impressions found at the beginning.

The grapes are harvested mechanically and fermentation/maceration is carried out for 27 days at 33°C (~91°F) with frequent rémontage (submersing the cap). The wine is then "raised" or aged in oak barrels (20% new) for one year.

This wine, as many others in my line, shows that a talented winemaker with the right tools and good soil can make a good wine at a very reasonable price.

I am pleased to represent this wine, and the producer behind it and offer it to the retail trade.
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Chicago, Illinois