Château Bellevue Mondotte, St. Emilion, FR, 2020 (Futures) 6-pack 6x750 ml

WA: 98 - The 2020 Bellevue Mondotte is made from 100% Merlot, with an alcohol of 14.92% and a pH of 3.54. It is aging in French oak barriques, 90% new. Displaying an opaque purple-black color, it sashays out of the glass with flamboyant notes of plum preserves, blackberry compote and blueberry pie, plus hints of hoisin, Chinese five spice and camphor with a touch of dried rose petals. The concentrated, seductive, full-bodied palate delivers layer upon layer of black and blue fruit preserves, accented by exotic spices and supported with firm, ripe, rounded tannins plus fantastic freshness. The finish is epically long and achingly fragrant. Wow!

Château Bellevue Mondotte is a tiny estate in the Saint-Émilion region, located just to the east of the village. It produces a single Merlot-based red wine.

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 totalling 400 cases a year.