(90% merlot with 5% each cabernet franc and sauvignon): Deep ruby. Superripe, slightly inky aromas of blueberry liqueur and violet. Like liquid silk in the mouth, but with surprisingly firm acidity leavening the wine's sweetness and giving shape to its blue and black fruit flavors. A compellingly rich, thick wine with palate-staining length and the tannic clout to support at least a couple decades of positive evolution in bottle.

Tasted at Chateau Pavie. Picked on the same day as Pavie-Decesse (12th October), cropped at 22hl/ha, a blend of 90% Merlot with 5% each of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon, this has a rich, opulent bouquet: black toasty fruit cloaked in warm alcohol, with hints of fruitcake and fresh fig emerging with time. The palate is full-bodied with dense tannins, though I think there is more minerality and sense of terroir coming through (at least at the moment) than the Pavie-Decesse. There is just a touch of dryness on the finish with creme de menthe and cassis lingering. Again, an opened bottle is showing more freshness and vigour. Tasted March 2010.

– eRobertParker.com, May 2010

(90% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 5% cabernet sauvignon; cropped at 22 hectoliters per hectare; 14.3% alcohol; 100% new oak) Very dark, nearly impenetrable ruby-purple. Initially muted nose hints at fresh blackcurrant and violet with air. Dense and thick, with superripe black fruit and pepper flavors and a smoother mouth feel than some past vintages of this wine. But does this wine have enough fruit to support its serious and youthfully astringent tannins? Today it lacks charm and drinking appeal. This wine is made from 47-year-old vines in a small enclave within Pavie-Decesse.

The inky/blue/purple-colored 2009 Bellevue Mondotte offers aromas of creme de cassis, mulberries, licorice, white flowers, forest floor and candied cherries. Extremely thick, rich and full-bodied, it is nearly overwhelming in its textural richness, colossal concentration and mind-blowing finish that lasts nearly a minute. Undeniably massive and over-sized, but perfectly balanced, it is made for those looking for something to put away for 30-50+ years. One has to admire a proprietor who is making a wine for the history books, not for near-term gratification.

Robert Parker (Wine Advocate #199, Feb 2012)