The 2019 Bellevue Mondotte was picked on 5 October at just 18hl/ha. Deep purple in colour, it has a delineated, focused bouquet with ample blackberries, bilberry, crushed stone and subtle marine aromas filtering through. The new oak is neatly integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with supple ripe tannins, well judged acidity, fleshy on the mid-palate with a caressing finish that I find less aggressive than previous vintages (much like stablemate Clos Lunelles). This has great potential. June 2020

I've always enjoyed this wine (I recently finished a case of the 2003, which needs to be drunk up), and the 2019 Château Bellevue showed beautifully. Dense purple-hued with lots of cassis, gravelly earth, violets, and spicy oak, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a soft, opulent mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's a beautiful wine in the making and well worth a case purchase June 2020

“Firm tannic grip lands you squarely in Pauillac from the first moment, with pencil lead and charcoal reinforcing the point. This is a serious Pichon Baron, carefully extracted black fruits that barely put a foot wrong, and a firm core of acidity. Takes its time to open in the glass, and will age for decades without breaking a sweat. 80% new oak. 49% of production in this wine.”

The 2019 Bellevue Mondotte is a powerful, tightly wound Saint-Émilion. Dark red cherry, dried flowers, licorice and mint all meld together in the glass. Next to the other wines in the Perse range, Bellevue Mondotte comes across as less showy, with tons of persistence that makes up for its reticence. Red fruit, pomegranate and blood orange infuse the finish with superb density. I can't help thinking that I caught the 2019 at a slightly awkward stage. June 2020

The 2019 Bellevue Mondotte is another rich, muscular wine from the Perse family. Exhibiting aromas of ripe cherries, berry fruit liqueur, warm spices, paraffin wax and creamy new oak, it's full-bodied, thick and broad-shouldered, with a super ripe and generously extracted profile, lively acids and a long, heady, youthfully chewy finish where ripe but assertive tannins make their presence felt. From holdings on Saint-Émilion's plateau, opposite Stephan von Neipperg’s La Mondotte, this is another wine where I think more finesse wouldn't have to come at the expense of concentration or intensity; but it will delight drinkers who look back at the extremely powerful Saint-Émilions of the 2000s with nostalgia, as it remains faithful to that pedal-to-the-metal style.

90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Barrel sample. Purple-black to the rim. Structured and powerful but with more flesh than neighbour Pavie-Decesse. Also an attractive freshness and balance this year. Cassis note on the nose. Firm, muscly frame leads to a dry, minerally finish. Good in its style. (JL)