Château Bellevue Mondotte - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2011

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

89 / 100

byIan D'Agatathe8/31/2014

Opaque purple-ruby. Perfumed nose offers blackberry, woodsmoke, truffle and violet scents, along with a whiff of cocoa. Less sweet and deep than it was at the Primeurs but still a bit youthfully ungiving, offering savory blackberry and licorice flavors supported by an extremely firm, drying tannic spine. Almost painful today. This seems overextracted to me, but perhaps all it needs is time. (89(+?)? points)

Wine Advocate

95 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/2/2014

A little gem of an estate owned by the Perse family, the 2011 Bellevue Mondotte is composed of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. This super, highly concentrated wine (please don’t make the mistake of saying “over-extracted” as there is not a bit of bitterness to be found) is the product of tiny yields and a late harvest. A thick, port-like, black/ruby/purple color is followed by a powerful, rich, exceptionally pure wine with stunning balance. From a vintage where most wines will need to be consumed within their first 15-20 years of life, this cuvee will undoubtedly last 30 or more.

Jamessuckling.com

93 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/19/2014

A Bellevue-Mondotte with pretty balance and richness, featuring chocolate, berries and hints of coffee. Full body, chewy but velvety tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Needs at least three to four years to soften and come together. Try in 2016.

Wine Spectator

93 / 100

byJames Molesworththe2/11/2014

This pulls no punches, with loads of crushed fig, blackberry and plum fruit, inlaid with melted black licorice, warm ganache and Turkish coffee notes. Aims high and hits the mark, offering flattering fruit and mouthfeel and ample length and definition. An impressive effort for the vintage. Best from 2016 through 2026.

La Revue du Vin de France

16,5-17,5 / 20

the5/31/2012

Cette enclave de 2 hectares (90% merlot, 100% fûts neufs) dans le vignoble de château Pavie-Decesse se distingue une fois encore par ses arômes complexes, des notes de cuir frais, de terreau en décomposition. Bouche hyper veloutée, à l'attaque franche, d'une très belle allonge pour le millésiem, qui repart sur des tanins salés. Cette race justifie l'engouement international pour ce vin.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

89-92 / 100

byIan D'Agatathe5/12/2012

Vivid deep ruby. Sexy aromas of strawberry and blueberry are complicated by subtle cola and ink nuances, along with with slow-building spiciness. The tangy black fruit flavors gain depth with air, with tobacco and mineral nuances adding complexity. Finishes with massive yet silky building tannins that give the wine ample support.

Wine Advocate

92-94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2012

(This backward, primary wine may have just finished malolactic fermentation. From a tiny vineyard owned by Chantal and Gerard Perse, the fruit was harvested on September 17 at a microscopic 22 hectoliters per hectare. Composed of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, the 2011 Bellevue Mondotte is the most powerful wine in the Perse portfolio, coming in at 14.5% natural alcohol (more similar to 2009 and 2010 than most 2011s). From a great terroir (just across the street from Stephan von Neipperg’s La Mondotte), the wine exhibits massive, full-bodied power, extraordinary depth and richness as well as a boatload of tannins that have yet to soften and mellow. This appears to be a long-term proposition for most readers. I suspect it will soften considerably during its upbringing in oak barrels, and will undoubtedly require 5-6 years of cellaring after its release in 2014. If you are young, wealthy and have a lot of patience, purchasing this wine should be a serious consideration as it should turn out to be one of the great 2011s. (92-94+ points)

TAST

18-19 / 20

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/30/2012

Très belle ampleur, sauve et veloutée, mais en même temps une folle énergie. Le cru dépasse largement le cadre du millésime pour imposer une personnalité forte et désormais très harmonieuse. Grand volume, grande intensité, grand velouté.

Wein Wisser

18 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe4/30/2012

2017-2034

The Wine Cellar Insider

92-94 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/27/2012

Deep in color with flowers, stone, blackberry liqueur, coffee, caramel, plum, chocolate mint and smoke, the wine is fleshy, big, dense and concentrated with layers of ripe dark berries. There is a lot of tannin, minerality and oak in the finish. This wine will require time to develop and come together. 92-94 Pts

Wine Advocate

92-94 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/27/2012

Picked on 27th September, the Bellevue Mondotte has a sensual bouquet with ripe saturated black cherries, crème de cassis and blueberry that is unashamedly opulent, especially for the vintage. The palate is full-bodied with firm grip, great depth, quite tensile tannins and great precision on the finish. Modern in style (of course) but I like the focus here and the minerality on the finish. Very fine. Tasted April 2012

Jancis Robinson

16,5 / 20

byJulia Harding MWthe4/24/2012

Drink 2019-2028
Still on calcaire plateau. Two hectares of old vines. Dark and rich and pure. Lots of oak but texture more silky than the Pavie Decesse. Needs a lot of time but it isn't bitter or hard. Just very dense and dark and not ready. (JH)

Asian Palate

92-93 / 100

byJeannie Cho Lee MWthe4/20/2012

This is a powerful wine with great ageing potential. It has 14.5% alcohol and amazing weight and intensity. This is a big ripe style with chewy, thick tannins that requires patience. Bellevue Mondotte is a small 2 ha property planted with 90% Merlot.

Wine Spectator

92-95 / 100

byJames Molesworththe4/10/2012

This is not shy, with clearly extracted fig, boysenberry and plum fruit flavors that are liberally laced with blueberry pâte de fruit, cassis and ganache. The long finish lets the toast and spice pyrotechnics play out, with a saturated yet driven feel.—J.M.