Black forest cherry, young cedar, smoky dark plum. Wild blueberry, French vanilla, bitter cacao. An arrestingly tense and muscular presentation led by black currant, açaí, and anise liqueur writhes with powerful extraction and energy within a display layered with beautifully integrated spice tones of cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, and clove. Notes of mint leaf, menthol, pine, and tobacco elegantly reveal a range of pretty herbal components that mingle with deeply decadent suggestions of dark roast coffee, iodine, and bittersweet chocolate. Hints of dried clay, iron, and broken limestone expose compelling bits of savory earthiness as wafts of rose petal, lavender, and violet enhance aromatics with pretty floral perfume. Marvelously concentrated, grippy, and tightly-wound on the palate while somehow remaining astoundingly elegant and well balanced; exhibiting a classically-styled and exceptionally age-worthy frame that is robust while remaining deliciously soft and supple. Medium-plus bodied with pronounced tannin backed by elevated acidity. This 2018 Saint-Emilion Grand Cru by Chateau Bellefont-Belcier is a serious and stately red from Bordeaux.

Legendary as one of the premier villages on Bordeaux's famed right bank, Saint-Emilion is known for producing exceptional Merlot-based wines that possess impressive complexity, texture, and depth. This bottling, crafted by Chateau Bellefont-Belcier using 70% Merlot/25% Cabernet Franc/5% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from their estate vineyards in Saint-Emilion, is an incredible example of the concentration, elegance, and balance that modern wines from this region can still achieve. This generously spills a dense yet delicate medley of dark fruits layered with pristine barrel spice, minty herbal notes, rich chocolate and coffee tones, and classic earthiness. It is a notably restrained and age-worthy creation that deserves at least a decade in the cellar to mature, yet it will likely not hit its peak for 20-30 years. Outstanding.