Chateau Bel Air Vieilles Vignes, Montagne-St-Emilion 2012

Vineyards

10-hectare property, neighbouring vineyards owned by Château Angelus, is located in the commune of Montagne and is remarkably well-exposed, with both rocky and clay-limestone soils. The vineyard is divided into two parcels: 6 hectares on the clay-limestone plateau, with vines over 40 years old, and 3 hectares on a slope with more clay-rich soils, with vines aged 15 to 20 years

Winemaking

12 months oak-ageing then a further 12 months in the bottle. 

Appearance

Brick red with garnet hue

Nose

Pronounced aromas of black fruit, oak, cinnamon, cocoa powder, tobacco & bell pepper.

Palate

Medium to full bodied, dry tannins and impressive length.

Food pairing

Simply cooked roast and grilled meat, especially lamb. Hot game pies and pithiviers. Jugged hare. Grouse. Aged parmesan.

Background story

The history of this family estate began on August 26, 1860, when Elie Rive acquired his first parcel of vineyards. Generations have succeeded one another, perfecting vineyard management and winemaking methods while respecting tradition and the terroir. After twenty-five years as CEO of a transport company, François Duverneuil took over the family estate in 2005 and started putting it back on the map. His daughter Anaïs, already established with a business supplying viticultural services to leading Bordeaux properties, officially took over operations in 2019.

This 10-hectare property, neighbouring vineyards owned by Château Angelus, is located in the commune of Montagne and is remarkably well-exposed, with both rocky and clay-limestone soils. The vineyard is divided into two parcels: 6 hectares on the clay-limestone plateau, with vines over 40 years old, and 3 hectares on a slope with more clay-rich soils, with vines aged 15 to 20 years, predominantly Merlot. The consultant winemaker is Damien Houx, a young rising star in Bordeaux who has won
numerous gold medals across all of the cuvées at Bel Air.

We are delighted to have privileged access to a back catalogue of some of the greatest recent vintages of Bordeaux’s Right Bank from a producer that fits perfectly with our philosophy of working with family-owned, boutique producers who deliver fantastic value for money and a true sense of their origin.