Château Bélair-Monange was born from the vineyards of Châteaux Bélair and Magdelaine, both historic First Classified Growths of Saint-Émilion. Tracing its origins back to Roman times, the vineyard of Château Bélair is situated at the highest point of Saint-Émilion’s famed limestone plateau. Château Magdelaine, a contiguous cru acquired in 1952, has always been renowned for the remarkable elegance of its wines. Château Bélair-Monange expresses the unique style of the greatest parcels of these two complementary terroirs.

An important restructuring of the vineyard was initiated in 2008 immediately following the acquisition of the estate by Ets. Jean-Pierre Moueix. Another wine embodying the inherent qualities of the vineyard – minerality, concentration of red berries, balance and length – emerged in 2014: Annonce de Bélair-Monange.

Produced in very limited quantities, Annonce enjoys the same attention as the Grand Vin: meticulous vineyard work undertaken with respect for the environment followed by a manual harvest once the grapes have reached optimal maturity. Vinification takes place in concrete and stainless-steel vats, where maceration and extraction are gentle and measured in order to allow the fruit its highest expression. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels.

Although Annonce exhibits great charm in its youth, a few years of cellaring or a few hours of decanting will be largely rewarded.

“Plum and chocolate aromas with hints of bark and cedar follow through to a medium to full body. Juicy and delicious. Very polished and velvety tannins. Touch of spice at the end. Salty and almost irony underneath. Second wine of Belair, but more like a top cru.”
96 points, James Suckling, March 2023

“Supple and generous, dark and brooding with perfume and charm. The flavours go vertically, giving depth on the mid-palate, but remaining defined and detailed. I love the very subtle sweetness, a sweet strawberry jam element to the mid-palate that gives joy and life, while quite serious savoury elements expand around the mouth – clove, cinnamon, aniseed, baking spices, cedar and dark chocolate. A serious wine, certainly with ageing potential. Well worked, long and ripe with lovely mineral touches. Needs some more time to come around but this is a brilliant second wine – one to get hold of!”
94 points, Georgina Hindle, Decanter, January 2023