With the amalgamation of Château Magdelaine into this one property, the estate is now a considerable 58 acres. The wine is now performing in top gear. Powerful tannins drive the mainly Merlot blend with 10% Cabernet Franc. It still shows signs of the wood aging and these will disappear to leave a richly endowed wine with a fine future. Drink from 2026.

This was the first official vintage where the grand vin was joined by second label Annonce de Bélair-Monange, and they had also had three years of sourcing grapes from across both estates at this point. This is seriously good, with rich liquorice and fresh mint notes, well balanced but with punch, showing crushed raspberry fruits and a saline finish that I get in pretty much every recent vintage of Bélair-Monange. Its great persistency, richness and texture are testament to the success of their strategy here. 31,000 bottles produced - a good yield. Read more at http://www.decanter.com/wine-reviews/france/bordeaux/chateau-belair-monange-st-emilion-1er-grand-cru-classe-b-19244#WCLciKDAJBjGo0FY.99

The first vintage to include fruit from replantings on the upper plateau, the 2014 Château Bélair-Monange is another brilliant wine and is a 2014 that marries elegance and finesse with richness and terrific length. A blend of mostly Merlot and roughly 10% Cabernet Franc, it offers ruby/purple-tinged color as well as a complex bouquet of black cherry and currant-like fruits, lots of Asian spice, acacia flowers, cedary spice, and dried earth-like minerality. Ripe, medium to full-bodied, exceedingly elegant, with fine tannin, and great finish, it needs an hour of air if drinking anytime soon, and will evolve gracefully for 10-15 years.

(93-95 points) Fresh black and red plum, olive and crushed stone aromatics bring forth a wine that displays richness. The lush tannins and a fresh, black cherry, satin-textured finish secures an lasting impression. Read more at:https://www.thewinecellarinsider.com/wine-tasting-note/?vintage=2014&wine=Chateau%20Belair-Monange

There's gorgeous purity here, with cassis, loganberry and raspberry fruit carried by a lightly brambly feel, giving this more weight and grip than previous vintages. The chalky thread is there and really extends through the finish but is easily absorbed overall. Ends with lovely bergamot and rooibos tea notes. Best from 2022 through 2035. – JM

The 2014 Belair-Monange is deep garnet-brick in color. Notes of cedar and clove oil soon open out to reveal a powerful undercurrent of baked plums and dried blackberries plus hints of tar and damp soil. The medium to full-bodied palate is laden with rich black fruits supported by grainy tannins and well-balanced freshness, finishing long and spicy. This is classic. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

Roasted damson and greengage plum, touches of flaky pastry, orange peel and cloves, this is a gourmet style with toasted oak and melted tannins, luxurious with the beautiful saline balance of limestone. Ready to drink but will age further, enjoyable but less precision than you find in more recent Belair Monange vintages. 50% new oak. There was plenty of vineyard replanting going on at this time, as had been the case since the 2008 Moueix purchase, 23.5ha planted. Harvest September 27 to October 8.

The 2014 Belair-Monange was a slightly perplexing wine when I tasted it from barrel, so I was intrigued to discover how it would perform now in bottle. It has what you might describe as a "straight-laced" bouquet: very direct and nicely delineated, albeit without the frills and nuances of some of the best Saint Emilion wines this vintage. There is an attractive wilted rose petal aroma that emerges with aeration, but I was seeking more intensity. The palate is better than the aromatics: silky smooth in texture, well-judged acidity, genuine depth and gentle grip in the mouth. There is tangible mineralité here, great focus with a sense of tension and "bite" towards the finish. I was probably being parsimonious with my score in barrel, although that is partly vindicated by the nose that needs to get its act together and match the potential of the palate. Let's see how this develops over the next few years. - Neal Martin

The 2014 Bélair-Monange has an almost Left Bank style nose, indicating a proportion of Cabernet Franc in the blend. Clean, delineated cedar and pencil shavings scents emerge, yet there is a sense of control. The palate is medium-bodied with a silky texture, fresh with moderate depth. It is not amazingly complex. However, there is real finesse and class towards the finish, with a judicious touch of spice lingering on the aftertaste. Promising. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting. -- Neal Martin