Bellevue St-Émilion 2016

97 points James Suckling: "A dense and layered red with ripe plums and blueberries, as well as hints of wet earth and moss. Full-bodied, velvety and layered with fantastic fruit and creamy, velvety tannins. Plush and deep. Great wine. Try from 2023. (2/3/19)"

95 points Lisa Perrotti-Brown (The Wine Independent): "The 2016 Bellevue is deep garnet in color. It rolls out with open-knit notes of baked black plums, boysenberry preserves, and forest floor, plus hints of Christmas cake and cast-iron pan with a waft of wild thyme. The full-bodied palate is bursting with black fruit preserves and earthy layers, framed by firm, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and fragrant. Alcohol 14.5%. Drink: 2023-2043. (12/8/22)"

94 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Made from 100% Merlot and cooler limestone and clay soils, the 2016 Château Bellevue shows a beautiful minerality and freshness in its black raspberry, crushed rocks, graphite, and dried flower aromas and flavors. It's medium-bodied, focused, and precise on the palate, with fine yet certainly present tannins. Give this beauty 3-5 years and it will cruise for two decades. Drink: 2022-2042. (2/28/19)"

94 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "Made by the same team as Angélus, this is 100% Merlot aged in 100% new oak. One-third underwent malolactic fermentation in barrel, the other two-thirds in tank, the total time in barrel 16 months. It was bottled in June 2018. It has a salty red-cherry nose, laced with smoky notes of vanilla. There follows a beautifully seductive character on the palate, which is finely textured, with a supple weight of black cherry and black olive fruits, and a firm bed of tannins lying beneath. It is rich, polished, not fat but certainly sumptuous, with a sinewy and taut structure. The tannins are very fine, appearing only in the finish, giving it a long and gripped length. A very cool but welcoming style. (Dec 2018)"

94 points Peter Moser (Falstaff): "Deep dark ruby, firm core, purple glints, faintly lighter at the rim. Pronounced refined wood nuances, subtle hints of liquorice, black berry fruit, lovely herbal notes, and a dash of chocolate. Rich, tightly woven, pleasant nougat notes, with well-integrated tannins, and an excellent length. A refined, invigorating style with very promising potential for many years ahead. (5/24/17)"

93+ points Antonio Galloni (Vinous): "The 2016 Bellevue is dense and powerful, but also quite reticent following its bottling this past June. Dark and virile, the 2016 is going to need at least a few years to come into its own. The intensity and volume the wine showed en primeur are very much in evidence, but also presently enshrouded by a wall of potent tannins. Gravel, smoke, game, leather and tobacco give the 2016 much of its savory character. I loved Bellevue from barrel, but it is far less showy from bottle. (Drink between 2024-2046. (Jan 2019)"

93 points Jane Anson (Decanter): "From the Angélus stable, this lovely property has a 0.5ha slice on the top of plateau, with the remaining 6ha on clay limestone top slopes. Late ripening soils mean that this can be austere when young, even though it is 100% Merlot. Plum fruits, wild berries and a touch of austerity through the mid-palate. Needs time in the glass, but it opens to reveal lovely elegant mineral notes that layer over the top of restrained power. Drinking Window: 2027-2045. (Apr 2017)"

93 points Wine Spectator: "Lush and inviting, with warm cassis and plum sauce flavors that glide through, laced with anise and rooibos tea hints while sweet toast and wood spice notes stays nicely buried through the finish. A delicious, fruit-driven example. Drink now through 2035. 1,667 cases made. (3/31/19)"

93 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 2016 Bellevue has retained the attractive bouquet evident when in barrel: quite rich in style but well defined, offering ample, luscious red cherry, mulberry and pressed iris aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with lush tannin, impressive depth and freshness and just the right amount of salinity toward the finish. This has gained a little panache during its élevage, and it comes highly recommended. Excellent. Drink: 2023-2040. (Jan 2019)"