2012 Bellevue Mondotte, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru, Bottle (750ml)

RP96 "The smallest of the Perse estates, this tiny property situated on pure limestone produces a wine made from a blend of 90% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. One of the superstars of this vintage, the 2012 is opaque purple and exhibits tremendous concentration and richness, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and a layered texture that builds incrementally without any heaviness or cloying characteristics. This is stunning, great, old-style, yet progressively made Bordeaux to drink over the next 25-30 years." RP Apr 2015

AG95+ "The Bellevue-Mondotte is arguably the most intriguing of Gérard Perse's 2012s. It is also the least accessible of the wines today. A firm spine of tannin gives the Bellevue-Mondotte much of its personality. Black cherry, smoke, licorice, tar and graphite all take on shades of virility in a wine endowed with vertical structure and pure power. Gérard Perse made just 4,000 bottles from Bellevue-Mondotte, a tiny two-hectare vineyard on Saint-Emilion's clay/limestone plateau. The 2012 is a magical wine, but it will require considerable patience. The blend is 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is a stunning wine from Gérard and Chantal Perse and their long-time winemaker Michel Rolland." AG for VM Jan 2016

Robert Parker writes, "An exquisite jewel in Chantal and Gerard Perse’s Right Bank empire, Bellevue-Mondotte is a tiny, 5-acre parcel of 45-year-old vines planted on the limestone plateau above Pavie-Decesse and Pavie-Macquin." Published April 2006