Château Bel-Air in Pomerol

The château Bel-Air has been acquired in 1914, just before the Great War by the Sudrat family (the great grand parents of Véronique).

For two generations, the transmission has been done by women.

The property is located in Pomerol at the heart of the village on a sandy and gravelly soil on certain parts, with green clay and iron underlying.

Grape varieties : 95% merlot et 5% cabernet sauvignon.
The culture is completly traditional with the practise of tillings. No weeding at all.
Reasoned culture with limited fungicidal treatments. CMR chemical products excluded.
Restrictive pruning, buds’split, leaves’ thinning out et green harvesting.
Manual harveting with egraineur & sorting table.
Gravity entry of entire grape berries in the vats. Pigeage for little capacity cement vats.

Fermentations are thermoregulated over 20 days approximately. Wine is matured in French oak barrels, which are renewed for one third every year. Wine stays in barrels for 12 to 18 months depending on the vintages, before bottling.
Tasting helps us to define the second wine which carries the label “Château Ermitage de Bel-Air”.
Wine consultants : Derenoncourt Consultants : Frédéric Massie & Romain Bocchio.

Date of creation

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Property’s area

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Average age of the vineyard

Tasting comments about our last vintages

William Kelley : 91 A charming, elegant wine from holdings downhill from Trotanoy, the 2020 Bel-Air (Pomerol) is a medium to full-bodied, supple, fleshy red evocative of plums, cherries and spices. Displaying a touch more mid-palate depth than its 2019 counterpart, this will offer a broad drinking window.
James Suckling. note 92-93
A firm and chewy red with polished tannins and a smoky undertone. It’s medium-to full-bodied. Dark fruit. Lots in the bottle.
Antonio Galloni. note 91-93 : The 2020 Bel-Air is a powerful, ample wine. Inky dark fruit, mocha, licorice, lavender and chocolate build as the layers flesh out in the glass. This is an especially racy, overt style, but it works well.
Lise Perrotti Brown. note 90-92
Deep purple-black colored, the 2020 Bel-Air opens with notes of ripe blackberries and stewed plums, giving way to hints of pencil lead, dried herbs, tobacco leaf and damp soil plus a hint of Indian spices. The medium to full-bodied palate is densely laden with black fruit preserves and spicy accents, framed by ripe, rounded tannins and well-balanced acidity, finishing with lingering cedar and cloves hints.

James Suckling. NOTE 93
Beautiful and complex romas of orange peel, fruit tea, hazelnuts and berries follow through a medium body with ultra-fine tannins and polished, refined tannins. Finese with focus. Try after 2025.
Antonio Galloni : 92 : The 2019 Bel-Air has come together nicely. It’s racy personality is on display, but élevage seems to have tamed some of the overt intensity that was present in the early going. Inky dark fruit, new leather, kirsch and sweet spice infuse the 2019 with quite a bit of character. This ripe, forward Pomerol will drink well right out of the gate.2025-2039
Lise Perrotti Brown. NOTE 89-91
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2019 Bel-Air strolls nonchalantly out of the glass with scents of baked plums, boysenberries and black cherry compote with hints of violets, star anise and cardamom. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is chock-full of juicy black fruits with soft, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing earthy.

James Suckling. NOTE 92
Antonio Galloni. NOTE 88-90. The 2018 Bel Air (Merlot) is bold, fruity and easygoing. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, chocolate, leather and spice all flesh out. Soft curves and silky tannins add to the wine’s near and medium-term appeal. Dense and ample on the palate, the 2018 offers a good bit of depth.
Bernard Burtschy Le Figaro 90-91

James Suckling. note 90-91. Very pretty and fine with round and polished tannins that characterize a linear and balanced palate. All in finesse and length.
Jeb Dunnuck Note 88-90. From a site of clay and gravelly soils next to Trotanoy, the 2017 Château Bel-Air offers a classic Pomerol bouquet of black cherries, damp earth and cedary herbs in a plump, rounded, nicely textured package. It has fine tannin and solid length, and might end up being an outstanding wine.
Lisa Perrotti Brown Note 88-90. The 2017 de Bel-Air is medium to deep garnet-purple in color and scented of spiced plums, blueberry compote and black forest cake with wafts of pot pourri and star anise. Medium-bodied, softly textured and with a good amount of baked black fruits in the mouth, it finishes well-poised.