1996 Les Cedres de Belle Brise
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Tasting notes
Tasted at the château during our En Primeur week in Bordeaux with Henri Bruno de Coincy and his son, Marin de Coincy. The wine was decanted for 1 hour and 30 minutes prior to serving. The vineyard is planted with 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, with vines averaging 70 years of age, some reaching up to 110 years. This remarkable 30-year-old wine is now showing clear and elegant signs of maturity, with tertiary aromas धीरे gradually taking the lead. What a journey it offers. There is excellent concentration, with vinous notes of redcurrant, hints of nutty oak, silky tannins, and a vibrant texture. The finish is persistent, with delicate remnants of red fruit aromas. This wine is absolutely delicious now and at its peak. While it will continue to hold for a few more years, it is a wine to open and enjoy today, savouring every stage of maturity it has gained over the past three decades. This is not a bottle to leave forgotten in the cellar; it deserves a proper meal and to be shared with others who will appreciate its rarity.
About the producer
Tucked away in Pomerol’s southwest corner Ch. Belle-Brise is the ultimate insider’s Bordeaux. With just two hectares of walled garden vineyard, production at this estate is minuscule, making it one of the rarest wines in the marketplace (and arguably more exclusive than either Pétrus or Le Pin).