2012 Chateau de Bel Air Lalande de Pomerol 750 ml

Ever since the gorgeous Petrus-like terroir of Château de Bel-Air first caught our attention a decade ago, the estate has blossomed into one of the Right Bank’s great values. We finally captured our first allocation last fall—a quick sell-out that was gone before many of our Bordeaux lovers could claim a case.

Fortunately, that sellout earned us a (figurative) trip into the Bel-Air cellar, where we went straight for the beautifully aged 2012 Château de Bel-Air Lalande de Pomerol. It’s a wine we haven’t been able to get off our minds since we first tasted it two years ago—and it has only gotten better since then. 

After eight-plus years untouched in the Bel-Air cellar, this dusty ruby-red Bordeaux is bursting with the kind of complexity that only age can bestow: It swirls with aromas of wild cherry, dried lavender, dried roses, and spice, and the palate shows a beautiful balance of fruit, earth, and emerging tones of leather, dried fruit, anise, and tobacco.

The secret to this bottle, which comes with age but without the standard Right Bank price, is in its terroir: Lalande-de-Pomerol is one of the truly hidden gems of Bordeaux, for a reason that dates back more than a century.

Pomerol, the world-famous village that spawns wines like Petrus and Le Pin, was controlled by the British in the 19th century, whereas Lalande was historically in French hands. For that reason, the great English négociants focused all of their energies on Pomerol, leading to wines with price tags that now sit at three and even four digits. 

Meanwhile, Lalande-de-Pomerol wines are every bit as worthy of attention, but have remained relatively overlooked. This is great for savvy Bordeaux lovers, because Lalande’s position just outside the spotlight means the prices for their wines, which are laden with unforgettable character and nuance, are significantly lower than those of Pomerol.

And Château de Bel-Air is one of the hidden gem’s hidden gems. We first tasted their 2012 at lunch at the Grosvenor Hotel in London. Every attendee was told to bring a favorite bottle, and while we represented Napa Valley with a bottle of Frog’s Leap Cabernet, our friend Guillaume showed up with the 2012 Bel-Air. It not only captivated us the entire time, but even wooed our tablemates—several of whom had flexed by bringing serious Cru Classé bottles. 

Two years after we first tasted it and more than eight years after harvest, this spectacular blend—Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and a bit of Cabernet Sauvignon grown on remarkable soil next to the famous Petrus plateau—is showing even more character. That’s why we claimed every bottle we could… to give Wine Access members a rare shot at a superb estate’s aged bottle, at a price that defies belief.