2015 Chateau de Bel Air Lalande de Pomerol 750 ml

We first read about Château de Bel-Air and its Petrus-like terroir while seated at an open-air cafe on the Place des Vosges. The story spoke of France’s aging châteaux, and pegged Bel-Air—an estate ranked as one of the best on the Right Bank as early as 1922—as one to watch as it was being recalled to life by vintner Michel de Laet Derache. That was in 2011. 

On countless trips to Bordeaux since, we have watched Château de Bel-Air blossom atop its Petrus-like terroir, and today we’re bringing you our first-ever allocation of this stunning Bordeaux value—a Wine Access exclusive worth the wait.

The secret to this bottle, which comes without the standard Right Bank price tag, is in its terroir: Lalande-de-Pomerol is one of the truly hidden gems of Bordeaux. Interestingly, because Pomerol proper was controlled by the British in the 19th century and Lalande was historically in French hands, the great English négociants focused all of their energies on Pomerol, leading to wines with price tags not just in the triple digits, but quadruple digits. This meant that though the wines from Lalande-de-Pomerol were every bit as worthy of attention, they remained relatively overlooked.

The upside is that Lalande’s position just outside the spotlight means that prices are significantly lower for wines of unforgettable character and nuance. Sitting on remarkable soil next to the famous Petrus plateau, you’d expect this classic red blend to be spectacular. It is. 

The 2015 Château de Bel-Air is purple-ruby to the rim, infused with intense aromas of ripe plum, blackberry, blueberry, violets, and sweet herbs. The nose is an absolute knockout. Plush and dense on the attack, this large-scaled 2015 composed itself after two hours in an oversized Riedel, becoming more restrained and finely delineated, finishing on the brightest of notes, braced by a sturdy tannic backbone. As Wine Spectator former European Bureau Chief James Suckling put it in his glowing 93-point review, the Bel-Air makes “a dramatic statement” before finishing “elegant and classical.” 

A traditional Merlot-dominated blend with spicy high notes contributed by Cabernet Franc and a bass line that’s pure Cabernet Sauvignon, the Bel-Air offers a symphony of classic Bordeaux notes—plum, cassis, graphite, sage—that only expand with time in the decanter. After the glorious 2015 season, the young wine was aged in 45% new French oak barrels, lending it a firm, tannic backbone and comforting aromas of vanilla, baking spice, and espresso. 

The result after five years in the bottle is a nuanced, powerful, tiny-production ruby red that you’ll be hard-pressed to find elsewhere, unless you’re en route to Bordeaux.