Do we ship to you?.
More wines available from Chateau Bellevue Mondotte
More Details
Winery
Chateau Bellevue Mondotte
Vintage: 2007
2007 was the year that saw California's wine industry pick up once again, after a troubling couple of years. Indeed, all across the state of California, fantastic harvests were reported as a result of fine weather conditions throughout the flowering and ripening periods, and Napa Valley and Santa Barbera wines were widely considered amongst the best in the world in 2007, with Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes packing in all sorts of fine and desirable features in this year. South Africa, too, had a much-needed fantastic year for red wines, with Pinotage particularly displaying strong characteristics, alongside the country's other flagship red wine grape varietals.
Over in Europe, France had another fine year, especially for white wines. Champagne wineries were very happy with their Chardonnay harvests, and the Loire Valley and Graves in Bordeaux are proclaiming 2007 to be a memorable year due to the quality of their white wine grapes. For French red wines, Provence had their best year for almost a decade, as did the Southern Rhone. However, 2007 was most favorable to Italy, who saw high yields of exceptional quality across almost all of their major wine producing regions. Tuscany is claiming to have produced its best Chianti and Brunello wines for several years in 2007, and Piedmont and Veneto had a wonderful year for red wines. For Italian white wines, 2007 was an extremely successful year for Alto Adige and Campania. Germany also had a very good 2007, with Riesling displaying extremely dry and crisp characteristics, as did Portugal, where Port wine from 2007 is said to be one to collect.
Varietal: Red Bordeaux
There are few regions in the world with stricter regulations in regards to wine production and grape varietals than those found in Bordeaux, France. Here, in the home of the world's finest wines, the type and quality of grapes used is of utmost importance, and the legendary wineries which work on the banks of the Gironde river have mastered the careful art of juice blending to find the perfect balance for their produce. Whilst there are six 'official' Bordeaux grapes, the two key varietals for almost every fine Bordeaux wine are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and with good reason. Whilst Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are renowned for their acidity and astringency, strong fruit and spice flavors and full body, Merlot grapes are notably rounded, soft, fleshy and lighter on tannin. The combination of these two varietals, along with a small percentage of (commonly) Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc, is the perfect balancing act – the two grape varietals cancel out each others weaker points, and accentuate all that is good about the other.
Region: Bordeaux
Of all the wine regions in France, the mostly highly esteemed and famous is surely Bordeaux. Most commonly associated with their superb examples of blended red wines, usually made with a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot varietals, Bordeaux consistently demonstrates that their mix of traditional and modern wine-making styles is the recipe for fame and success. The region benefits greatly from its humid climate, and the fact that its clay and gravel based soils are perfect for growing the fine grape varietals which flourish there. The region is split into quite distinct sub-regions, with the finest generally believed to be the Left Bank and the Médoc region, where many of the most well known chateaux are based and produce their wonderful red and white wines.
Country: France
It is widely understood and accepted that the finest wines in the world come out of France. Whether you are drinking a vintage bottle from one of the famed Grand Cru wineries of Bordeaux - such as Chateau Margaux or Chateau Lafite-Rothschild - or a more simple and affordable bottle from one of the lesser known appellations in Burgundy, the likelihood is that the wine is packed full of intense and interesting flavors, and has a fine, balanced structure typical of almost all French produce. This reputation for excellence is taken extremely serious by the French, with dozens of regularly updated laws and regulations ensuring the quality and accurate labeling of wines. Such dedication and passion for fine wine, representative of the region in which it is produced, means customers can be assured that when they buy a bottle from France, they are buying something almost certain to please and delight.
Appellation: Saint Emilion
The beautiful sub-region of Saint Emilion in France's legendary Bordeaux region is regarded as the home of many of the world's finest red wines. The blending techniques employed in Saint Emilion have been passed down for generations, and aim to express the very finest flavors of the grape varietals used, most commonly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The climatic conditions in Saint Emilion are perfect for growing many of the Bordeaux grapes, and high yields of exceptional quality are commonplace. Fed by the mighty Gironde river and benefiting from superb clay and gravel based soils, Saint Emilion produces millions of bottles of high quality blended and unblended red wines each year, and continues to be a firm favorite of wine experts and the general public alike.