Intense aromas of wet earth, limestone cellars and dark fruits such as currants and blackberries. Then turns to flowers. Black truffles, too. Licorice. Gravel. Full-bodied with a solid palate of tannins that melt into the wine. It’s sleek and muscular with fantastic length and presence. Reminds me of great old Belairs from the 1950s. Cool wine. 98% merlot and 2% cabernet franc. Give it six to eight years of time. Best after 2028.

99 points, JamesSuckling.com (March 2023)

A blend of 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2020 Belair-Monange has a deep garnet-purple color. It begins on a single note of bright, juicy red berries and roses, before expanding out to a whole array of suggestions of black plums, raspberry preserves, and mince pie, plus wafts of lilacs, loam, and cinnamon toast. The palate is full-on, full-bodied, jam-packed with muscular black and red berry layers and so many floral and savory accents, supported by velvety tannins, finishing with epic length and so much energy that it shimmers.

99 points, The Wine Independent (March 2023)

The 2020 Bélair-Monange has a brilliant bouquet that confirms my adulation from barrel with a cornucopia of aromas: black cherries, dates, crushed rock and pressed violets all unfold in dazzling fashion. The palate is beautifully proportioned with finely chiseled tannins, fresh and perhaps the most saline of J-P Moueix's 2020s. It builds supremely well on the mouth towards a structured yet pixelated finish. This fabulous Saint-Émilion may deserve even more adulation further down the line.

96 points, Vinous (December 2022)

The Grand Vin 2020 Château Belair-Monange is also 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Franc that's a blend of the upper limestone plateau and the more clay heavy soils on the hillside. Very much in the tight, structured style of the vintage, its dense purple hue is followed by a great nose of ripe black cherries, black raspberries, dried flowers, loamy earth, and camphor, with a beautiful sense of minerality. Opening up with time in the glass, it's full-bodied, has a deep, layered mouthfeel, gorgeous overall balance, and a great finish. It offers pleasure today but will benefit from 7-8 years of bottle age and will be a 30+ year wine.

98 points, JebDunnuck.com (March 2023)

The 2020 Belair Monange has also turned out nicely in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of rich cherries, plums, sweet spices, rose petals and creamy new oak. Full-bodied, rich and layered, it remains fresh despite its ripe, sun-kissed profile, and its generous payload of tannin helps to integrate its rather lofty level of alcohol. This is a success in its demonstrative, modern style.

95 points, Wine Advocate (April 2023)