Château Bélair-Monange

Château Bélair-Monange was born from the fusion of the vineyards of Châteaux Bélair and Magdelaine, both historic First Classified Growths of Saint-Émilion.

Tracing its origins back to Roman times, the vineyard of Château Bélair is situated at the highest point of Saint-Émilion’s famed limestone plateau. Château Magdelaine, a contiguous cru acquired in 1952, has always been renowned for the remarkable elegance of its wines. Château Bélair-Monange expresses the unique style of the greatest parcels of these two complementary terroirs.

An important restructuring of the vineyard was initiated in 2008 immediately following the acquisition of the estate by Ets. Jean-Pierre Moueix. Another wine embodying the inherent qualities of the vineyard – minerality, concentration of red berries, balance and length – emerged in 2014: ANNONCE DE BÉLAIR-MONANGE

Produced in very limited quantities, ANNONCE enjoys the same attention as the Grand Vin: meticulous vineyard work undertaken with respect for the environment followed by a manual harvest once the grapes have reached optimal maturity. Vinification takes place in concrete and stainless-steel vats, where maceration and extraction are gentle and measured in order to allow the fruit its highest expression. The wine is then aged in French oak barrels.

Although ANNONCE exhibits great charm in its youth, a few years of cellaring or a few hours of decanting will be largely rewarded. (Moueix home page)

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Jean-Pierre Moueix

Établissements Jean-Pierre Moueix (JPM) is a prominent Bordeaux négociant house founded by Jean-Pierre Moueix in 1937 and situated in Libourne. Jean-Pierre Moueix retired in 1978 and passed away in 2003. In 1991, his son Christian Moueix became president of JPM. Today, leadership seamlessly bridges the second and third generations, as Christian's son, Edouard Moueix, joined the firm in 2003 and now serves as Managing Director.

JPM is highly respected among wine professionals as a Right Bank specialist. Top châteaux, such as Château Lafleur and Château Gazin, are distributed either exclusively or predominantly by JPM. In addition, JPM owns and produces several iconic properties, including Château Trotanoy, Château La Fleur-Pétrus, Château Hosanna, Château Latour à Pomerol, and Château Lagrange à Pomerol. Under Edouard's direction, the family has significantly expanded its Saint-Émilion footprint, acquiring Château Bélair-Monange (1er Grand Cru Classé) in 2008 and Clos La Madeleine in 2017. In June 2023, they unveiled a monumental new cellar at Bélair-Monange designed by the world-renowned architects Herzog & de Meuron.

Their older vintages hold a premium value because JPM stores all its inventory in perfect conditions within its Libourne cellars. These library wines are released strategically after several years—and sometimes even decades. Consequently, securing a direct allocation from JPM is widely considered the best way to purchase aged Right Bank wines. While traditionally rooted in Bordeaux, the company has also expanded its luxury merchant portfolio internationally, securing high-profile global distribution partnerships like Australia's cult icon Giaconda Chardonnay.

Château Pétrus was managed by Christian Moueix starting in 1970, but in 2008, he announced his intention to step back from its daily operations, limiting his role to that of a consultant.

Christian Moueix also owns vineyards in Napa Valley, California, most notably Dominus Estate and Ulysses Vineyard, both globally recognized among California’s finest cult estates.