Medium-bodied, this richly layered wine offers aromas of cassis black raspberry, dark chocolate, dried black currant, leather and tobacco.
Marquis de Bellefont is a second label of Château Bellefont-Belcier and is located in the town of Saint-Laurent-des-Combes in the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru appellation area. The vineyard is divided into three distinct zones: the limestone plateau, the clay-limestone south coast, and the clay-sandy foot of the coast and is ideally suited for Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. The average vine age is 35 years.
This wine is an ideal companion with beef, lamb, and poultry
If you love mature Bordeaux with tertiary flavors of leather, mushroom, and earth, this wine is for you! It also features a deep purple color and lush aromas of cherry and vanillin oak. Good tannic structure and a long, well-balanced finish.
This wine is an ideal companion for poultry, lamb or grilled beef.
Specs
Vintage: 2008
Blend: 80% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc
Barrel Regime: 20-24 months in new French oak barrels
Farming practices: sustainable. No herbicide or pesticide are used. Only contact treatments are applied with copper and sulfur.
Alcohol: 14%
Production: 1,200 cases
What’s Included
3-bottles:
2x 2008 Marquis de Bellefont Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
1x 2008 Château de Candale Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Case:
8x 2008 Marquis de Bellefont Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
4x 2008 Château de Candale Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $540/case MSRP
About The Winery
Winery: Château Bellefont-Belcier
Created at the end of the 18th century, Château Bellefont-Belcier is ideally located on the south coast of Saint-Emilion, alongside Château Pavie, Château Larcis-Ducasse and Château Tertre Roteboeuf. Marquis de Bellefont, their second label, provides you the opportunity to experience Grand Cru Chateau Bellefront-Belcier for under $30.
The Château became the property of the Faure family at the end of the 19th century. It was at this time that the vineyard became one of the flagship estates of the Bordeaux region with numerous awards. Including the only gold medal awarded by the Ministry of Agriculture to Bordeaux wines, during the Competition agricultural general of Paris in 1892. Modern for his time, he designed the famous circular vat in the hillside with its gravity reception. Preserved intact since its construction, it is today one of the jewels of this property. Château Bellefont-Belcier was classified in 2006 as a Grand Cru Classé.
Winery: Château de Candale
A classic château property, the charming Château de Candale is located east of Saint-Emilion’s celebrated limestone plateau in one of the region’s most desirable districts. The recently modernized estate shares its premium terroir with nearby Château Tertre Roteboeuf and La Mondotte.
Château de Candale probably owes its origins to Marguerite de Suffolk Kendall, a descendent of Edward III, King of England and Duke of Aquitaine. When she married Count Jean of Foix, he added the Count of Candale name to his other titles. At their table, the Count and Countess of Foix-Candale would serve wines from their lands in Saint-Emilion, already widely renowned at the time thanks to the strict quality rules set down by the Jurade of Saint-Emilion.
Jean-Louis Vicard, President of the well-known Vicard Cooperage, purchased Château Roc de Candale in 2010. Stéphane Derenoncourt is the winemaker and one of France’s premier wine consultants with specific expertise in the Right Bank. His clients include Domaine de Chevalier, Clos Fourtet, Clos de l’Oratoire, Chateau Pavie-Macquin, Canon-la-Gaffeliere, Smith Haut Lafitte, Brown, as well as Francis Ford Coppola’s Rubicon Estate in Napa.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Reds from the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
3 bottles for $59.99 $20/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $169.99 $14.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2008 Reds from the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru - $70 = 29.16%
Bummer. I would have been all over this if I didn’t decide to not buy anymore from here until I can force myself to finish the crap they sent me in that mystery box order.
@mattkillpatty@toddlamp I’ve had one bottle that was really excellent, the Chateau bonnet. Two bottles that were eh, the limoux sparkler (brut and rose) and two bottles that were trash, the caliterra and Flechas. The only one I don’t think I’ve had yet out of my case is the remeage.
We were lucky to get an email that we had a wine shipment on the way from Alice. This was exciting.
Impressive: a 2008 right bank Bordeaux. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Sounds like a steak wine.
The bottle arrived a few days early and so it went into the cellar to regain its composure and settle into a reasonable temperature for drinking. Here in north Georgia, it’s been hot and humid.
As is our custom, we did a “pop and pour” tasting before preparing the meal we would enjoy with the rest of the bottle. We poured a couple of half glasses and immediately decanted the rest into a very wide bottomed decanter.
Pop and Pour notes: The nose was a beautiful strawberry with big blueberry and muted raspberry notes. It was kind of “in your face” to be honest. Kind of like a James Brown “Hah!”. It caught us by surprise…a very pleasant surprise.
The pop and pour taste was likewise big: tar, sour cherry, earthy herbs (think thyme as opposed to rosemary) and very grippy tannins. The tannins were very pronounced like a young wine that needed a few more years in the bottle to integrate a bit more. And the finish had some bitter coffee notes and was short to medium.
Honestly, on the pop and pour, we thought it was maybe too young, even at 13 years old.
I had a nice prime steak lined up along with some baby broccoli, so I got to work.
I salt and peppered the heck out of the steak and let it soak in while I cut the broccoli and tossed it in olive oil. Oven set to 400F and let the pre-heat do its thing.
The steak was going to be seared and popped into the oven at the same time as the vegetables. After five minutes, it would be removed and finished over a low burner with as garlic thyme butter and left to rest for fifteen minutes or so. By then, the broccoli would be roasted and the meal ready to eat.
During the food prep, I was thinking about the tannins in the wine. I mean, such strong tannins after so much time. Maybe we need to up our wine game to some more expensive aged wines? We have wines this old that have well integrated tannins.
In any case, we poured glasses to drink with the meal so a little over an hour went by. On this pour, the nose was more muted, solid…the strawberry, blueberry and raspberry were still there but more staid, less rambunctious.
If it was like James Brown before, after an hour or so, it was like Barry White, strong enough to command respect and smooth enough to seduce you.
My wife, having the better palate, in the house takes over from here.
Again, the big cherry flavor but more up front thyme and a touch of coffee (but not in a bitter and bad way). There is a roasted quality…coffee and toast, if that makes sense. The tannins have integrated much more and there is some nice acid that wasn’t there on the pop and pour.
This was a terrific wine to pair with the steak cooked the way it was with tons of garlic and thyme butter. The acidity cut through the fat and really provided a nice contrast even as the toast quality melded nicely with the crust of the steak.
Of course, the herbs complemented the broccoli nicely. Terrific pairing. I only wish we had opted to add the herbed baby potatoes we had planned on to the sheet pan with the baby broccoli. However, it was Friday after a roller coaster of a week for both of us and we got lazy (though it would have taken all of five minutes).
Another hour later, the taste turned to black cherry with notes of and unripe plum. While the wine, at this point was still delicious, we felt that it was unbelievable with the meal and recommend drinking it with roasted meats and herbed vegetables. However, it did have a longer finish at this point.
To sum it up, my wife says the wine was sophisticated. It was like being in a classic dress with restraint, class, and poise. It had a certain calm confidence. It’s a calm wine, perfect for autumn in the North East where we lived for so long.
We put it at $35 so the deal looks like a good one to us.
@lionel47
Broad paint brush statement here, but even minor Bordeaux doesn’t even want to think about being opened until at least age 10. I know some think the same about Cali/domestic reds but I heartily disagree
hmmmm…Saint-Emilion maybe favorite Bordeaux appellation…I have a smattering of Bellefont-Belcier in the cellar…Candale rings no bells…2008 was a crazy vintage weather-wise but Saint-Emilion made some fine wines, with some comparing it to 2001 which was quite good. Time to do a little research.
Labrat here for the Marquis de Bellefont. The wine poured a maroon-ish garnet color. Initial nose was a little funky, like dirty laundry, but didn’t taste like it. The wine was brighter and fruitier than I was expecting (the cab franc definitely comes through), yet featured most of the typical Merlot flavors. We tasted blackberries, blackcurrant, a little raspberry. As it opened, leather, tobacco, and some mulling spices, mainly allspice. The finish was lingering, dry, and acidic and left me with notes of vanilla extract. Pairing with spaghetti Bolognese worked well. I could picture this with a beef bourguignon or a roasted dish. Will be back on a bit later if anyone has any questions.
@Boatman72 After some time in the decanter the brightness and fruit forward softened a bit and leather, spice, and oak were more pronounced. Tannins were pretty soft and delicate to begin with. Additional time to breathe didn’t really change or improve it dramatically. I left a little for this morning and it was flat/muted/not great.
The other rat mentioned the Candale tasted quite young to them. I didn’t get that impression with this wine, but i’m certainly no expert in the aging department.
@Boatman72@char2na just to be clear: the Canale tasted young on the pop and pour. Over the two hours in the decanter, it improved and showed its flavors. If I had to guess, I’d say it will peak in five years.
@ScottHarveyWine glad to help. If casemates ever needs someone to rat a nice bottle of barbera or zinfandel from, I don’t know, let’s just say, the sierra foothills or something I would be more than happy to offer my services.
@ScottHarveyWine, @char2na, @lionel47 Ok - Ok - I give, first the 2 Rat’s pushed me up to the line, then Scott Harvey ‘nudged me’ over; in for a case simple-fatty-hill
Damn I was just going in for a case but they’re sold out. Any way some of the 3 packs can be retooled for more cases @Winedavid49?? 2+1 in the 3 pack isn’t really my cup o tea
@deadlyapp Lots of luck with that. I’m sure, at these prices, that would be cost prohibitive. That said, having already bought two of the 3-packs because of the case sellout, I’d happily spring for the case instead.
@ddeuddeg@deadlyapp You could always email customer service, too. Perhaps after the deal closes they could reassess their stock and change it for you? Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking.
More UPS BullCrap! I quit. @winedavid49 you can have it back.
Three consecutive days I’ve been sitting in my office ready to receive the shipment. And three consecutive days the UPS driver submits an “unable to deliver” notice without ever showing up at my office door! To make matters worse, yesterday, after they posted the unable to deliver notice, I actually SAW the driver on a different floor. I asked why my shipment had not been delivered and he said that it was still on his truck. WTF?
@Zortapa, @winedavid49
WOW that sucks!!
I’m no UPS lover but just for comparison:
We got our delivery ‘late’ on the 15th, driver rings the bell, I open the door he said - "Sorry I’m so late puts the case on the inside floor, have a good night!!. I guess he really likes his job, make all the difference.
I guess there were a few 3-packs left when the offer ended, so this wasn’t actually a sell-out. Should have been. These are great. And fantastic gifts. Aged quality right-bank bordeaux for $15 a pop.
2008 Marquis de Bellefont Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Tasting Notes
Specs
2008 Château de Candale Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Tasting Notes
Specs
What’s Included
3-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $540/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Sep 13 - Friday, Sep 17
Reds from the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
3 bottles for $59.99 $20/bottle + $2.67/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $169.99 $14.17/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2008 Marquis de Bellefont Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
2008 Château de Candale Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2008 Reds from the Saint-Émilion Grand Cru - $70 = 29.16%
Nice … Some age, from an overlooked year. The case price is solid.
Bummer. I would have been all over this if I didn’t decide to not buy anymore from here until I can force myself to finish the crap they sent me in that mystery box order.
@toddlamp totally agree. Trying really hard to find anything in that case that I like.
@mattkillpatty @toddlamp I’ve had one bottle that was really excellent, the Chateau bonnet. Two bottles that were eh, the limoux sparkler (brut and rose) and two bottles that were trash, the caliterra and Flechas. The only one I don’t think I’ve had yet out of my case is the remeage.
2008 Château de Candale Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
We were lucky to get an email that we had a wine shipment on the way from Alice. This was exciting.
Impressive: a 2008 right bank Bordeaux. 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc. Sounds like a steak wine.
The bottle arrived a few days early and so it went into the cellar to regain its composure and settle into a reasonable temperature for drinking. Here in north Georgia, it’s been hot and humid.
As is our custom, we did a “pop and pour” tasting before preparing the meal we would enjoy with the rest of the bottle. We poured a couple of half glasses and immediately decanted the rest into a very wide bottomed decanter.
Pop and Pour notes: The nose was a beautiful strawberry with big blueberry and muted raspberry notes. It was kind of “in your face” to be honest. Kind of like a James Brown “Hah!”. It caught us by surprise…a very pleasant surprise.
The pop and pour taste was likewise big: tar, sour cherry, earthy herbs (think thyme as opposed to rosemary) and very grippy tannins. The tannins were very pronounced like a young wine that needed a few more years in the bottle to integrate a bit more. And the finish had some bitter coffee notes and was short to medium.
Honestly, on the pop and pour, we thought it was maybe too young, even at 13 years old.
I had a nice prime steak lined up along with some baby broccoli, so I got to work.
I salt and peppered the heck out of the steak and let it soak in while I cut the broccoli and tossed it in olive oil. Oven set to 400F and let the pre-heat do its thing.
The steak was going to be seared and popped into the oven at the same time as the vegetables. After five minutes, it would be removed and finished over a low burner with as garlic thyme butter and left to rest for fifteen minutes or so. By then, the broccoli would be roasted and the meal ready to eat.
During the food prep, I was thinking about the tannins in the wine. I mean, such strong tannins after so much time. Maybe we need to up our wine game to some more expensive aged wines? We have wines this old that have well integrated tannins.
In any case, we poured glasses to drink with the meal so a little over an hour went by. On this pour, the nose was more muted, solid…the strawberry, blueberry and raspberry were still there but more staid, less rambunctious.
If it was like James Brown before, after an hour or so, it was like Barry White, strong enough to command respect and smooth enough to seduce you.
My wife, having the better palate, in the house takes over from here.
Again, the big cherry flavor but more up front thyme and a touch of coffee (but not in a bitter and bad way). There is a roasted quality…coffee and toast, if that makes sense. The tannins have integrated much more and there is some nice acid that wasn’t there on the pop and pour.
This was a terrific wine to pair with the steak cooked the way it was with tons of garlic and thyme butter. The acidity cut through the fat and really provided a nice contrast even as the toast quality melded nicely with the crust of the steak.
Of course, the herbs complemented the broccoli nicely. Terrific pairing. I only wish we had opted to add the herbed baby potatoes we had planned on to the sheet pan with the baby broccoli. However, it was Friday after a roller coaster of a week for both of us and we got lazy (though it would have taken all of five minutes).
Another hour later, the taste turned to black cherry with notes of and unripe plum. While the wine, at this point was still delicious, we felt that it was unbelievable with the meal and recommend drinking it with roasted meats and herbed vegetables. However, it did have a longer finish at this point.
To sum it up, my wife says the wine was sophisticated. It was like being in a classic dress with restraint, class, and poise. It had a certain calm confidence. It’s a calm wine, perfect for autumn in the North East where we lived for so long.
We put it at $35 so the deal looks like a good one to us.
@lionel47
Broad paint brush statement here, but even minor Bordeaux doesn’t even want to think about being opened until at least age 10. I know some think the same about Cali/domestic reds but I heartily disagree
@kaolis @lionel47 Yeah, I got a 2008 Bordeaux from Garagiste a while back. Opened one a couple months ago and it was still too young!
@lionel47 very nice rat notes!
/giphy nice rat notes
@lionel47 Terrific job on the rattage notes!
@efamily gee… Thank you!
@TimW thank you.
hmmmm…Saint-Emilion maybe favorite Bordeaux appellation…I have a smattering of Bellefont-Belcier in the cellar…Candale rings no bells…2008 was a crazy vintage weather-wise but Saint-Emilion made some fine wines, with some comparing it to 2001 which was quite good. Time to do a little research.
@kaolis Kind of a no brainer except for weather/shipping. However it’ll be going to Wisconsin where it’s cooling off. But weather from there to here?
2008 Marquis de Bellefont Saint-Émilion Grand Cru
Labrat here for the Marquis de Bellefont. The wine poured a maroon-ish garnet color. Initial nose was a little funky, like dirty laundry, but didn’t taste like it. The wine was brighter and fruitier than I was expecting (the cab franc definitely comes through), yet featured most of the typical Merlot flavors. We tasted blackberries, blackcurrant, a little raspberry. As it opened, leather, tobacco, and some mulling spices, mainly allspice. The finish was lingering, dry, and acidic and left me with notes of vanilla extract. Pairing with spaghetti Bolognese worked well. I could picture this with a beef bourguignon or a roasted dish. Will be back on a bit later if anyone has any questions.
@char2na Has the wine changed since you 1st sampled it?
@Boatman72 After some time in the decanter the brightness and fruit forward softened a bit and leather, spice, and oak were more pronounced. Tannins were pretty soft and delicate to begin with. Additional time to breathe didn’t really change or improve it dramatically. I left a little for this morning and it was flat/muted/not great.
The other rat mentioned the Candale tasted quite young to them. I didn’t get that impression with this wine, but i’m certainly no expert in the aging department.
@Boatman72 @char2na just to be clear: the Canale tasted young on the pop and pour. Over the two hours in the decanter, it improved and showed its flavors. If I had to guess, I’d say it will peak in five years.
For anyone reading comments and who didn’t notice…I just noticed that this is a 2+1 for the 3-pack or an 8+4 for the case.
@TimW ahhh… thanks for that
@kaolis @TimW
Yes, two Bellefont for every one Candale
Based on rattage reports, I’m in for a case.
@ScottHarveyWine glad to help. If casemates ever needs someone to rat a nice bottle of barbera or zinfandel from, I don’t know, let’s just say, the sierra foothills or something I would be more than happy to offer my services.
@ScottHarveyWine me too
In for it:
/giphy animated-childish-hook
@ScottHarveyWine, @char2na, @lionel47
Ok - Ok - I give, first the 2 Rat’s pushed me up to the line, then Scott Harvey ‘nudged me’ over; in for a case simple-fatty-hill
Damn I was just going in for a case but they’re sold out. Any way some of the 3 packs can be retooled for more cases @Winedavid49?? 2+1 in the 3 pack isn’t really my cup o tea
@deadlyapp Lots of luck with that. I’m sure, at these prices, that would be cost prohibitive. That said, having already bought two of the 3-packs because of the case sellout, I’d happily spring for the case instead.
@ddeuddeg @deadlyapp You could always email customer service, too. Perhaps after the deal closes they could reassess their stock and change it for you? Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking.
@ddeuddeg @klezman I guess we’ll just call it forced wbm
More UPS BullCrap! I quit. @winedavid49 you can have it back.
Three consecutive days I’ve been sitting in my office ready to receive the shipment. And three consecutive days the UPS driver submits an “unable to deliver” notice without ever showing up at my office door! To make matters worse, yesterday, after they posted the unable to deliver notice, I actually SAW the driver on a different floor. I asked why my shipment had not been delivered and he said that it was still on his truck. WTF?
@Zortapa, @winedavid49
WOW that sucks!!
I’m no UPS lover but just for comparison:
We got our delivery ‘late’ on the 15th, driver rings the bell, I open the door he said - "Sorry I’m so late puts the case on the inside floor, have a good night!!. I guess he really likes his job, make all the difference.
I guess there were a few 3-packs left when the offer ended, so this wasn’t actually a sell-out. Should have been. These are great. And fantastic gifts. Aged quality right-bank bordeaux for $15 a pop.