Château Belle-Rive: Tasting & Drinking
While the first wines of Château Belle-Rive I encountered in those early days of discovery, from the 1980s and early 1990s, are now fading, more recent vintages remain strong and convincing. The wines have a delightfully marrowy substance, are broad and opulent, and are full of botrytis character. They age well, as seen with the 1988, 1989 and 1990 vintages, all of which are more gentle and reserved than they were when I first tasted them, but they still give pleasure.
More recent efforts from the Lalanne-Malinge era have been no less convincing though, with 1997 a particularly noteworthy vintage. The 1997 Quintessence remains one of the most remarkable wines from this appellation I have ever tasted; it has that magical combination of concentration and noble rot character, contrasted against the racy acidity of Chenin Blanc grown in a cool climate and the minerality of the terroir. Several other regions that spring to mind achieve the first and second characteristics quite nicely, but the third and fourth features are where the Loire Valley truly excels.
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