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Château Beau-Séjour Bécot

158

Address: 33330 St Emilion

Telephone: +33 (0)5 57 74 46 87

E-mail: contact@beausejour-becot.com

Website: www.beausejour-becot.com

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot was named simply Beau-Séjour in 1787 by the then proprietor General Jacques de Carle. In 1969 Michel Bécot bought the estate and increased the vineyard area and added his surname to the property.  The estate is now run by his sons Gerard and Dominique. Rich and sumptuous St Emilion, lots of extraction, yes, but great fruit from the vineyard keeps the ball in the air. Some mixed experiences as the wines develop – 2009 going through a disjointed patch currently – same with 2012.

Vineyards/Terrior: 16.5 hectares on a clay-limestone plateau planted with 70% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. Estate classified a Primeur Grand Cru Classé ‘B’.

Winemaking/Elevage: Aged in 100% new oak.

Tasting notes:

  • 2013 Deep and saturated; opaque at centre; colour tight to rim; rich and thick nose, some sweet vanilla with plum tones; glossy; palate feels a little hard but there is some weight; overall OK, not too pushed. Perhaps a fraction short in the end but should fill out during elévage. Tasted UGCB 2/4/14. Drink 2018-2028. 88-90
  • 2012 Deepish and dark at centre; some wet rock and open fruit tones; little resin; sweet ripe fruit on the palate but with some chew to the tannins; little dry on the finish. Goodish if a little low key for this property. Needs to settle? Drink 2018-2025. 88 UGC Oct ’14 [Earlier note] Deep and saturated colour; dark at core; lots of ripe plummy Merlot; pretty deep and fat; some spices; depth; pretty lush nose; density on the palate, some oak tannin but lots of plummy fruit; chewy and dense. Looks good. 70% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. 90-92+ [second tasting] Deep and dense; ripe, layered but pretty dense; quite tight on the palate but with plenty of density; good length. 91-93 UGC Wednesday April 10, 2013
  • 2011 Mid depth; ripe, spicy black fruits; some figs; chewy palate with grip and bite; depth here and extract – kinda works in a chewy style – plenty of black fruits here but lots of tannin too. Be interested to see how this develops. Drink 2015-2025. 89+ UGC Oct ’13 [Earlier note] Dark, saturated and thick looking; tight to the rim; layers of sweet, ripe fruits; red fruit especially; supple and layered; strawberry tones too; palate has intensity and grip, some wet rock; tannin here but lots of fruit to go with it. Big. Dry finish but good length. 70% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc & 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. 70% new oak. Tasted UGC 4/4/12. 90-92+ [Second note] Deep and saturated; arterial; legs; more cake, spice and mincemeat notes; attractive; very nice fruit and polish; oak present but focused and precise; lots of fruit and nicely composed; tannin and bite too; lots of density. Chewy wine but with focus and density. Tasted blind at Groupement de Premiers Grands Crus Classes de Saint-Emilion at Chateau Canon 6/4/12. 91-93+
  • 2010 Deep and saturated; resin and molasses; liquorice and wet chalk; ripe and full on the palate with black fruits and spices; chalky note again; plenty of matter and grit with coffee and mocha notes on the finish. Drink 2016-2030. 92+ MW Institute Nov ’14 [Earlier note] Very dense and saturated looking; chalky note; some lift; lacks freshness; not developing that well – had much better memories at primeurs; liquorice and fig; feels thick and overdone to me. 88? UGC Oct ’12 [Earlier] Deep and saturated; ripe, rich nose; perfume and jam with nice lift; quite satiny with real density and extract; Very chewy and dense. Thick and rich and lots of black fruits here, some liquorice. Very strong wine. 94-96+/100 6th April 2011 [Second] Deep and saturated;  rich, ripe and very seductive; feels quite big; slightly jammy note; certainly very ripe style; thick and rich on the palate, concentrated and dense with tannin and grip and extract; wow, feels very dense, lots of extract and material; very big chewy wine. 94-96/100. Tasted April 6 Groupement de Premiers Grands Crus Classes de Saint-Emilion.
  • 2009 Deep and saturated; some earth, prune notes; thick; thick and ripe again on the palate; lots of depth and extract; lots of fruit but feels a little chunky and extracted overall. Has shown better. Drink 2017-2030 88-90? MW Institute Nov ’13 [Earlier note] Deep looking; sexy, meaty nose; quite lifted; real concentration and flavour; palate chewy and satisfying here; great wine, no trace of jam here, just ripe fruits and a meaty edge; oak too nicely interwoven. Lots of depth here.  This wine is developing really well. Very exciting stuff. 94+/100 UGC Oct 2011. [Earlier]  Deeper, more intense than the Balestard; seductive ripe nose; plums and spices; very sexy and appealing; plenty of tannin and oak; but there is a lot of fruit here; chewy and extracted. Palate a little raw and disjointed. Lots of extraction here. If it settles – this should be very good. [Later] nice and intense; some coffee and mocha; richness; good chewy palate; will; be very good 92-93+/100.UGC April 2010
  • 2008 Saturated colour; dense at core; nicer nose; sweet fruit, but meaty fruit with more complexity; lots of depth; ripe palate, lots of meat and fruit characters and supple tannins. Depth. Very good. 92 ’12 [Earlier] Deep and dark, sweet aromas on the nose of oak with ripe fruit beneath, feels dense and substantial; palate has lots of extract and fruit; some tannin here too plus acid and crunch. Good finish. Typically extracted style and quite a mouthful, but it adds up. 90/100 UGC Oct ‘10
  • 2007 Deep centre; meaty notes alongside mineral tones; feels quite compact on the nose; some depth and thickness here; meat and weight to the palate; some sourness too; chewy wine with dryish tannin. 86/100 [Earlier] Mid red; quite dark at centre; ripe, slightly figgy, toffee nose; quite old fashioned; bit tannic and chunky; palate quite chewy. Needs time to round out.  82/100 UGC tasting Oct ‘09
  • 2006 Dense colour, some chocolate and chewy fruir here, little fresher and less tarry in character than some of the other ‘top’ St Emilions here; mid depth on the palate with freshness and clarity, but then come the tannins again. So much tannin on this table of St Emilions…. 88?/100 MW Institute Nov ‘10

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