2018 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot Saint Émilion 1er Grand Cru Classé B

95-96 James Suckling: "A very fresh and beautiful wine with extremely fine tannins that melt nicely into the pure fruit. Medium to full body. Crisp and very fruity. Wonderful finish that lasts for minutes. It grows in stature at the end." (www.jamessuckling.com)

95-97 Lisa Perotti-Brown: "The 2018 Beau-Sejour Becot is composed of 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. The Merlot was harvested on September 12-25, and the Cabernet varieties were harvested on October 4, 5 and 10. Yields were 46 hectoliters per hectare, and it is anticipated that the wine will age for 16 months. Sixty-five percent of the wine will be matured in new barriques, while 35% will be aged in vats, amphorae and large oak casks of 20-hectoliter capacity. Deep garnet-purple colored, it leaps from the glass with bold, expressive notions of stewed plums, blackberry pie and Black Forest cake with nuances of menthol, mocha, molten licorice and wild sage plus a waft of lavender. Full-bodied, the palate is laden with latent energy, offering slow-releasing glimpses at dark, seductive berry preserves layers and vibrant earthy accents, framed by firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and mineral laced." (in Robert Parker's Wine Advocate)

95-97 Jeb Dunnuck: "Tasted on two separate occasions, the 2018 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot is a brilliant wine based on 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, aging in 65% new oak (there’s some in amphora as well) that comes from a magical terroir on the upper plateau, just outside of Saint-Émilion. This is pure limestone soils, and the wine shows it with its fresh, vibrant style as well as incredibly minerality. Vivid cassis, graphite, white flowers, and spice characteristics all flow to a medium to full-bodied, pure, incredibly elegant wine that shows the new style of this estate beautifully. It’s not for those seeking overt power and opulence, but it builds incrementally on the palate, with ultra-fine tannins and a great finish. It’s as classy as it gets. Give bottles 4-6 years of bottle age, and it will keep for 2-3 decades." (www.jebdunnuck.com)

96-99 WineSpectator: "Juicy and forward in feel, with fresh plum, blackberry and anise notes. Dense, but still silky and refined in feel, revealing a long mineral echo through the finish. This is so pure, it seems almost too easy to drink already, just as you realize how ridiculously long it is."

95 DECANTER: "Powerful but with a sense of restraint, this is extremely well handled in 2018. The difference between this and a more massive St-Emilion is subtle for sure - it´s unquestionably on the dark fruit register - but you notice it in the way that the tannins respond and bounce rather than stiffen up in the mouth. You can enjoy them as they close in around you rather than beg for air. The palate has lots of dark chocolate, liquorice and slate notes, with cassis and blackberry fruits. This is from south-facing slopes, so there´s plenty of ripeness in the grapes, but the limestone helps to temper it, along with the natural water sources that are found at this spot. Owned by Famille Gratiot-Attmane, but with the Nicolas Thienpont team overseeing winemaking."