Beau-Séjour Bécot 2012

A spectacular wine from this nearly 50-acre vineyard situated atop St.-Emilion’s famed limestone plateau, the final blend for the 2012 Beau-Sejour Becot was 70% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. It achieved 14% natural alcohol and yields were 31 hectoliters per hectare. One of the stars of the vintage, it is elegant yet powerful, rich and authoritative with abundant black raspberry, blueberry, graphite and toasty vanillin notes. Full-bodied and super rich for a 2012, it is packed with potential. The tannins are ripe as well as abundant suggesting several years of bottle age will be required. It should turn out to be a 20 year proposition.

Tasted blind at the Southwold Bordeaux tasting. The 2012 Beauséjour Bécot had a strange bouquet at first, a little funkiness that soon dissipates with several swirls of the glass. I like the delineation here, nuanced red cherry and wild strawberry scents, black tea and undergrowth, though I noticed that it becomes just a little volatile with aeration—something to watch out for. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, foursquare for a Saint Emilion and yet nicely focused, just the right amount of dryness, if not quite delivering the requisite complexity and tension on the finish. This is one of those wines that is "nearly there" and needs bottle age, but I am certain it will come good once it has settled down. Tasted January 2016.

A red with juicy fruit and fine tannins including a dried meat and smoke undertone. Full body, tight tannins and a flavorful finish. Improved in barrel. A joy to taste. Better in 2018.

This 16.5 hectare vineyard is situated to the west of the village of Saint Emilion and the vines are predominantly Merlot (70%) with 24% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon. Elevage in 80-100% new oak. The Becot family also own the adjoining vineyard La Gomerie and Joanin-Becot in the Cotes de Castillon.