Beychevelle - Saint-Julien 2009

Wine Advocate

93 / 100

byNeal Martinthe1/1/2013

Served blind at the Southwold 2009 tasting. The Beychevelle 2009 here seems more muted on the nose: introspective and surly, reluctant to offer the fruit intensity that its peers are offering at this early juncture. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red berry fruit on the entry tinged with leather and dried orange peel. There is good weight and structure towards the finish that is "classic" in style, the oak playing a secondary role to the fruit. Nothing wrong with that. Very fine. Tasted January 2013.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

91 / 100

byStephen Tanzerthe7/31/2012

Bright ruby. Aromas of dark berries, licorice, bitter chocolate and menthol, with a hint of leather. Densely packed, pliant and glossy, with strong acidity and an herbal element buffering the wine's sweetness. The lightly herbal quality carries through on the long finish, which features dusty tannins and noteworthy energy. A very strong vintage for this property. 91(+?) points.

Wine Spectator

92 / 100

byJames Molesworththe3/31/2012

This has the dark, winey cassis bush and roasted plum fruit of the appellation, but steps up the integration and length, with racy linzer torte and graphite notes and a lovely tobacco-filled finish supported by mouthwatering acidity. Best from 2014 through 2026. 22,000 cases made. –JM

Wine Advocate

93 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/29/2012

The finest Beychevelle since the 2003 and probably since the 1982, Beychevelle’s 2009 is opaque purple in color, with a beautiful, floral nose intermixed with black currant fruit, licorice, cedar wood and Christmas fruitcake. Full-bodied yet still elegant and pure, this wine has velvety tannins, a broad, savory mouthfeel, and a very long finish. There is plenty of tannin behind the extravagant fruit, glycerin and texture of this wine, but it is largely concealed. This wine could actually turn out to be even better than my relatively conservative tasting note. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2042.

Le Figaro

92-93 / 100

byBernard Burtschythe6/30/2010

Robe sombre. Nez discret. En bouche, l’attaque est souple et harmonieuse avec un joli milieu de bouche de demi-corps, les tannins sont fins, très fins même, beaucoup d’harmonie et de présence, seul bémol, une petite déviation du merlot qui était peut-être un peu trop mûr. Grand vieillissement prévisible qui gommera ce péché véniel. Le vin entrera dans la légende du château.

timatkin.com

94 / 100

byTim Atkin MWthe6/30/2010

13.85% alcohol. 46 CS, 44M, 6CF, 4PV One of the best Bechevelles I’ve tasted in years, this four-way blend is distinguished by its perfume and balance. Lovely, grainy tannins, fresh acidity and subtle vanilla oak combine deliciously on the palate here. As with the Talbot and Gruaud-Larose, this is a wine for claret lovers. Do yourself a favour: buy a case and cherish it for a decade or more. 15+ years

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

89-92 / 100

byIan D'Agatathe6/30/2010

Inky purple. Floral aromas of black plum and graphite. Easygoing and fine-grained, with a distinctly cool quality to the blackberry, floral and mint flavors. Pliant in the middle palate but with cedar, floral and herbal notes providing very good lift. Its light touch and suave mouth feel make Beychevelle easy to recognize in a blind tasting with its peers. This attractive wine shows sneaky depth of flavor and finishes with sweet, silky tannins and noteworthy energy. Just misses out on a bit more concentration for a higher score.

La Revue du Vin de France

17-18 / 20

the5/31/2010

Issu d'un assemblage classique pour le cru (46% de cabernet sauvignon, 44% de merlot, 6% de cabernet franc et 4% de petit verdot), Beychevelle 2009 possède une très jolie trame et beaucoup de finesse, avec une bouche bien construite et une extraction bien menée. Il s'affiche dans un style classique, élégant, avec une très bel équilibre et de l'allonge. Il séduit par sa gourmandise et son grain. Ce nest pas le plus démonstratif, mais il a pour lui un côté très distingué.

Le Point

16,5-17 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/6/2010

Fruits noirs, épices douces, tabac blond, bouche ronde, moelleuse, veloutée, le merlot apporte beaucoup de densité en milieu de bouche et de rondeur, mais les tanins sont assez élégants. Bien gourmand, très fruité. O=2016 G=25 ans

TAST

17 / 20

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/30/2010

Joli départ de boisé : corps moyen pour l’année mais sans faiblesse, texture de grande finesse, tanin frais, sensation de cabernet cueilli dans toute l’élégance d’une maturité juste, long, racé, harmonieux, mais un cran au dessous des très grands Seconds.

Wine Advocate

93-95 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/30/2010

Tasted at the château and at the UGC. A blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot cropped at 45hl/ha. A deep purple/garnet colour. Clear. Immediately, the nose is very pure with a tangible sense of minerality in the aromatics, not a powerful nose, quite contained, but very focused and speaking of its place. Black fruits, cold granite, a touch of cedar. I like the precision here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a little edgy at first, a nice sense of tension, lightness combined with intensity. Perhaps a more feminine 2009, but that is not meant pejoratively. Very smooth with lively small black cherries, cedar and pencil shavings towards the Cabernet dominated cashmere finish. Good persistency. Excellent. Tasted March 2010.

Wine Enthusiast

93-95 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/30/2010

Great swathes of blackcurrant fruits here. The tannins ripe and complex; well integrated into the fresh fruits. Fine balance.

Wein Wisser

17 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe4/30/2010

Dunkles Granat. Das Bouquet ist momentan verhalten und eher schlank im Ansatz, etwas blaue Pflaumen. Saftiger, eleganter Gaumen, feine Tannine, recht gute Aromatik, schöne Länge. Endlich wieder einmal ein fraglos guter Beychevelle. 2015–2028

Falstaff

92-94 / 100

byPeter Moserthe4/30/2010

Schwarze Kirschen, reife Zwetschken, feine Gewürzanklänge, schokoladige Nuancen. Saftig, rund, gute Komplexität, schokoladig, frischer Säurebogen, rotbeeriger Nachhall, gute Frische, zeigt einige Länge, ein sehr erstaunlicher Fortschritt.

Wine Advocate

92-94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/28/2010

This is the finest Bechevelle since the 1982. The opaque purple-hued 2009 displays beautiful floral notes intermixed with notions of black raspberries and creme de cassis. The fruit hits the palate with a medium to full-bodied richness, and the wine possesses sweet, velvety tannins, stunning purity, and a layered mouthfeel that builds incrementally, combining power, concentration, density, and elegance. This 2009 should hit its stride in 5-7 years, and last three decades or more. A beauty! (Tasted three times.) Drink 2015-2045. (92-94+) points

Periodic Review of Wine

90-92 / 100

byAlan Duranthe4/28/2010

Beychevelle has produced back to back outstanding vintages. The 2009 will have the upper-hand with its deep ruby-purple colour accompanied by spring flower spells, eucalyptus, blackberry, blueberry, and underlying scents of white choclate. It is full-bodied, unctuously-layered, concentrated, and lusciously styled with poise. In addition there are gobs of succulent ripe fruit which give this wine an irresistible personality. This attractive, hedonistic Beychevelle boasts seductive fruit. It is another full-throttled effort along with the 2008 which is even better than originally thought. Maturity period 2015-2027.

Anthony Rose

92-94 / 100

byAnthony Rosethe4/26/2010

Dense youthful ruby colour, good dark fruits perfume, lovely fresh dark berry, mulberry and blackberry sweetness of fruit, fine concentration but not thick, thanks to a lovely freshness of acidity and fine-grained tannin that gives this wine elegance of texture and structure but the structure is there. All very balanced and almost approachable but you feel good for the medium to long -term too.

Wine Spectator

90-93 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/9/2010

Sweet berry and floral aromas, with a creamy undertone. Full-bodied, with a dense and polished palate, fine tannins and a long finish. Best since 2000?

Decanter Magazine

17 / 20

bySteven Spurrierthe4/9/2010

Deep purple red, fine crushed blackcurrants, attractive dense fruit and already a touch of complexity, good ripeness and depth, freshness and fine Saint-Julien elegance. Drink 2015-24.

Jancis Robinson

16,5 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/7/2010

Pretty dark crimson right out to the rim. Alluring graphite notes on the nose. Fresh and mild. Not dramatic but neat and pretty. Very sweet but with the tannins in check. Though it will take a little while for them to dissipate. Real juice and concentration though. Drink 2017-2027