Château Beau Séjour Bécot - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 1996 6b11bd6ba9341f0271941e7df664d056

Wine Advocate

89 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/1999

The lavishly-oaked, hedonistically-styled 1996 exhibits a dark plum/purple color. The nose offers up sweet jammy fruit (primarily black currants and cherries) intermixed with toasty new oak. Medium-bodied, with excellent, nearly outstanding richness, a nicely-layered mid-palate, and sweet tannin in the long finish, it needs 2-3 years of bottle age, and should last for 15+ years.

Wine Spectator

88 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe1/31/1999

An extremely well-done '96. Lovely combination of crushed berries and exotic spices. Medium-bodied, with a pretty balance of fruit and tannins. Best after 2000

Wine Advocate

89-92 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe2/28/1998

This wine, which has consistently been impressive from barrel, may be shaping up as the finest wine made at this estate in many years. Although atypically ripe, intense and powerful (especially for a right bank offering), it possesses accessibility without the heavy overlay of tannin revealed by some of this vintage's wines. Somehow proprietor Gerard Becot was able to achieve full extraction without any bitter tannin. The wine exhibits a saturated purple color, and an exceptionally ripe nose of black raspberries and kirsch intertwined with toasty sweet oak. Full-bodied, muscular, and rich, with layers of fruit, glycerin, and extract, as well as a blockbuster finish, this appears to be a wine with outstanding potential. Moreover, it is reasonably priced in the Bordeaux hierarchy, even though it is a St.-Emilion premier grand cru classe. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2018.

Wine Advocate

89-91 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/1997

This looks to be an outstanding wine for the vintage, but, atypically, in need of 5-6 years of bottle age. It will keep for two decades. The wine possesses a deep, saturated, opaque purple color, as well as sweet, old vine aromas of kirsch and black-raspberries with plenty of spicy new oak. The wine is full-bodied, with outstanding intensity, richness, purity, and length. There is a layered, multi-dimensional feel to the 1996 Beau-Sejour-Becot, in addition to an obvious, thick, juicy fruitiness that is atypical for such a structured vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2018.