Château Beau-Séjour Bécot 2000

This full-bodied, modern-styled St.-Emilion offers a sensational perfume of smoky barbecue, jammy black currants, kirsch, licorice, and a touch of pain grille. Fleshy, savory, and full-bodied, it has shed much of its tannin, but still possesses abundant structure. It is an intense, modern-styled, mouthfilling, sumptuous, attention-getting wine to drink over the next decade.

Slightly herbal, with berry and tobacco character. Full-bodied, chewy and rich, with a velvety, medium-fruity finish. Very extracted. A bit too much for me, but very good. Best after 2007.

Deep purple. Relatively diffuse nose with just a hint of leafiness. Pleasant rather than dramatic. Neat, dry finish. Very competent. Quite long. May improve. (JR)

The 2000 Beau-Séjour Bécot was picked between 20 September and 3 October. Like many millennial wines there is impressive concentration on the nose but there is something just a bit aloof and charmless, unlike the 1998. The palate is medium-bodied with good body, rustic red fruit infused with tobacco, dried herbs and a touch of black pepper and rosemary towards the finish. There is gutsiness imbued in this 2000 but it just needs more refinement and sophistication. Tasted at the château.

At just past 10 years of bottle age, this is starting to open nicely, with a nose packed with earth, truffle, crushed stone, juicy plums and tobacco. Refined, elegant and soft, the finish leaves you with a rich sensation of pure, ripe blackberries.

Showing beautifully, the 2000 Château Beau-Sejour Bécot is fully in its prime drink window and offers brilliant aromatics of red and black fruits, cedar pencil, tobacco leaf, truffle, and licorice. Full-bodied on the palate, it has a deep, concentrated mid-palate, resolved tannins, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. This is prime, Grade-A Saint-Emilion magic that's drinking at point yet has another 10-15 years of life.

01: Saturated, dense violet-purple. Floral, spicy bouquet; smoky tones, red cabbage, but also plenty of fruit aromas, rose scent. Only on the palate does this wonderful wild-berry aromatics come through: violets, cassis, soft tannins. For once, a Bécot that isn’t so hard in its youth. Despite kind words, it still falls a bit short of its own expectations. (17/20). 08: Not a wine of finesse, rather a powerhouse with strength and muscle, but at medium concentration, which may leave the wine a bit short on flesh. (17/20). 14: Medium garnet-ruby. Sweet, peppery, Piedmont cherries, quite hefty on the attack, at least after all those Médocs. On the palate, a finely stewed, peppery entry. Not a delicate Saint-Emilion, but one with lots of power. The Bécot is usually, like the singer (Gilbert Bécot), distinctive and impressive, but with a “rough voice.” Three bottles opened: one corked, one a bit dull, the other a bomb. Doesn’t quite keep up in its category. (17/20). 15: At a dinner at Clos Dubreuil it was sweet, surprisingly fine (for a BB), and gave a lot of pleasure.

Round and full-bodied, with a smooth, silky palate. The fruit is ripe and generous, with slightly stewed notes. A very fine modern wine that is immediately enjoyable.

Dark color, medium intensity and slightly evolved. Nose of ripe fruit. Animal note. Lovely, flavorful entry on the palate. The wine melts and caresses, with a nice fruity taste, but it lacks power.

The Becots, Gérard and Dominique, have produced a stylish, modern wine that powers black, sweet fruits through the deceptively soft tannins. Tarry flavors and layers of new wood give the wine a new world character. How long it will last is open to question at this stage. It is certainly developing quickly.