Château Joanin Bécot 2018

A fresh and pure style, with a gentle kiss of tobacco leaf sitting atop black cherry and dark plum purée flavors. A dash of cedar holds the finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now through 2023. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 4,750 cases made.

Ripe and concentrated plummy character on the nose with hints of oaky sweet spices. Rich on the palate yet showing some restraint. Soft tannins, with fresh acidity providing balance. Nominated by Yohan Castaing.

A very pretty, subtle red with berry, meat and chocolate aromas that follow through to a medium body with round, creamy tannins and a delicious finish. 30% amphora. Very fine and drinkable now.

The 2018 Joanin Bécot has retained its earthy, cedar-tinged bouquet that takes a few swirls of the glass to emerge. There is crisp black fruit here, pine fresh. The medium-bodied palate delivers fine grip on the entry and dusky black fruit mixed with tobacco and sage. Almost Left Bank in style toward the graphite-tinged finish. This is fine Joanin that should drink well for 8–10 years.

The intriguing touch of mint that comes with all the ripe black cherries, licorice, and chocolate hits the spot. The wine offers nice richness and intensity with silky tannins and layers of elegant, ripe, sweet, round, juicy red fruits that feel as good as they taste.

Emerging from the team of Beau-Séjour Bécot, the 2018 Château Joanin Bécot is based on 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc coming from the limestone soils of the Côtes de Castillon region. Lots of black cherry and redcurrant fruit as well as leafy herbs, dried flowers, chalky minerality, and camphor emerge on the nose. This carries to a medium-bodied, seamless 2018 with terrific overall balance, ripe yet present tannins, and outstanding length on the finish. Tasting like a topflight Saint-Emilion, it will benefit from a year or so in the cellar and impress for at least a decade. Readers looking for a brilliant Right Bank wine to put in the cellar should jump on this beauty.

The 2018 Joanin Becot is deep garnet-purple in color. It offers black cherries, warm blackberries, and stewed plums, with hints of dried herbs and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, it is lively in the mouth, with chewy tannins and restrained fruit, and an herbal lift on the finish.

The initial nose evokes the warmth of the vintage; the sweetness on the palate confirms it. However, the structure balances out nicely and, despite the sweetness, the wine remains tense on the finish.

What freshness and fruit in this bouquet! It makes a strong impression, revealing itself through its vitality and energy as well as its tannins. Joanin is indulgent, crisp, and appetizing. A fine success

The nose is fresh, with a gentle intensity, complexity, and gourmand appeal. It reveals notes of violet, lily, fresh blackcurrant, and, more subtly, iris, together with small touches of crunchy red berries, a discreet hint of sense of place, vanilla, and sweet spices. The palate is refined and harmonious, offering lovely freshness, good definition, precision, and juiciness, with bright/fresh/juicy fruit, tension, and a lovely smoothness, silkiness, indulgence, and fine texture. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of juicy/crunchy blackberry, fleshy/ripe blackcurrant, and, more subtly, violet, iris, and lilac, combined with hints of raspberry/crunchy fresh red berries and fleshy/pulpy blueberry, as well as touches of licorice, toast, chocolate, and an imperceptible hint of vanilla. Very discreet notes of toasted hazelnut and salinity linger on the finish/persistence. Score: 17/20

Beautiful deep red. Very aromatic nose, pure, fruity and slightly creamy. Deep. Delicious from the first sip, immediately smooth, the wine glides across the palate. It finishes long and flavorful, with impeccable tannins and great aromatic definition. A great success for the vintage.