Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
A stunning effort, the 2014 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot deftly combines extraction with elegance. Over the last three decades, the winery has sometimes produced wines that were just a bit too concentrated. In this vintage, they have done what it took in both the vineyards and in the winery and made a wine that has reached another level. Showing beautifully ripened red fruit flavors, an accent of sweet oak, and a suggestion of violets, I would pair it with a crown roast of lamb. (Tasted: January 27, 2017, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
While this powerful wine does have considerable over-extraction, it also has swathes of ripe berry fruits. There is enough fruity richness that it should eventually dominate the tough structure and harmonize; it just needs time. Barrel Sample: 93-95
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Beau-Sejour Becot was tasted on two or three occasions. It has a generous and sensual bouquet with ample macerated red cherries, wild strawberry, vanilla pod and orange sorbet aromas. This is endowed with superb delineation and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with filigree tannin, beautifully integrated new oak, real depth and focus. You could argue that it needed to demonstrate more persistence on the finish but that would be clutching at straws. There is so much freshness and vivacity in this Saint Emilion that it really is a must-buy.
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Wine Spectator
This delivers a vibrant core of raspberry and boysenberry preserves, freshened with hints of mint, savory and tobacco, all carried by fine threads of charcoal through the finish. Reveals a lovely tug of sweet earth at the end. Best from 2022 through 2032.
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James Suckling
Solid and tight with tangy acidity and tannins. Full bodied and chewy. Range: 90-91
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
Marked by its historic fortified village—perhaps the prettiest in all of Bordeaux, the St-Émilion appellation, along with its neighboring village of Pomerol, are leaders in quality on the Right Bank of Bordeaux. These Merlot-dominant red wines (complemented by various amounts of Cabernet Franc and/or Cabernet Sauvignon) remain some of the most admired and collected wines of the world.
St-Émilion has the longest history in wine production in Bordeaux—longer than the Left Bank—dating back to an 8th century monk named Saint Émilion who became a hermit in one of the many limestone caves scattered throughout the area.
Today St-Émilion is made up of hundreds of independent farmers dedicated to the same thing: growing Merlot and Cabernet Franc (and tiny amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon). While always roughly the same blend, the wines of St-Émilion vary considerably depending on the soil upon which they are grown—and the soils do vary considerably throughout the region.
The chateaux with the highest classification (Premier Grand Cru Classés) are on gravel-rich soils or steep, clay-limestone hillsides. There are only four given the highest rank, called Premier Grand Cru Classés A (Chateau Cheval Blanc, Ausone, Angélus, Pavie) and 14 are Premier Grand Cru Classés B. Much of the rest of the vineyards in the appellation are on flatter land where the soils are a mix of gravel, sand and alluvial matter.
Great wines from St-Émilion will be deep in color, and might have characteristics of blackberry liqueur, black raspberry, licorice, chocolate, grilled meat, earth or truffles. They will be bold, layered and lush.