Château Beau Séjour Bécot, 1er Grand Cru Classé, St Emilion, 2022
The aromatic profile immediately presents a vibrant array of red fruit notes, exhibiting redcurrant, cherry, and sour plum. A subtle undercurrent of blackcurrant is discernible, interwoven with nuances of blood orange and a distinct saline minerality. This wine possesses a notable depth, yet it conveys a sense of refined ease. Herbal undertones of rosemary, thyme, and a suggestion of sage contribute further layers, culminating in notes of coffee, cacao nib, and crushed leaves. The tannins are finely textured and seamlessly integrated. This is an excellent effort from Julien Barthe and his team.
critic reviews
The 2022 Beau-Séjour Bécot is a total stunner. What a wine! The 2022 was magnificent en primeur, and it is all that from bottle. The aromatics alone are mesmerizing. Crushed rose petal, mint, blood orange, new leather and cedar meld into a core of pliant red-toned fruit. More than anything else, I am so impressed with the wine's precision and finesse. I have never tasted a Beau-Séjour Bécot like this.
A blend of 76% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2022 Beau-Sejour Becot has more Cabernet Franc than any previous vintage. The pH is 3.55 pH and it has a deep purple-black color. Notions of blackcurrant jelly, blackberry pie, and warm plums jump from the glass, followed by suggestions of cedar chest, Sichuan pepper, and garrigue. The medium to full-bodied palate is chock-full of juicy black fruit flavors, with bright acidity and ripe, rounded tannins, finishing long and earthy.
With the 2022 Beau-Sejour Becot, this estate has taken another step up the ranks in Saint-Emilion, producing a wine of breathtaking perfume and harmony that will be worth a special effort to seek out. Wafting from the glass with aromas of wild berries, violets, lilac, raw cocoa and forest floor, it's medium to full-bodied, seamless and complete, with an ample and enveloping core of weightless fruit, beautifully powdery tannins and a long, saline, resonant finish. Recently planted massale selection Cabernet Franc is now producing meaningful yields at this address, so this cepage now represents 22% of the blend, complemented by 2% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Merlot. The team harvested only in the mornings, picking Merlot from 5-18 September and Cabernet from 13-23 September, sub-block by sub-block.