2016 Beaumont is easily the best affordable claret we have tasted in the past 12 months. We have tasted it multiple times over the past year and it just gets better and better.
The freshness and the purity of the 2016 vintage lends the wine an approachability and a forwardness that makes it perfect for drinking now; underneath this freshness is a classic, fruit-driven, structure – this is a wine that will reward a couple of years and more in bottle and will most likely keep well for a decade.
The château sits between St Julien and Margaux, and shares ownership with Château Beychevelle. The vineyard covers 116 hectares in a single block, and is planted to a typical Bordeaux blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Eric Boissenot, who consults for all four of the Médoc first growths, is consultant oenologist.
At £130 per dozen in bond, this is a very serious wine for the money and we have scoured Bordeaux for as much stock as we can find. It is excellent, proper, claret and nothing short of a bargain.
The 2016 Beaumont has quite a powerful bouquet with dense black fruit, boysenberry and cedar, traces of pencil lead developing with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite spicy compared to its peers, then it reins everything back in for what is a refined finish. Classy stuff, but I would afford this a couple of years in bottle. Tasted at the Cru Bourgeois tasting in London.
Mid ruby-purple in colour. A real sheen of cherry fruits set against savoury cedar tones on the nose. There is a hint of darker blackcurrant and menthol underneath. The palate is bright in juicy red and black fruit, with soft tannins. This is drinking very well now though clearly has the capacity to age. Good energy comes from vibrant acidity that leaves a bright, fresh finish. Excellent and distinctly proper claret.
This solid estate has produced a classic 2016 Château Beaumont with juicy cherry fruits, leafy herbs, and saddle leather notes in its balanced, medium-bodied, straight-up delicious profile. It’s ideal for drinking over the coming 5-7 years. 2019 - 2026.
