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Beychevelle 2009

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

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Tasting Notes

The finest Beychevelle since the 2003 and probably since the 1982, Beychevelle's 2009 is opaque purple in color, with a beautiful, floral nose intermixed with black currant fruit, licorice, cedar wood and Christmas fruitcake. Full-bodied yet still elegant and pure, this wine has velvety tannins, a broad, savory mouthfeel, and a very long finish. There is plenty of tannin behind the extravagant fruit, glycerin and texture of this wine, but it is largely concealed. This wine could actually turn out to be even better than my relatively conservative tasting note. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2042.

93
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (199), March 2012

Sweet berry and floral aromas, with a creamy undertone. Full-bodied, with a dense and polished palate, fine tannins and a long finish. Best since 2000?

90/93
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, April 2010

Pretty dark crimson right out to the rim. Alluring graphite notes on the nose. Fresh and mild. Not dramatic but neat and pretty. Very sweet but with the tannins in check. Though it will take a little while for them to dissipate. Real juice and concentration though. Date tasted 1st April 2010. Drink 2017-2027.

16.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2010

Deep purple red, fine crushed blackcurrants, attractive dense fruit and already a touch of complexity, good ripeness and depth, freshness and fine Saint-Julien elegance. Drink 2015-24.

17
Steven Spurrier, Decanter.com, April 2010

An attractive, medium-bodied St.-Julien with plenty of blueberry character, plus touches of cassis and mint and a long, moderately dry finish that gives it a lot of appeal. Drink or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)

94
Stuart Pigott, JamesSuckling.com, March 2019
Read more tasting notes...

This is the finest Bechevelle since the 1982. The opaque purple-hued 2009 displays beautiful floral notes intermixed with notions of black raspberries and creme de cassis. The fruit hits the palate with a medium to full-bodied richness, and the wine possesses sweet, velvety tannins, stunning purity, and a layered mouthfeel that builds incrementally, combining power, concentration, density, and elegance. This 2009 should hit its stride in 5-7 years, and last three decades or more. A beauty! (Tasted three times.) Drink 2015-2045.

92/94+
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (188), April 2010

Tasted at the Union de Grand Cru in London. The Beychevelle 2009 has a beautiful bouquet with vibrant blackberry, wild hedgerow and minerals with a touch of sea-salt. The palate is medium-bodied with strict tannins, a little compact at the moment but full of freshness. Crisp and lively, I feel the Beychevelle 2009 will close down for a few years before reopening. Certainly this continues a splendid run of form under Philippe Blanc. Tasted October 2011.

94
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, December 2011

Tasted at the château and at the UGC. A blend of 46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot cropped at 45hl/ha. A deep purple/garnet colour. Clear. Immediately, the nose is very pure with a tangible sense of minerality in the aromatics, not a powerful nose, quite contained, but very focused and speaking of its place. Black fruits, cold granite, a touch of cedar. I like the precision here. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, a little edgy at first, a nice sense of tension, lightness combined with intensity. Perhaps a more feminine 2009, but that is not meant pejoratively. Very smooth with lively small black cherries, cedar and pencil shavings towards the Cabernet dominated cashmere finish. Good persistency. Excellent. Tasted March 2010.

93/95
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, April 2010
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.