Jeb Dunnuck (98)

The finest wine I've tasted from this estate, the 2020 Château Bellefont-Belcier is an incredibly gorgeous blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep ruby/purple-hued, it offers a great nose of cassis, ripe black cherries, camphor, dried flowers, cedar, and forest floor. Bringing gorgeous richness, it nevertheless stays flawlessly balanced, with ultra-fine tannins and a great finish. The purity of fruit here is just about off the charts. While it already offers pleasure, it's going to benefit from short-term cellaring and have 20-25 years of prime drinking. This estate uses a five-day cold soak and fermentation, all in concrete, spanning 25 days. Malolactic fermentation occurs in barrel (four months on lees), and the wine spends 18 months in 30% new French oak, with the balance in once- and twice-used barrels. Yields in 2020 were also reasonable at 34 hectoliters per hectare.

James Suckling (96-97)

This well-defined and sophisticated wine shows a gorgeous center-palate of near perfectly ripe fruit. Lots of dark berries and minerals with some pine, while the texture is full and compact with layers of well-integrated, fine tannins. The finish is seamless. Just a hint of salt at the end of the pretty fruit. 72% merlot, 18% cabernet franc and 10% cabernet sauvignon.

Experience the premium vintage of Bellegrave 2017, meticulously crafted in the prestigious Pomerol region of Bordeaux, France. This red blend embodies the elegant savoir-faire of artisanal winemaking, marrying Merlot and Cabernet Franc in delightful harmony. Hailing from ancient soils with integrated organic farming methods, Bellegrave 2017, is not just a product of land, but the testimony to the Bellegrave winemakers' dedication and skilled expertise.

Careful harvest and traditional vinification capture the distinct terroir, releasing sumptuous aromas of ripe black fruits, truffle, and delicate spices, while exhibiting richness and complexity in every sip. Matured for 15-18 months in discrete oaken embrace, Bellegrave 2017, reaches perfect refinement while preserving the inherent fruit dominance.

Limited bottles of Bellegrave 2017 reflect the essence of exceptional winemaking, delightful in its youth yet poised to age gracefully, ensuring an enduring wine experience for the discerning palate. Revel in the nuance and luxury of Bellegrave 2017 – a true connoisseur's choice.

James Suckling (92-93)

A solid young Pomerol with black-olive and blueberry aromas and flavors. Full and flavorful.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (88-90)

Medium ruby. Cool aromas of blackberry, violet, licorice and mocha. Light and lively in the mouth, with good density and sound framing acidity. Not hugely ripe but rather stylish and bright. Tannins spread out on the persistent, fresh finish. The crop level in these vines, located on what director Nicolas Thienpont describes as soft calcaire between Beausejour-Becot and Angelus, was just 30 hectoliters per hectare.

James Suckling (92)

Lots of coffee and chocolate, with plum and dried cherries. Full-bodied with round yet fine tannins, and a fruity finish. Starting to come around, but will be better after 2013. 14+23+22+33. $470HK

Wine Advocate (95+)

This tiny, 5-acre vineyard with nearly 50-year old vines produces only 4,000 bottles from a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. The broodingly tannic, backward 2006 is remarkably concentrated, pure, and deep. It is an amazing tour de force in winemaking, but like nearly all the Perse 2006s, it is a massively built vin de garde with no compromises meant for serious connoisseurs and long-term cellaring. Forget it for 7-8 years, and drink it over the following 25-30.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (94+)

Saturated dark ruby. High-toned aromas of black raspberry, blueberry and smoky oak. Superripe, lush, chewy and deep, with a distinctly high-toned quality to the fine-grained flavors of wild dark berries, espresso, graphite and dark chocolate. For all its sweetness, there's no shortage of acidity here. The broad, sweet, building tannins give shape to the fruit of this massive wine, which remained impressively fresh in the recorked bottle.

Wine Advocate (96)

The smallest of the Perse estates, this tiny property situated on pure limestone produces a wine made from a blend of 90% Merlot and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. One of the superstars of this vintage, the 2012 is opaque purple and exhibits tremendous concentration and richness, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and a layered texture that builds incrementally without any heaviness or cloying characteristics. This is stunning, great, old-style, yet progressively made Bordeaux to drink over the next 25-30 years. The alcohol level is 14.3%.

Vinous (98)

Bellevue Mondotte is magnificent in 2016. Stunningly rich and concentrated, with tremendous structure, the 2016 has so much to offer. Crème de cassis, raspberry jam, lavender, graphite, game, menthol and a whole rush of inky blue/purplish fruit emerge from this explosive, captivating Saint-Émilion. In 2016 Bellevue Mondotte balances sumptuousness with saline-infused energy and persistence. It is without question one of the truly great wines of the vintage.

Jeb Dunnuck (96-98)

The 2018 Bellevue Mondotte is a blockbuster that just jumps out of the glass with its crème de cassis, crushed violets, blackberry, and licorice aromas and flavors. It's powerful, opulent, and massively textured, yet never over the top or too much. It has building tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish.

James Suckling (98-99)

This is a terrific wine that has everything, from seamless texture to great depth of fruit. Full-bodied, yet agile and energetic. Pure merlot. One of the best I have had from here.

James Suckling (95-96)

An intense, full-bodied red with lots of fruit and dark chocolate. Round and juicy tannins. Flavorful finish. Very rich. Salt and minerals. Pure merlot.

Wine Spectator (91)

Loads of mineral, violet and berry character. Full-bodied, with masses of fruit and round, ripe tannins. Very well done indeed. Score range: 89-91

Jeb Dunnuck (93-96)

A rough blend of 78% Merlot and 22% Franc made by the team at Canon (Thomas Duclos also consults here), the 2018 Château Berliquet sports a deeper purple color as well as a complex, layered style in its black raspberry, white flowers, dried earth, spice, and forest floor aromas and flavors. It's medium to full-bodied, has a rounded, expansive texture, beautiful tannins, and brilliant freshness and purity as well as a serious kick of minerality on the finish. Coming from a smaller 10-hectare terroir located on the clay and limestone soils on the upper plateau, it will spend 16 months in 45% new French oak. Tasted twice.

Wine Advocate (94)

The 2019 Berliquet is showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, wild berries, sweet spices, violets and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, seamless and elegant, with terrific depth at the core, lively acids and ripe, powdery tannins, it concludes with a long, mineral finish. It's produced from a 9.5-hectare vineyard that encompasses three soil types: Saint-Émilion's limestone plateau (like its sibling, Château Canon); the slope, characterized by deep clay; and then sandy, colluvial soils at the foot of the slope. Right now it's planted with 70% Merlot and the balance Cabernet Franc, but the percentage of the latter is increasing as replanting progresses.

James Suckling (95-96)

Very soft and polished with beautiful tannins that are poised and beautiful. It’s medium-to full-bodied and gorgeously proportioned. Ready for even more polishing.

Jeb Dunnuck (94-96)

Candied cherries, tapenade, violets, and floral notes all emerge from the 2022 Château Berliquet, a medium to full-bodied, seamless Saint-Emilion that brings plenty of ripeness while staying nicely balanced, light on its feet, and elegant. Based on 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc, from yields of 31.2 hectoliter per hectare, it will spend 16 months in 44% new French oak, with a portion of the blend aged in amphora. This isn't the most powerful or opulent wine in the vintage, but it's as seamless and graceful as they come.

James Suckling (94-95)

A plump and juicy wine with redcurrants and plums, as well as orange peel. Full and layered with round, juicy tannins and a flavorful finish. Generous fruit in this vintage.

Wine Enthusiast (91)

Formerly the property of one of Napoleon's generals, this estate is now performing impressively after renovations. This wine is richly structured and packed with black fruits. Dark tannins vie with black currants and ripe spice in this wine that will age well. Drink from 2024.

James Suckling (95)

Beautiful aromas of blackberries, currants and flowers. Very aromatic. Full body, with ultra-fine tannins and gorgeous fruit. It's polished and very refined. One of the best Beychevelles in years. Try in 2018.

Jeb Dunnuck (96)

I was able to taste the 2016 Château Beychevelle on two occasions, and it showed beautifully both times. This is also the first vintage made in the new cellar. Medium to full-bodied, incredibly seamless and elegant on the palate, yet beautifully concentrated, it offers a heavenly perfume of spring flowers, violets, saddle leather, and blueberry and cassis fruit. A blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and the rest Cabernet Franc, brought up in 50% new oak, it’s still tight, taunt, and reserved on the palate, yet has the hallmark purity of fruit and balance of the vintage front and center. Hide bottles for 4-6 years, and it will keep for 25+ years or more.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (95)

The 2017 Beychevelle is a luscious, extroverted beauty. An exotic mélange of super-ripe dark cherry, red plum, pomegranate, espresso, licorice and blood orange build as this potent, unctuous Saint-Julien opens up in the glass. The tannins need time to soften but should not be much of an issue in another few years' time. I very much like the push and pull of ripeness and energy in the 2017. In a word: memorable. Tasted two times.

Jeb Dunnuck (95-97+)

Showing beautifully both times I was able to taste it, the 2018 Château Beychevelle checks in as a blend of 50% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc that's aging in 60% new French oak. This ultra-pure, refined, gorgeously layered Beychevelle offers terrific notes of black cherries, blackberries, cassis, violets, and damp earth. Deep, concentrated, and layered on the palate, it has a thrilling sense of purity and elegance as well as building structure. This is the third vintage vinified in the new cellar, and the 2018 represents a selection of 50% of the total production. It hit 14.5% alcohol with a healthy pH of 3.74 and a massive IPT of 81. Hats off to director Romain Ducolomb for another brilliant wine that I suspect will surpass both the 2015 and 2016!

Decanter (95)

Dark nose, quite serious and seductive. This draws you in from the first smell with lovely florality and delicacy. On the palate it's deep and the power is on show no doubt, there's concentration but also such aromatics and purity of fruit with tannins that are gentle and svelte. Lifted the whole way through, good acidity and a subtle creaminess at the end. A well framed, pretty and powerful style. Great winemaking with precision.

Jeb Dunnuck (95-97)

Based on 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot, the Grand Vin 2020 Château Beychevelle is a stunner that does everything right, offering a monster bouquet of black and blue fruits as well as candied violets, incense, flowers, and toasty oak. A ripe, full-bodied, incredibly sexy wine in every sense, it has a great mid-palate, ripe, velvety tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It's one of the more up-front, exotic wines in the vintage and should be accessible with just short-term cellaring.

The Drinks Business (94-96)

Beychevelle (St Julien; 57% Cabernet Sauvignon; 38% Merlot; 3% Petit Verdot; 2% Cabernet Franc; 13% alcohol; tasted at the UGCB press tasting and at Lagrange with consistent notes). Dark, glossy and viscous in the glass, with a radiant lilac/pink rim and with good extraction (which, with Beychevelle, you know already is going to be well managed). Chocolate fondant; deep dark bramble compote; graphite and cedar (all very Beychevelle); plump ripe raspberries and freshly hulled wild strawberries; toasted brioche with melted butter. Lovely, with a beautiful vertical lift from the redcurrant and blackcurrant leafiness. Texturally sublime and a little more precise even than usual. Tight, compact, dense and charged with energy and life. Sapid and juicy. Fabulously successful in a challenging vintage

Jeb Dunnuck (95-97+)

I was able to taste the 2022 Château Beychevelle on multiple occasions, and it never failed to impress me. Based on 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that will see 18 months in 70% new oak, it's one of those wines that makes you stop and say "wow" due to its purity, depth, and texture. Sporting a dense purple hue as well as lots of blueberry and black cherry fruits, it's full-bodied and has a layered, seamless mouthfeel, building yet gorgeous tannins, and subtle background notes of crushed violets, flowers, and graphite. This is a sensational effort from director Philippe Blanc.

James Suckling (94-95)

Pure fruit to this, with blueberries, hazelnuts, walnut and blackcurrants. Just like eating grapes at this stage. It has a full body, juicy tannins and a savory finish. Remains vivid and energetic.

Vinous - Neal Martin (92)

The 2016 Bibian has a tightly-wound bouquet that demands more coaxing than its peers, eventually revealing pure blackberries, raspberry, cedar and light mint aromas. The oak here is nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, very pure and polished with some classy new oak assiduously blended. This is a classy offering and one of the best Cru Bourgeois that I have tasted this vintage. Tasted at the Cru Bourgeois tasting in London.