CHÂTEAU BEYCHEVELLE

The 2016 Beychevelle is a blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc cropped at 45 hectoliters per hectare between 3 October and 18 October. It is matured in 50% new oak. Furthermore, it is the first vintage to be matured in the new chichi winery whose glass exterior overlooks the passing traffic on the D2. It has a very pure, fragrant bouquet with black cherries, cassis, cedar and wet limestone, extremely precise to the point where you might think it was from the Right Bank (logical given the proportion of Merlot in the blend). The palate is sensational: understated at first and bridled with ultra-fine tannin, it is a Beychevelle armed with a disarming sense of symmetry. It builds in the mouth towards a fabulously tensile finish that is so fresh and full of energy that the senses are almost overwhelmed. Frankly, it leaves all the other Beychevelles in recent years standing. This is an electrifying 2016 from winemaker Philippe Blanc and his right-hand man, technical director, Romain Ducolomb. Drinking range: 2026 - 2060 Rating: 96-98 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2017)

Dark purple. Light peppery nose. Sweet palate entry with a hint of sweet oak, and then a bit austere on the palate. Lively coconut hint. Falls away on the finish. Competent rather than exciting. Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 16.5 Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2017)

A textbook St.-Julien in the making, with crushed plum and warm cassis notes inlaid with anise and graphite accents. The muscular, driven finish is just a touch chewy in feel but gets soaked up quickly on the finish by the pure fruit. Really solid. Rating: 93-96 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2017)

The softness and finesse to this are indeed impressive with blackberry and blackcurrant character. Full-bodied, dense and polished. Lovely texture and length. It builds on the palate. Clearly better in 2015. This is the first year in from the new cellar. Rating: 94-95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Apr 2017)

An extremely successful Beychevelle this year, a carefully drawn wine where the fruit register is deep and dark, the tannins a little brooding, and a seam of freshness runs right through and picks things up. Excellent persistency, a beautiful wine. Drinking range: 2027 - 2050 Rating: 94 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2017)

A heady wine, the 2016 Beychevelle possesses off-the-charts richness and intensity. White truffle, plum, lavender, black cherry and incense, along with an unctuous, racy feel, give the wine much of its exotic, voluptuous personality. Not at all subtle, the 2016 shows the more flamboyant side of Saint-Julien. Its balance is beyond reproach, however. Ripeness is pushed to the edge in 2016, yet the wine is absolutely compelling. This is a fabulous showing from Beychevelle and technical director Romain Ducolomb. Tasted two times. Rating: 91-94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2017)

Rating: 90 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (Apr 2017)

The 2016 Beychevelle has quite a raucous bouquet with lashings of black cherries, blueberry and violet aromas, almost Margaux-like in style. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins, not quite as well knitted together as its peers, and there is a slight greenness that pokes through on the finish. For that reason I marked it down, though frustratingly, that greenness seems to disappear. I was not quite sure this bottle was 100% representative. Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting. Rating: 0 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Dec 1899)