2020 Château Beychevelle, Cru Classé, St. Julien
£347 per 6 bottle case in bond
94-96 points, Antonio Galloni, vinous.com
The 2020 Beychevelle opens with the most exotic bouquet imaginable. Wild flowers of all sorts, spice, lavender and inky dark fruit all saturate the palate. As always, Beychevelle is an overt, flamboyant wine, but all of the elements are so well out together. The 2020 is sexy, alluring and impossible to resist. Time in the glass brings out redder tonalities of fruit along with sweet floral notes that add striking inner perfume. Even as a barrel sample, I am so tempted to just drink it. Drink 2030-2055
94-96 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, robertparker.com
Deep purple-black colored, the 2020 Beychevelle offers up vibrant notes of black raspberries, fresh black cherries and cassis, plus hints of wild sage, chocolate mint, rose hip tea and fallen leaves, with an exotic hint of Indian spices. The medium to full-bodied palate offers layers of crunchy black fruits with a firm, grainy texture and just enough freshness, finishing long and perfumed. Drink 2026-2046
93-94, Michael Schuster, The World of Fine Wine
Smells Merlot-plummy and subtly gravelly; full, fresh in acidity, very fine in tannin, a most delicious and particular balance; density and flesh, with a delicious freshness to taste, so easy at only 13.4% ABV; very finely tannic, long, juicy, characteristically fleshy from its 45% Merlot, remarkably harmonious and very satisfying; succulence, sap, complexity, and great length. Like the 2018 (especially), another magnificent Beychevelle, of slightly more classic proportions and style than either 2018 or 2019. In any case, a wonderful trio! The last trio of vintages, of both the Beychevelle and the Amiral, are a great achievement, in which Philippe Blanc can take very legitimate pride. Drink 2030 – 2050+