CHÂTEAU BEAUSÉJOUR BÉCOT
2015 1er Grand Cru Classé Saint Emilion
Glossy and sleek, blackberry fruit, but not too sweet, nice balance and a bit of definition and character. This is good - long too. Rating: 91-92 L&S (Apr 2016)
* This is a pre-shipment/primeur offer. All orders are accepted under the TERMS of this offer which differ from the terms of the rest of the site.
Very perfumed with crushed berries and blackberries. Wet earth and great intensity. Decadent. Full-bodied, layered and very velvety and intense. Extremely long and intense. A sexy and opulent wine yet poised and tight. One of best ever. Needs at least three to five years bottle age. Rating: 95 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (Feb 2018)
This tastes less alcoholic than it is, partly because of the presence of Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, but also because of the talent of winemaker, Juliette Bécot and the high percentage of limestone in the vineyard. Rich, plush and textured, this has lovely tannins, plenty of dark, bramble fruit and scented, coffee bean oak. Drinking range: 2024 - 2032 Rating: 93 Tim Atkin MW, www.timatkin.com (May 2016)
Very deep crimson. Edgy and charred. A bit too exaggerated. Hard work! Shades of the 1990s… Drinking range: 2025 - 2038 Rating: 16+ Jancis Robinson OBE MW - www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2016)
Deep and reserved on the nose but a fragrant palate. Powerful but refined tannic base. Beautiful smooth texture with the freshness from the limestone terroir. Persistent finish. Drinking range: 2023 - 2040 Rating: 94 James Lawther MW, decanter.com (Apr 2016)
The 2015 Beau-Sejour-Becot is a blend of 80% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon picked between 5-17 October, matured in 70% new oak barrels. It has a seductive and sensual bouquet with dark berries, blackberry and a subtle marine influence - kelp, perhaps brine. The palate is very smooth, satin-like tannin accompanied by a fresh line of acidity. Harmonious, almost sultry in style and yet there is plenty of freshness on the caressing finish. What a gorgeous Beausejour Bécot. To quote 1980s chanteuse Sade - this is a "smooth operator". Drinking range: 2020 - 2045 Rating: 93-95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Apr 2016)
A spectacularly rich, hedonistic wine, the 2015 Beau-Séjour-Bécot exudes richness and intensity, with silky, polished tannins that wrap around a huge core of fruit. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, licorice and violet notes flesh out as this voluptuous, modern St.-Émilion shows off its distinctive personality. The 2015 is 80% Merlot, 15% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon partially fermented in barrel. All the elements are simply in the right place. Rating: 93-96 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Apr 2016)
This offers the ripe, layered boysenberry and raspberry fruit and velvety tannins of the vintage, with an extra dimension thanks to a racy mineral edge. Judicious toast lets the finish shine. Rating: 92—95 James Molesworth, The Wine Spectator (Apr 2016)
Château Beau-Séjour Bécot
Château Beau Séjour Bécot sits on the slopes above Château Angelus, half a mile west of the town of St Emilion. It was once part of a larger Château Beauséjour estate which was owned by the de Carle family who owned Château Figeac. After a couple of changes of ownership, the estate was divided in 1869 between the children of Pierre-Paulin Ducarpe - his daughter's share became Château Beauséjour-Duffau-Lagarosse, whilst his son's, eventually, became Château Beau Séjour Bécot. The Bécot part of the name only became attached in 1969 when Michel Bécot bought the estate, and the Bécot family own it to this day. The controversial addition to Beau Séjour Bécot of some other vineyards owned by the Bécot family, an addition which nearly doubled the size of the estate, led to its demotion from Premier Grand Cru Classé status to "only" Grand Cru Classé status in 1979. Relentless work to prove that the new larger estate was as good, if not better, than before paid off in 1996 when Château Beau Séjour Bécot was re-elevated to Premier Grand Cru Classé status. The vineyards are a fairly typical mix of 70% Merlot and 24% Cabernet Franc with a small quantity of Cabernet Sauvignon. Maturation is in mostly new oak.
Please make sure that you have read the terms of this offer which are different from those of the main website. If you are unclear as to what is involved in primeur purchases please do call us, but see the 'practical notes' below.
Ordering
Prices are per case as listed 'in bond London'.
Pre-Orders are a firm commitment from you to buy the wines you order on release, subject to the price being below the upper price of the estimated band on our website. You may also set your own upper price limit, lower or higher than ours. Pre-orders will be fulfilled subject to availability. Providing this firm commitment to us effectively gives you priority.
Wines listed on the website (after any pre-orders and allocations have been fulfilled) can be ordered in the usual way via the website order form or by email or telephone 020 7221 1982, always subject to stock remaining.
Confirmation
All orders will be confirmed by email and are contractually binding unless written cancellation is received within seven days of the confirmation date, apart from pre-orders which are binding if the release price is below the top estimate or other price you have set.
Invoices are raised at the In Bond price, excluding any duty and VAT which will become payable at the prevailing rates on arrival of the wine if required duty paid.
Payment is required on sight of invoice, by cash, cheque, debit card or credit transfer. We reserve the right to charge 2% per month on invoices unpaid after 30 days.
Delivery
- Shipment to our bond (LCB Creek Road) and insurance are included in the in bond price.
- Delivery is free to Lea and Sandeman / Elephant storage accounts, both duty paid and in bond.
- Other deliveries (In Bond and Duty Paid) are also free subject to a minimum order from the offer of £1000, orders below this total will be charged £16.50+ VAT when the wine invoices are issued. We will group deliveries and this is a charge for your entire purchases, not a per-case charge.
- Delivery for 2016 Bordeaux primeurs will probably be completed by October 2019, but we make no guarantee as to specific delivery times, and some of the Sauternes may be later.
Practical notes - how it works
We start a sale in each customer's name and add all their primeur orders to one sale which is invoiced at the end of the campaign (or when the customer wishes) for immediate payment. We and our customers find that having a single invoice for the vintage is the simpler option, but do please note that confirmed orders are still binding as above even if the final invoice has not been issued.
When the wine is shipped, unless previously specified we will assume that delivery is to be to bonded storage with Elephant Storage, but in any case, we will contact you requesting any alternative instructions. If you have another bonded delivery address you would like the wine to go to, please tell us at the time of ordering. If the wines are required duty-paid we will issue invoices at the rates prevailing at the time for the excise duty (currently £25.98 per case) and the VAT (currently at 20%) on the total of the wine cost and the duty.
Half-bottles, Magnums and larger bottles.
One of the additional advantages of buying en primeur is being able to order the wine in the bottle size you want. Even if a wine is only listed in one size, you can order any bottle or case size you want if the property supplies it, but you must order the case/bottle size you require and check that the correct size has been invoiced.
Additional charges are as follows:-
- +£15 per case of 24 half-bottles
- +£15 per case of 6 Magnums (2 bottles equivalent, 1.5 litres each)
- +£35 per individually boxed Double Magnum (4 bottles equivalent, 3 litres)
- +£45 per individually boxed Imperial (8 bottles equivalent, 6 litres) for Salmanazars, Balthazars, Nebuchadnezzars and Melchiors please enquire for availability and price.