CHÂTEAU BEAUMONT

"A good solid Haut-Médoc" is how I described the 2020 Beaumont when I tasted it from barrel. I've no need to alter that summation. A mixture of red and black fruit on the nose, this feels cohesive and detailed, not powerful yet it engages the senses. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy black fruit. There is just a slight bitterness that lends tension, quite sharp with black cherry, orange rind and cedar notes towards the finish. It's not going to win the wine of the vintage but it's a…well, I told you at the beginning. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 89 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

The 2020 Beaumont offers ripe black fruit, briar and pine, just like it did from barrel; it’s well-defined, with maybe a little more vigor. The palate is medium-bodied with chalky tannins on the entry, fine acidity and a sapid, tobacco-tinged finish. There is a fine sense of classicism in this Haut-Médoc. Drinking range: 2025 - 2040 Rating: 90 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2022)

This is a happy-go-lucky Beaumont with a fresh, red-fruited theme and a neat, savoury finish. Medium-weight and floral with rose petal notes and a red cherry core, this is a lovely little charmer and it will drink well in the mid-term. Rating: 16.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Beaumont is dark, fleshy and wonderfully expressive. Charcoal, scorched earth, lavender and spice give this dark, plummy Haut-Médoc Cru Bourgeois Superieur so much character and personality. Expressive spice and floral notes reappear on the long, beautifully articulated finish. This is a winner. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 90-92 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Jun 2021)

The 2020 Beaumont has a well-defined bouquet of blackberry, briar and light pine cone scents plus a welcome touch of orange peel. The palate is medium-bodied and classic in style, with dry-ish tannins, but in no way austere; in fact, it displays fine depth and commendable salinity toward the finish. What they used to call "English gentleman’s claret," a.k.a. a good solid Haut-Médoc. Enjoy over 12–15 years. Drinking range: 2026 - 2040 Rating: 89-91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2020 Beaumont opens with expressive notions of baked red cherries, mulberries and redcurrant jelly, plus hints of dried mint, pencil shavings and charcoal. The medium-bodied palate delivers a good amount of crunchy red fruits with soft tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with an herbal lift. Drinking range: 2023 - 2031 Rating: 87-89 Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com (May 2021)

A linear and polished young red with compact, silky tannins that are polished and beautiful. Lots of blackberry, blackcurrant, mushroom and spice character. Very solid wine from here. Rating: 92-93 James Suckling, www.jamessuckling.com (May 2021)

Careful extraction sees a clear tannic frame to give balance and form to the wine without getting in the way of enjoyment, meaning this is a bottle that can easily be opened within the next few years. Silky texture, and the power builds through the palate, as concentrated brambled fruits begin to emerge. A slight bitterness overtakes the final push of the wine, this is spicy, intense and enjoyable. A yield of 40hl/ha. Tasted three times. Cru Bourgeois Supérieur. Drinking range: 2023 - 2034 Rating: 91 Jane Anson, Decanter (May 2021)

A cru bourgeois supérieur. 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot. Dark purplish crimson with black core. Fragrant with cassis and a touch of cassis leaf and just a hint of the sweeter black-plum fruit. Fine, almost gentle tannins for a wine so young, dry but without much friction, almost chalky. A little bit flat on the palate with a charry darkness and less fruit than in the aroma. Could turn into something more elegant but at the moment it is rather slight. Drinking range: 2023 - 2028 Rating: 15.5 Julia Harding MW, www.JancisRobinson.com (Apr 2021)