James Suckling (91-92)

Very structured for here with chewy tannins and a blackberry and dark chocolate character. Full and velvety.

Vinous - Neal Martin (90)

The 2015 Belgrave has an attractive blackberry, raspberry and pressed iris bouquet that displays commendable intensity. The palate is quite grippy with slightly hard tannins but there is plenty of fruit with hints of autumn leaves and fennel toward the slightly bitter finish. Enjoy this over the next decade. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.

Wine Advocate (89-91)

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Vinous - Antonio Galloni (88-90)

The 2020 Belgrave is a promising Haut-Médoc. Graphite, scorched earth, cloves, licorice and lavender create a deep, penetrating bouquet. There is good depth and energy here, even if the 2020 remains just a bit lean. All the Belgrave needs is a bit more midpalate juiciness. Tasted two times.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (87)

(a blend of 50% cabernet sauvignon, 30% merlot and 20% petit verdot): Bright, medium red-ruby. Reduced aromas of black fruits, licorice, dark chocolate and tobacco leaf. Supple on entry, then a bit herbal and lean in the middle but with good freshness to the flavors of cassis, redcurrant and cedar. A juicy wine with modest flesh.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (90)

Good deep red-ruby. Currant, smoke and roast coffee on the expressive nose. Suave and sweet, with a fine-grained texture and enticing inner-mouth perfume to the flavors of redcurrant and tobacco. Finishes with fine tannins and very good length.

Vinous - Antonio Galloni (93)

Powerful, dense and explosive, with notable thrust to the red cherry, plum, leather and licorice flavors, the dramatic, full-throttle 2015 Bellefont-Belcier is every bit as impressive as it was from barrel. Dark red cherry, mocha, new leather and spice build into the racy, voluptuous finish. The tannins need time to soften, but all the elements are in the right place. In a word: terrific.

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.

Unveiling the character of a masterfully crafted wine, the Bellegrave 2006 is a vintage of distinction and grandeur. Born in the prestigious vineyards of Pauillac, in the heart of Bordeaux, France, this blend is known for its expressive, profound profile. The astute wine producer, Château Bellegrave, has meticulously harvested the finest Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes to achieve an engaging balance of power, richness and finesse.

Enveloped in classy French oak over a 20-month period, Bellegrave 2006 embodies the quintessence of Bordeaux style wines, expressing an intriguing array of black fruits, developed earthy notes, and subtle hints of sweetness. The palate is rewarded with a luxurious, full-bodied texture, articulating fine tannins and lingering depth. One appreciates the admirable marriage between fruit concentration and complex spice nuances that embody the artistry and legacy of this prolong ageing offering.

Bellegrave 2006 is an eloquent testimony to exceptional French winemaking, etching an indelible mark on the landscape of Pauillac wines across the globe.

Wine Advocate (94)

The first bottle of 2005 Bellevue that I tasted had a maderized, oxidized nose that was off-putting. This note is from a second bottle. This second bottle showed absolutely no trace of oxidation, but did offer plenty of crushed, chalky minerality, notes of plum, blueberry, black raspberry and cherry fruit, a dense purple color, a full-bodied mouthfeel, and fabulous structure, purity and length. It should drink well for at least another 20+ years.

James Suckling (93)

A beautiful core of ripe fruits and berries, with currants and spices. Full and silky. Very polished.

Jeb Dunnuck (94-96)

I've always enjoyed this wine (I recently finished a case of the 2003, which needs to be drunk up), and the 2019 Château Bellevue showed beautifully. Dense purple-hued with lots of cassis, gravelly earth, violets, and spicy oak, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a soft, opulent mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's a beautiful wine in the making and well worth a case purchase.

Wine Advocate (94+)

Even in a vintage such as 2003 there are wines that are youthful, unevolved and still in need of bottle age. The 2003 Bellevue Mondotte is one of those wines. From a tiny (5 acres) estate owned by Gerard Perse, this blend of 90% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits youthful aromas of blue and black fruits, chalk dust, lead pencil shavings and Christmas fruitcake. Full, ripe and moderately tannic, it requires another 3-5 years of bottle age and could turn out to be one of the longest-lived wines of the vintage, lasting another 25-30 years.

Wine Advocate (94)

Very little wine is produced (about 400 cases) from this tiny 5-acre vineyard, but it is always among the most concentrated and richest of Bordeaux. The inky/purple-colored 2007 offers sweet cassis fruit notes interwoven with notions of graphite, chalk dust, and toast. Full-bodied with terrific purity and intensity (14.5% alcohol), it should drink well for 20+ years.

Wine Advocate (95+)

An extraordinary effort in this vintage, this 2008 was made from lower yields than the 2010 (the 2008's equaled 20 hectoliters per hectare) and is a blend of 90% Merlot and equal parts Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon that came in at 14% natural alcohol. Michel Rolland has been the consultant for all the Perse estates since their acquisition, and the 2008's fruit was harvested very late, October 20. The result is a backward, dense purple-colored wine revealing a crushed rock-like liqueur along with highly extracted, massive flavors of black currants, sweet cherries, licorice and toast. This full-bodied effort requires 5-6 years of bottle age and should last for 25-30 years.

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.

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.

The Wine Independent (94-96)

A blend of 59% Merlot and 41% Cabernet Franc, the 2023 Berliquet has a pH of 3.53 and it is ageing in 10% amphorae and 90% oak barriques, of which 34% are new. It has a deep garnet-purple color and it hops from the glass with fragrant notes of wild blueberries, plum preserves, and kirsch, followed by hints of lilacs, fragrant soil, and cardamom. The medium-bodied palate is bright and energetic, with intense red and black berry layers and super-silky tannins, finishing with wonderful length and tension.

Vinous - Stephen Tanzer (90)

Good full red. Redcurrant, mocha and cedary, smoky oak on the ripe nose, with a hint of peppery lift. Lush, ripe and concentrated, offering a dense, thick texture for this wine and a hint of salty herbs. Nicely subtle and perfumed in the mouth. Finishes with suave tannins and sneaky length. A sleeper of the vintage, for drinking over the next 15 years.

The Wine Independent (94)

The 2005 Beychevelle is composed of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot. Deep brick in color, it skips out with shimmery, care-free scents of kirsch, raspberry pie, blackcurrant pastilles, and rose oil, followed by suggestions of Ceylon tea, unsmoked cigars, and red loam. The medium-bodied palate is built like a brick house, featuring firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness to support the youthful black and red fruits, leading to a finish of great length and depth on this stunning wine.

James Suckling (96)

A subtle, refined 2009 with complex aromas and flavors of currants, smoke, minerals and lead pencil. Full body with ultra-refined tannins and a long, long finish. An integrated, beautiful Beychevelle. Hard not to drink now but will be much better in 2017. A wine for long-term aging.

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.

James Suckling (95)

A very classical St. Julien that’s got good concentration and real elegance, too. Great black fruits on the nose with subtle oak, and the richness and dry tannins are balanced out beautifully. You could drink it now, but this will age beautifully.

Vinous - Neal Martin (94)

The 2015 Beychevelle has a fresh blackberry and briary bouquet of impressive delineation and vigor; hints of smoke and pencil shavings emerge with time. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, wonderful tension and an almost effervescent, nervous finish that leaves a tongue-tingling dash of black pepper in its wake. So much potential here. As I have written before, this is one of Philippe Blanc's great Beychevelles. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.

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.

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.

Vinous - Neal Martin (86-88)

The 2021 Blason d’Issan has a perfumed blackberry, wild strawberry and iris petal bouquet that unfolds slowly in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins, good structure and a brisk, lightly spiced finish.