Savoury black fruits, St Julien balance, this is on the tipping point between young and mature at 12 years old. Brambled blackberry and cassis fruits giving both colour and expression, with sage, cumin and fresh mint on the finish, this rises through the palate with a cushion of air that gives contrast to the gourmet fruit character. Harvest September 20 to October 5, 60% new oak for ageing.

Open and ready to drink, this 2012 has approachable fluidity and suppleness, its lifted mulberry and blackberry aromas entangled with cedar and spice. A silky mouthfeel is peppered with flavours of tomato leaf and driving acidity on the finish.

The grand vin, the 2012 Beychevelle, is one of the stars of St.-Julien. Opaque purple, with beautiful crème de cassis notes, the wine has floral underpinnings, sweet tannin and a nice layered, multi-dimensional mouthfeel. This is elegant and powerful, rich and intense, but light on its feet. This is a great Beychevelle and certainly seems to exceed the vintage’s character and expectations. Give it 4-6 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 25-30 years.

Philippe Blanc is a winemaker in the ascendency in Saint Julien and he has crafted some lovely Beychevelle wines recently. The Grand Vin is a blend of 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot picked from 27 September until 18 October (16 days picking) and it is being raised in 50% new oak. It has a ripe, rounded, quite generous bouquet with floral, crushed violet scents developing in the glass. The palate has quite a surprising grip on the entry. The IPT of 75 makes its mark – there is real backbone to this Beychevelle and it could be one of the longer-lasting Saint Julien wines. Graphite and a touch of dried herbs on the classic finish show that this could be one of the 2012 worth allocating a berth in your cellar. Tasted April 2013.

Blackberry and blueberry character. Full body, with ultra-fine tannins and a pretty finish with finesse and refinement. Beychevelle is very consistent in quality these days.

A strong, solid effort from Beychevelle, the 2012 exhibits a deep ruby/plum color in addition to a sweet perfume of mulberries, black currants, jammy cherries, vanilla and damp earth. With good power and more depth than many Medocs as well as the estate’s hallmark finesse and elegance, this excellent, possibly outstanding wine possesses sweet tannin and more mid-palate depth than many of its peers.

(47% cabernet sauvignon, 44% merlot, 5% petit verdot and 4% cabernet franc; 67% selection for the grand vin; 42 h/h): Fully saturated deep purple-red. Aromas of black cherry, flowers and aromatic spices. Then surprisingly big and almost chunky for Beychevelle, with rich blackberry and black cherry flavors dominating. This crowd-pleaser finishes smooth, ripely tannic and long.

Ripe, bright nose with a touch of white pepper and minerality. Quite plump, nice texture. 13.3% alcohol, with blackcurrant, strawberry, fresh cherry and blackcurrant leaf; pleasantly balanced.

Nicely balanced in a slightly firmer style for the year, but with the year’s crisply ripe fruit, fine tannins, good length. 2019-29. [M.Schuster, Bordeaux Mar/Apr 2013]

Quality 757 | Brand 978 | Economics 928 | buzz brand
Quality: Above the average quality score of its peer group for the 2012 vintage, 713 Brand: Strong restaurant presence, featuring on 29 of the world's top wine lists, including Jean-Georges Economics: Above its peer group average price of £33 for the 2012 vintage Production: Higher yields than its peer group average of 41 hl/ha

- www.wine-lister.com June 2017

Drink 2020-2032 Particularly dark purple. Minerals and oyster shells on the nose. Then unexpectedly sweet on the palate. Gratingly green on the finish. A bit brutal.

Relatively light but well-tailored to fit the fruit – the tannins are dry and light and the acidity is just right. Light finish too. (JH)