Château Beau-Séjour Bécot 2010

The 2010 vintage in Saint-Émilion

Vintage benchmark: 98/100 (appellation benchmark, not a score for this wine)

Vintage character: The dry summer and cool nights gave dense, tannic wines of extraordinary ageing potential — the exact opposite of 2009.

Overall reading of the year’s season across Saint-Émilion. An estate can depart from it sharply, in frost or hail years, where two neighbours did not make the same vintage. What this particular wine actually gave is on its technical sheet and in the scores above.

Tasting

The grapes were succulent, offering a rare concentration, very ripe and with a lot of freshness in the pulp thanks to the very cool night temperatures. The pips had no bitterness and showed roasted coffee aromas. All the assets were on our side to craft a vintage for the anthologies! Dominique Bécot.

Blend of the 2010 vintage

Figures from the 2010 sheet

• 12 % vol.Alcohol
• 21 hl/haYield
• 40 yrsVine age
• 56,000 bottlesProduction

Winemaking

Sorting is carried out on three successive sorting tables (two before destemming, one after). Vatting takes place in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats and in new 600-litre barrels, for an average of 30 days (at 28 to 32°C). Malolactic fermentation takes place in barrels.

Ageing

16 months, 65% in new barrels, 35% in ageing vats, amphoras and 20 hl oak casks.

Terroir

The estate covers 15.92 ha and produces around 56,000 bottles a year. The soil is particularly suited to producing a wine of very high quality. It is characterised by a high concentration of clay-limestone with starfish fossils (calcaire à astéries) and is also hollowed out by galleries where the wines are stored. The vineyard is planted 70% Merlot, 24% Cabernet Franc and 6% Cabernet Sauvignon, with vines averaging 40 years of age. Yields range between 30 and 38 hl/ha.