Chateau Beychevelle 2006

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Tasted at Bordeaux Index's annual 10-Year On tasting in London.The 2006 Château Beychevelle has a more open and more complex bouquet compared to the 2006 Talbot. I appreciate the clarity and detail here with briary, cedar and touches of forest floor, suggesting that it has both feet planted on its drinking plateau. The palate is medium-bodied with a firm grip in the mouth. This is clean and fresh with a fine line of acidity: brambly red fruit, white pepper, cloves and a touch of fennel on the finish. This surpasses previous bottles that I have tasted. Tasted January 2016."

DECANTER: "Great depth on the palate and an array of flavours which sweep through coffee, bitter chocolate, cassis and black stones, with a sense of minerality and lift that’s slightly marred by a touch of bitter tannin on the finish. I imagine that full phenolic ripeness was a few days away. But good classic Médoc nonetheless, with potential to further surprise us."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Cedar, tobacco and cassis open the nose. The wine is medium bodied, classically styled and ends with a fresh, spicy, earthy, vibrant finish. Give it a few more years to soften and round out the tannins. At 56% of the blend, the Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most dominant in the history of the estate."

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "Beychevelle's style is for elegance, and this wine epitomizes that character. It is sweet, soft, with light tannins, achieving a balance of black fruits and acidity, light in structure and depth."