Chateau Beychevelle 4eme Cru 2014

-- Suckling: — Suckling: A firm and austere young red now but there's serious fruit and mineral character underneath. Full body, chewy tannins and a long finish. 93-94/100

-- WS: --WS: Well-packed, with plum cake, bramble, blueberry patch and anise notes, all allied to a graphite edge on the finish. Racy acidity underscores everything. Rock-solid.—J.M. 91-94/100

-- Gabriel: —Gabriel: Tiefes Purpur, satt in der Mitte, Granatschimmer am Rand. Schönes Cassis- und Maulbeerenbouquet, dies mit einer schönen Tiefe anzeigend. Im Gaumen mit Black Currant und eine ziemlich tolle Konzentration zeigend. Selten hat mich ein Beychevelle beim Primeur so überzeugt. Für mich ist dieser mindestens so gut wie seine eigenen Jahrgänge 2009 und 2010! 17/20

-- WE: -- Wine Enthusiast: Barrel Sample. With fresh acidity over the delicious black currant fruits, this is a fine wine. It has enough weight and structure in its strongly tannic background to give great promise for the future, though it is so balanced now. — R.V. 93-95/100

-- TA: --TA: 91/100

-- Galloni: A big, powerful wine for the year, the 2014 Beychevelle is going to need quite a bit of time to fully come together. Today, the 2014 is quite bold, with notable concentration and overall intensity. Lavender, mint, spices, cedar and new leather are all nicely delineated. It will be interesting to see if the 2014 fleshes out a bit more from here. Tasted two times. -- Antonio Galloni 90-93/100

Lobenberg: Deutlich rote Frucht in Nase und Mund. Sehr Cabernet-orientiert. Fein, geschliffen im Mund. Viel Salz und Johannisbeere, Sauerkirsche. Gute Spannung zeigend. Dieser Wein ist ein archetypischer Saint-Julien. Vielleicht ein klein wenig karg, mit schönem salzig-sauren rotfruchtigen Ende. 92-93+/100

-- Gerstl: So schön kann Beychevelle duften, das ist sagenhaft raffiniert, unglaublich komplex und so edel wie nur wenige Weine duften. Auch der Gaumen stimmt, der Wein ist delikat, köstlich aromatisch und perfekt in der Balance, hat auch etwas Schlichtes an sich, was ihm zusätzlichen Charme verleiht, einer der besten Beychevelle Jahrgänge. 18+/20

-- Parker: The Château Beychevelle 2014 is a blend of 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, 51% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. You might notice the high percentage of Merlot. This is because of the flowering, decisions made during blending and the low yield of the Cabernet Sauvignon. It was cropped at 38 hectoliters per hectare between 25 September and 14 October during what the estate recorded as the driest September since 1961. That Merlot governs the aromatics here, the fruit clearly towards the red side of the fruit spectrum: cranberry and wild strawberry, almost Right Bank in style. The palate is ripe and fleshy, nicely defined with tensile tannins. I appreciate the nascent harmony here, with fine precision and a long sustained finish with fine salinity. You could argue that pinning your hopes on Merlot when so many others proselytize Cabernet Sauvignon was a risk however, in this showing it was a risk that was worth taking. "Pomerol does Saint Julien" perhaps? It seems to work on what may be the most seductive Beychevelle for years. 91-93/100