Beychevelle St-Julien 2009

94 points James Suckling: "An attractive, medium-bodied St.-Julien with plenty of blueberry character, plus touches of cassis and mint and a long, moderately dry finish that gives it a lot of appeal. Drink or hold. (3/11/19)"

94 points (17/20) La Revue du Vin de France: "True to its style, Beychevelle 2009 is refined and distinctive, yet endowed with a solid base and superb tannic grain. A great classic. (2011)"

93 points Robert Parker: "The finest Beychevelle since the 2003 and probably since the 1982, Beychevelle’s 2009 is opaque purple in color, with a beautiful, floral nose intermixed with black currant fruit, licorice, cedar wood and Christmas fruitcake. Full-bodied yet still elegant and pure, this wine has velvety tannins, a broad, savory mouthfeel, and a very long finish. There is plenty of tannin behind the extravagant fruit, glycerin and texture of this wine, but it is largely concealed. This wine could actually turn out to be even better than my relatively conservative tasting note. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2042. (Feb 2012)"

93 points Jane Anson (Decanter): "An enjoyable wine, still young but definitely starting to open up, revealing lots of rich black fruits. The generosity of the vintage has been well handled, and although it lacks some of the impact and precision of Beychevelle in recent years, it's a very good St-Julien that's a pleasure to taste. Drinking Window: 2019-2036. (2/7/19)"

93 points Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2009 Château Beychevelle is a beauty, with a ripe, round, incredibly opulent style that’s a joy to drink today. Giving up lots of darker currant and subtle cassis-like fruits as well as green tobacco, cedarwood, loamy earth, and chocolate, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a lush, decadent, expansive mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's certainly drinking beautifully today yet needs an hour in a decanter, and it's going to evolve for another 20-30 years if properly stored. Drink: 2022-2052. (5/24/22)"

93 points Neal Martin (Vinous): "The 2009 Beychevelle is very perfumed and floral on the nose with brambly red fruit loam, incense and mint. It's well-defined and shows more pedigree than the 2005. The palate is medium-bodied with a supple entry, a fine bead of acidity and slightly grainy in texture. This has a touch of curry leaf towards the finish that I have found on previous bottles. Drinking now, and it should cruise for another 15-20 years. Tasted at the Beychevelle vertical at the property. Drink: 2022-2042. (Mar 2023)"

92 points Wine Spectator: "This has the dark, winey cassis bush and roasted plum fruit of the appellation, but steps up the integration and length, with racy linzer torte and graphite notes and a lovely tobacco-filled finish supported by mouthwatering acidity. Best from 2014 through 2026. (3/31/12)"

92 points John Gilman (View From the Cellar): "I was very pleased this past April to revisit the 2009 Beychevelle, which is evolving quite positively in barrel and shows superb promise. The wine is a fairly heady wine at 13.9 percent, but certainly not over the top, as it offers up a deep, ripe and classy nose of black cherries, a touch of dark berry, just a bit of fresh herbs, coffee lovely soil tones and a discreet framing of cedar. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite suave on the attack, with excellent balance and mid-palate depth, ripe tannins and very fine length and grip on the finish. This will need some extended cellaring (like nearly every vintage of Beychevelle) to blossom fully, but it should prove to be an outstanding example of the vintage. 2022-2075. (May/Jun 2011)"