My dad had a fascination with Chateau Beau-Site. He first had the wine back in the 1960s, and he continued buying and drinking it into this century.
Going through the cellar there are at least five different vintages in stock. The 1999 is basically dead. It’s not oxidized but just completely exhausted. The 2000, while better, is not far behind. I love 2000 Bordeaux, but most of the smaller wines are past their best IMO, so no surprise on Beau-Site. The 2003 is iffy. The extra stuffing of that hot year added some material, but without sufficient structure. 2005 is an open question. I need to pull a bottle and do a critical evaluation.
All that said, I pulled a 2009 tonight, and it’s lovely. The elevated richness of the vintage brought an extra level of textural depth, and the structure balanced the fruit and spice. It’s not a classed growth stand-in, but it’s clearly left-bank Bordeaux with the classic style and virtues. A rising tide certainly floated this boat, and I am glad to have several more to drink over the next few years.
