Château Joanin Bécot 2025

Château Joanin Bécot lies in the AOC Castillon-Côtes de Bordeaux, east of Saint-Émilion, where the Bécot family bought the estate in 2001 for its position on one of the highest elevations along the Gironde. Juliette Bécot owns and farms the twelve hectares, working the vineyards closely and sustainably. The wine blends Merlot and Cabernet Franc, the right bank's classic pairing, grown on the limestone rich slopes that give the wines freshness and a fine mineral structure. The elevation brings cooler nights that preserve acidity and aromatic detail. Merlot supplies the ripe, fleshy plum fruit and Cabernet Franc adds red berry lift, a floral note and firm tannin. The wine is aged for eighteen months in 225 litre French oak barrels, whose small size means a high ratio of wood to wine, so the oak adds spice, vanilla and cocoa and the slow oxygen exchange builds a finer, more polished tannin. The colour is deep red. The nose shows iris and lilac over ripe plum and red berries with vanilla and cocoa. The palate is medium to full bodied, fresh and structured, with fine tannins and a long, savoury finish. Serve at 16 to 17 degrees. It suits roast beef, lamb and game.