Vertical Bordeaux Tasting in Singapore: 40 Years of Beau-Séjour Bécot

Vertical tastings offer a rare chance to follow a wine’s evolution across time. This session in Singapore brought together four decades of Château Beau-Séjour Bécot, revealing how Saint-Émilion’s limestone-driven identity develops with age. This blog will walk you through the flow of the tasting, the structure of each flight, and what these wines showed about Bordeaux’s long-term character.

What Is a Vertical Wine Tasting?

A vertical tasting presents multiple vintages of the same wine so guests can observe how age, climate, and winemaking choices influence expression. Unlike a horizontal tasting — where you compare wines from the same vintage across producers — a vertical traces the evolution of one estate through time.

This format is especially useful for understanding Bordeaux, where terroir and structure interact closely with vintage conditions. For readers curious about organising their own verticals at home, exploring our All Wines collection is a simple way to find multiple vintages of similar styles.

According to the Bordeaux Wine Council, Saint-Émilion’s limestone plateau is known for producing wines with firm tannins, lifted aromatics, and steady ageing potential — qualities that shaped every bottle featured in this tasting.

The Wines: Château Beau-Séjour Bécot Vertical Tasting Notes

Each bottle reflected the estate’s Saint-Émilion identity while showing how age, structure, and vintage shaped its development.

Château Mont Pérat Blanc 2017 (Opening Aperitif)

We opened with this fresh and zippy white from Entre-Deux-Mers. Crisp, refreshing, with just the right acidity - it was a perfect aperitif that earned high praise for its clean profile and balance.

If you enjoy whites with similar freshness and lift, explore our white wine collection, where you’ll find other crisp, aromatic styles that deliver the same bright energy.

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot 1986

Despite being nearly 40 years old, this bottle held its strength with impressive grace. Earthy tones, dried herbs, and softened tannins made this a beautiful example of fully matured Saint-Émilion. It served as a thoughtful reminder that aged Bordeaux doesn’t have to be intimidating, especially when enjoyed in a relaxed setting.

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot 1989

This vintage opened with layered aromatics — red fruit, subtle florals, and savoury undertones. The palate carried refined structure and a long finish, revealing how the estate’s limestone backbone supports graceful ageing. Many guests commented on how seamlessly fruit and tertiary notes intertwined.

Some attendees compared these nuances with styles from Italy, which led a few to browse our Italian wines collection for reference.

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot 1990

Rich, expressive, and beautifully balanced, the 1990 vintage delivered standout depth. Dark fruit, spice, and developed textures showed why this year is often praised among Right Bank enthusiasts. It was one of the most discussed bottles of the evening, especially among guests exploring older Bordeaux for the first time.

Château Beau-Séjour Bécot 2000

The youngest vintage in the lineup displayed freshness and structure. Vibrant fruit and firm tannins reminded guests how early-stage maturity differs from older bottles. This vintage made the contrast between youth and age especially clear, prompting many attendees to revisit earlier pours for comparison.

For those curious to explore younger Right Bank styles, our red wine collection offers similar Merlot-driven profiles.

Château Coutet (Sweet Wine)

A lush and aromatic sweet wine brought the tasting to a gentle close. Its honeyed texture and balanced acidity offered a pleasant contrast after the structured reds, rounding out the experience on a warm, elegant note.

Wine and Food Pairings by Little Rogue Coffee

To complement the depth of the wines, guests enjoyed a four-course menu specially prepared by Little Rogue Coffee:

Appetisers

Truffle fries

Chicken Caesar Salad

Main Course

Malfadine Alfredo pasta with chicken tsukune glazed in yakitori tare

(The creamy richness paired especially well with the older vintages.)

Second Main

Grilled steak and mash

Dessert

Earl Grey tart — a standout match with Château Coutet’s honeyed notes.

These pairings grounded the tasting in Singapore’s food-first culture while spotlighting Delicate Wine’s café partner in an authentic, value-adding way.

The Ambiance: Cozy Vibes, Full Glasses

With candlelight reflecting off the glasses and soft jazz in the background, the room felt warm and unhurried. Guests moved between tables, discussing impressions openly, revisiting earlier pours, and discovering how wines evolved with air. It wasn’t just a tasting — it was an experience shaped by conversation, curiosity, and shared appreciation for Bordeaux.

Several attendees mentioned wanting to explore more vintages afterward. Many began with approachable options from our Bordeaux wine collection, while others looked through our best-selling wines to curate their own tasting at home.

For context on how terroir affects long-term aging, the Comité Champagne’s educational material offers helpful explanations applicable to still wines as well.

Take the Journey Home: Buy Aged Bordeaux Wine, Limited Availability

If you missed the event, or want to revisit your favourite pour, the wines featured are available online in limited quantities:

• Beau-Séjour Bécot 1986
• Beau-Séjour Bécot 1989
• Beau-Séjour Bécot 1990
• Beau-Séjour Bécot 2000
  
• Château Coutet (Sweet Wine)
• Mont Pérat Blanc 2017

Quantities are limited, so early reservation is recommended.

Conclusion

This tasting offered a grounded look at how Château Beau-Séjour Bécot expresses time, terroir, and craftsmanship across four decades. Comparing vintages side by side revealed patterns that single bottles often miss, making the experience both educational and memorable. 

If you’d like to explore Bordeaux further or curate a small vertical at home, our team is happy to guide you toward bottles that suit your style and curiosity. Simply reach out to our team at info@delicateapac.com and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.