From: Red Mountain, WA
Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon
Taste: This review by Margot, was for the 2015 vintage. We included it for the 2018 vintage because so many of the highlights are true for this vintage as well.
This is a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon (78%) blended with a velvety touch of Merlot (22%). Even white wine drinkers have said they became fans of this balanced, smooth red wine. We recommend decanting it for several hours to reveal aromatics of blackberries and cassis, followed by flavors of black fruit, cedar, earth and barrel spices, with some mineral notes. (It opened up even more on the second day.) Jean Claude describes this wine as “minerality, finesse and elegance.”
Pairing: He suggests drinking it on its own, or pairing it with gourmet burgers, filet mignon, black truffles, various cheeses (camembert, brie, St Nectaire), chocolate, chocolate truffles and crème brûlée.
Art. And in case you were wondering, the Le Bec Fin labels were created by Seattle artist Nicola Tager, whose work inspired Jean Claude to use the crow as a symbol of his brand. Five paintings were created just for Le Bec Fin.
About. Le Bec Fin by Chateau Beck is a new side project by Jean Claude Beck, the winemaker of The Woodhouse Wine Estates in Woodinville. We first met Jean Claude when he arrived at Woodhouse about ten years ago to lead their wine production, and we were immediately charmed and impressed.
He was born in the Alsace region of France, following several generations of winemakers; his family estate has been producing wine since 1579 in a small village south of Strasbourg. According to European gourmet magazine Feinschmecken, “everything this winemaker touches turns to gold in the bottle.” Jean Claude’s motto is “No boring wines!”
We also love another of his quotes: “As my Grandfather Char once said, ‘I don’t want to make the most expensive wine in the world, I want to make a wine that when you sit at the table and the glass is poured, you empty it and without hesitation you ask for another.’”