Beychevelle

Ever since it was first produced, and down through the various vintages, Château Beychevelle has reflected the elegance and finesse of Saint Julien's finest terroirs. Graceful and complex, with a tremendous aromatic richness, Château Beychevelle is made from the best plots in the vineyard and undergoes a rigorous selection process.It reveals its character after about ten years, and can be kept for several decades, depending on the vintage.

2014

Wine Advocate 92: The 2014 Beychevelle has a very comely, pure bouquet with heightened dark cherry, blackcurrant and wilted violet scents rendering it almost more Margaux-like than Saint Julien. The palate is medium-bodied, svelte in texture with light tannin. It is a nimble Beychevelle, light on its feet with wonderful freshness and tension towards the finish. This is a very well-crafted wine from Philippe Blanc and his team, a St. Julien that is nimble on its toes.

James Suckling 95: A very classical St. Julien that’s got good concentration and real elegance, too. Great black fruits on the nose with subtle oak, and the richness and dry tannins are balanced out beautifully. You could drink it now, but this will age beautifully.

2015

Wine Advocate 93: The 2015 Beychevelle is a blend of 47% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot aged 18 months in barrel, 50% of which were new and 50% second fill. Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, it's scented of smoked meats, scorched earth, garrigue and new leather with a core of cassis, cherry cordial and plum preserves. The medium-bodied palate is a little firm but delicate, with lovely vibrancy and a bit of grip on the finish.

James Suckling 94: Perfumed red with so much presence and brightness. Flowers, currants and blueberries. Some citrus. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Very fine and vivid. Better in 2022.

Vinous 94: The 2015 Beychevelle has evolved since I last tasted it, this bottle showing a pronounced camphor, slightly medicinal scent that threatens to obscure the terroir expression. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins. This is very pliant and fresh, focused, albeit without the bravura of the 2016. Persistent though and with a fine spicy finish, I would cellar this for another couple of years. Tasted at the Beychevelle vertical at the property.

2018

Wine Advocate 95: Aged for around 18 months in barrel, 60% new and 40% second fill, the 2018 Beychevelle needs a fair bit of swirling to release classic notes of cassis, plum preserves and ripe blackberries, with emerging suggestions of unsmoked cigars, tilled soil and cedar chest, plus a waft of pencil lead. The medium to full-bodied palate is still very tightly wound, offering finely packed black fruit and earthy layers within a frame of firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and mineral laced. This will need a good 5-6 years to come around and then will drink beautifully over the next 20+ years.

James Suckling 94: Currants and blackberries with crushed stone and fresh herbs. Some flower stem, too. It’s full-bodied, yet tight and linear with firm, driven tannins. This needs four or five years of bottle age to open and come together. Try after 2025.

Vinous 96: An unabashedly flamboyant, exotic wine, the 2018 Beychevelle possesses tremendous richness and raciness right out of the gate. Inky dark fruit, chocolate, licorice, spice, menthol and espresso infuse this sumptuous Saint-Julien with striking aromatic and flavor complexity. Soft contours and silky tannins add to its irresistibly sensual personality. Time in the cellar should help the new oak assimilate, but readers should be prepared for a full-throttle, heady wine.

2020

Wine Advocate 93+: Rich and muscular, the 2020 Beychevelle offers up aromas of cassis, blackberries and baked plums mingled with notions of spices, pencil shavings and toasty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, thick and fleshy, with an ample core of fruit framed by powdery, generously extracted tannins that assert themselves on the finish, this is a more powerful, chunky Beychevelle than the suave 2019.

James Suckling 94: A very polished and refined 2020 with a medium body, integrated tannins and a pretty texture. Nice currant, light chocolate and cedar undertones. Fresh finish. Drink after 2026.