Château Beychevelle 2021

The first major property visible off the D2 Médoc Route de Châteaux on the way to Saint Julien is the picturesque estate, Château Beychevelle.  Resplendent gardens, 200-year-old conifers, priceless sculptures, and exquisite Baroque architecture have earned this Fourth Growth estate the nickname, “The Versailles of Bordeaux.”  But make no mistake, Château Beychevelle is more than just a pretty face.  In recent years, the wines have deviated from their traditional supple, easy-drinking style for a more concentrated approach and this has gone over well with critics.  Robert Parker Jr considers its wines in some vintages, “as beautiful as its magnificent gardens” and Jane Anson from Decanter considers Château Beychevelle one of the ones to watch.

Château Beychevelle was initially a property of the Foix-Candale family and had already achieved recognition as a fine wine estate by 1446.  Eventually it was acquired by the illustrious Duke of Épernon.  The Duke was a prominent figure and well-respected Admiral in the Navy.  He was a patron of the arts, and legend has it the illustrious French playwright, Molière, stayed at the estate with a troupe of actors.  The Duke was also a formidable nobleman, whose power was felt all the way out to the banks of the Gironde and when ships passed his large estate which had a view of the river, they would lower their sails as a sign of respect. The name Beychevelle originates from the French words, baisser le voile, meaning “lower the sails.”  The image of a ship sailing with lowered sales is still on the label today.

The palatial estate was owned by generations of French nobility and powerful négociants throughout the ages, such as Barton and Gustier.  It was classified a Fourth Growth in 1855 and after changing hands throughout the centuries, was purchased by Aymar Achille-Fould in 1970.  In 1984, Aymar partnered with Grand Millésimes de France (GMF) Group.  Eventually, the Japanese Suntory Company which already had properties in Bordeaux like Château Lagrange took an interest in the estate.  Most recently, Suntory along with Pierre Castel purchased the Saint Julien property in 2011.

Château Beychevelle continues to push toward organic farming techniques, and portions of the property are farmed this way.  The new assistant winemaker, Romain Ducolomb, has a background at Château Clinet and has assisted Philippe Blanc in pursuing wines with purity, elegance, and richness.  They both value sustainability, green farming, and energy efficient viticultural practices.   Of the sprawling estate, 90 hectares are planted with vines of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.  Over the past few years, they have dramatically reduced their yields in order to produce wines that are more concentrated.  The wines are all vinified plot by plot to express the optimum terroir here.  They tend to harvest earlier than other estates in the Médoc, but this often serves them well and in particularly rainy vintages, Château Beychevelle has the upper hand.  The grand vin reflect these positive changes and are proof that Château Beychevelle is more than just a beautiful property.  

"The 2021 Beychevelle opens in the glass with notes of sweet berry compote, plums and creamy new oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy palate with an unusually sweet core of fruit for the vintage, framed by plenty of chewy tannin, and concluding with a vanillin-inflected finish." - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (02/08/2024), Rating: 92+ Drink: 2025-2038

"Clearly a star in the vintage, the 2021 Château Beychevelle is showing even better from bottle than barrels, revealing a dense purple hue as well as gorgeous notes of crème de cassis, spicy oak, smoked tobacco, and iron. Based on 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, aged in 70% new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, has a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. It needs 4-5 years to integrate its oak but will easily evolve for two decades. It's a pure, layered, incredibly impressive 2021 that has tons to love, and I'd certainly be thrilled to have bottles in the cellar." - Jeb Dunnuck, (4/03/2024) Rating: 93+ Drink: 2028-2049

"The firm frame is a little austere, but there is finesse here, gentle campfire smoke. Blueberry and rasberry, edges of creamy fruit as it heads towards the mid palate, impressive within the vintage, clear smoke, clove and white pepper spice, crayon and slate. Has settled in well over ageing, Nuanaced, with plenty of potential for enjoyable medium term drinking. Tasted twcie." - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux (12/06/2023) Rating: 93 Drink: 2026-2040

"The 2021 Beychevelle is rich and sumptuous, but not quite as pushed in that direction as some recent vintages have been. Then again, that sort of opulence was simply not possible in 2021. Even so, the 2021 flows with dark blue/purplish fruit, incense, espresso, mocha, menthol and licorice. All the elements are so well balanced. The 2021 is a terrific Beychevelle with a bright future." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, Rating: 92-94