Château Beychevelle 2023

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.  

"Plummy red fruits, fresh acidities, sculpted tannic architure, this has balance and finesse, white pepper, capsicum spice, black tea, cigar box, liqourice root, rose petals, fine tannins, St Julien balance with a kick of smoked oak on the finish." - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux, (04/17/2024), Ratings: 94, Drink: 2029-2044

"From a château that seems to have hit another gear over the past five to seven years, the 2023 Château Beychevelle is based on 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, pulled from 60% of the total production, and will see 18 months in 70% new French oak. Its deep purple hue is followed by a deep, rich, medium to full-bodied Saint-Julien loaded with ripe red and blue fruits, leafy herbs, truffle, iron, and spring flowers. It's medium to full-bodied, has a remarkable sense of freshness and purity, velvety tannins, and outstanding length. The 2023 hit 13.3% alcohol with a rock-solid pH of 3.67." - Jeb Dunnuck, Bordeaux 2023 En Primeur, (05/08/2024), Ratings: 93-96

"The 2023 Beychevelle has turned out especially well this year, exhibiting a more integrated, seductive style than recent vintages that were constructed in a punchier, more extracted register. Offering up aromas of cassis and plums mingled with notions of pen ink, violets and pencil shavings, it's medium to full-bodied, broad and fleshy, with a deep core of fruit and a classy, suave profile that foregrounds the estate's prime vineyard holdings on the plateau around Ducru-Beaucaillou. It's a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot that represents 50% of the estate's production." - William Kelley, The Wine Advocate, (04/26/2024), Ratings: 93-94

"The 2023 Beychevelle is fabulous. As always, Beychevelle includes quite a bit more Merlot than most wines in the appellation, but the Cabernet is especially high here. Inky dark fruit, crème de cassis, mocha, licorice and lavender build in the glass. This juicy, extroverted Saint-Julien has a ton to offer. The combination of fruit intensity, acid and supporting structure is superb. The 2023 is showy, but not at all overdone. Beychevelle remains one of the most distinctive wines in all of Bordeaux. It is especially classy in this edition. Tasted two times." - Antonio Galloni, Vinous, (04/30/2024), Ratings: 94-96