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| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 89.4 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 83 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by tcarpitella on 4/21/2024 & rated 94 points: Structured, ocean seawater in the nose to start, settled after a few. Decanted for an hour. (60 views) | | | Tasted by Sundbyberg on 11/26/2022 & rated 90 points: Beychevelle tasting:
1966: 93 pts
1970: 90 pts
1982: 93 pts
1988: 93 pts
To me the 1970 was the least attractive vintage. Seemed to be passed its peak. I see the high scores here and wonder if we maybe had a lesser bottle. (1901 views) | | | Tasted by Uvebrant on 11/22/2022 & rated 94 points: Rebouche 2015 (1455 views) | | | Tasted by cos65 on 6/19/2022 & rated 92 points: High shoulder
Crumbly cork which didn’t come out completely intact with the Durand
Clear garnet, almost chestnut colored
Cherry and black tea aromas
Completely resolved Black cherry, tea and mushroom flavors. Really quite lovely
This is quite alive, though I’d consider drinking up while it is so pleasurable (1968 views) | | | Tasted by wineforth on 3/29/2022 & rated 93 points: Second to last top shoulder bottle. Dark colour. Nose earthy at first then smoky violet nose and anise. Later blackcurrant. Well balanced with very soft tannins and medium weight plummy fruit. Good long finish. Not quite as good as the previous bottle. (2431 views) | | | Tasted by GrapeScott on 12/26/2021 & rated 92 points: The lowest fill (upper shoulder) of my four bottles, this had a slightly musty smell upon opening, but it quickly blew off with air. Lovely ruby color, with a pretty almost Pauillac-like nose of cassis and graphite. Medium-bodied and elegant, with very soft tannins, and lovely cedar notes to accent the plum, currant and pomegranate fruits. Drinking very well right now. (2542 views) | | | Tasted by wineforth on 12/5/2021 & rated 95 points: Top shoulder bottle from a different source and with a higher level to the bottle tasted a couple of months ago. This is in better condition and less evolved but otherwise similar. Darker colour. Same smoky violet nose, later anise. Very well balanced with very soft tannins and loads of plummy fruit. Good long finish. Surprisingly good. Superb. This, one of three, came from a damp cellar which kept the corks moist but destroyed the labels so I've reused and copied the good label from the other bottle. When to drink all depends on condition. (1801 views) | | | Tasted by DaleW on 11/22/2021: Elegant old school St Julien, cassis and black plum, cigarbox. Enjoyed by all. B+/A- (1679 views) | | | Tasted by wineforth on 10/10/2021 & rated 92 points: Mid shoulder bottle bought a few months ago with good label. Light colour. Smoky violet nose, later anise. Surprisingly well balanced with very soft tannins and fruit holding up. Good long finish. Faded elegance, the wine will last as long as the cork does. (1703 views) | | | Tasted by bobthebuilder on 9/19/2021 & rated 93 points: Very pleased to see this still surviving after 40 years. Not perfect but very enjoyable. Bordeaux & rack of lamb, hard to beat (1006 views) | | | Tasted by billcow on 4/10/2021 & rated 92 points: Still clinging to life, this was a soft, lightly faded glass of sweet violets, wispy smoke and tantalizingly overripe old fruit. What a pleasure it is to taste a wine that was likely once loud and proud but now has the graceful charm and wisdom of old age but can still bring great pleasure. It may even hold its joy for another year or two if you are lucky. (1631 views) | | | Tasted by DaleW on 4/2/2021: HS fill, but this was in excellent shape. Round black fruit, mushrooms, cedar, tobacco. Balanced acids, resolved tannin. Good finish, with a bit of iron filings. A- (1528 views) | | | Tasted by PaulNT on 10/10/2020 & rated 91 points: This is holding up beautifully at 50 years.
Medium to light weight. Very soft mouth feel. Blackberries, dark fruit, forest floor, wet wood and truffle. The finish is slightly thin but this wine is very elegant with real finesse. Its aromatic qualities remind me more of a Margaux. (2053 views) | | | Tasted by JonnyG on 10/4/2020 & rated 92 points: A Celebration Worthy of a Milestone 50th Birthday (Los Olivos, CA): A frighteningly low fill and badly deteriorated cork were quickly forgotten as the first aromas wafted up from the glass: sweet tobacco, kirsch and a touch of chestnut. Gentle but lively on the palate, with a bit more acid than fruit at this point, a touch drying on the finish but very rewarding. (2159 views) | | | Tasted by DaleW on 3/3/2020: Guesses were in 80s.. Sweet soft dark fruit, forest floor and fungi, good length, slight ferric note on finish. A-/B+ (2606 views) | | | Tasted by DaleW on 1/16/2020: This is a wine that some might find tired, but to me it’s a fine example of mature claret. Soft black plum, mushrooms, forest floor, tobacco. The flavor profile is classic St. Julien, but the texture reminds me more of nice old Burgundy. Tannins all resolved, acid keeping it lively, silky and fine. B+/A- (2363 views) | | | Tasted by DaleW on 10/2/2018: Resolved tannins, some acid backbone, plush black plum fruit with loads of tobacco and leather. Very tasty mature St. Julien. B+/A- (3718 views) | | | Tasted by Raage on 8/10/2018 & rated 89 points: Encore vivant, bati sur une belle vivacité, une matière fine un peu mince, il dégage néanmoins une belle aromatique surannée, entre cuir, sous-bois, mousse, poivron vert confit, poivre.
Il a très bien tenu dans le temps, si tant est qu’on apprécie l’acidité, qui personnellement me convient toujours quand elle fondue dans un ensemble équilibré. Intéressant !
89/90 (3272 views) | | | Tasted by William Kelley on 2/23/2018 & rated 90 points: The 1970 Beychevelle is a classic example of the vintage, wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet pipe tobacco, dried red-black fruit, chestnuts, espresso and rich soil. On the palate, the wine is medium-full, vibrant and savory, with a firm chassis of chalky tannins, racy acids and a long, grippy finish. While this reveals some of the asperity of the 1970 vintage, it's a lovely bottle of maturing Beychevelle. (7744 views) | | | Tasted by jafny on 12/30/2017 & rated 85 points: This bottle had only a modest amount of sediment. The wine had a nice deep color and very pleasant aroma when I uncorked it so I was expecting a lot more than what I got 90 minutes after decanting. I mean this wine had the look and bouquet of a very well structured older Bordeaux but it fell way short of our initial expectation. We drank this with some cheese and crackers and as we sipped and swished over the next 45 minutes we realized that the short, lean, leathery, damp basement flavor we were getting was about all this "70 had to give. Miles away from being a winner, it just never opened up.....too bad. Perhaps I missed my chance. The "66 I had 3-4 years earlier blew this one away. (3339 views) | | | Tasted by 911henrik on 12/26/2017 & rated 87 points: Way over the top. No tannins left. Flat on the palate. However, lovely mature Bordeaux on the nose. (3262 views) | | | Tasted by Mazy on 12/3/2017 & rated 92 points: Debout en cave depuis un mois.
Ouvert 3 heures à l'avance - le bouchon a cassé en deux mais j'ai réussi à me rattraper sans rien échapper dans la bouteille. Remis le bouchon. Servi délicatement sans décanter. Il y a un peu de lies dans le dernier 75ml.
J'ai été impressionnée par l'équilibre de ce vin. Certes on retrouve les arômes typiques de son âge (feuille de tabac, mousse et terre humide, vieux cuir) et peu de fruits, mais il conserve une fraîcheur en bouche qui est désarmante. Aucune note désagréable d'évolution. Vraiment un très beau vin. (2590 views) | | | Tasted by J @ y H @ c k on 7/1/2017 & rated 91 points: Real Wine with Real Food (Our House, White Plains): Brought by a friend to our dinner party. Purchased as part of a mixed case at a Christie's auction. Pop, decanted and poured. A lot of crud. Cork was a bit loose and even with the Durand the bottom piece broke off but I got it out clean. The wine was sound and had a nice balance of an aged left bank Bordeaux, but with light fruit. After 10 minutes in the glass, it really blossomed into more red fruit wit some smooth saddle leather. From a vintage reputed to be awful, it's quite nice. (3721 views) | | | Tasted by rc@ughey on 4/2/2017 & rated 87 points: Proper Claret. This is past peak but still very much alive. Yet it's far from special. Nice tertiary notes of leather and earth framed by subtle dark fruits. But the fruit has faded, and this is a bit foursquare and light. Not a perfect bottle. (3415 views) | | | Tasted by blanquito on 3/23/2017: Good rather than great, but alive and well. Nice mature nose, showing some mulling spices and green tobacco. Quite silky and resolved with enough fruit to drink on its own. Nice showing. (3282 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| Château Beychevelle Producer website - Read more about Chateau Beychevelle
A visit to Château Beychevelle
https://unwindwine.blogspot.com/2019/08/visit-to-chateau-beychevelle.html
Saint-Julien 4ème Grand Cru Classé
The Vineyard: Chateau Beychevelle covers an area of 250 ha, of which 90 ha are planted with vines. The closeness of the Gironde river, which can be seen from the front steps of the Château, has a protective, regulating effect on the climate that is vital for the production of exceptional wines. The vineyard is planted with 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. Plant density is about 8,300 to 10,000 vines/ha. On average, the vines are 30 years of age.
The Soil: The terroir consists of deep Garonne gravel from the Gunzian period, ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon.
Vinification: The wine of Chateau Beychevelle is vinified in a combination of temperature controlled, stainless steel, and concrete vats. Malolactic fermentation takes place in tank. It is then aged in an average of 50% new French oak barrels for about 18 months.Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.St. Julien VdB
Read more detailed information on St. Julien and its wines The seventeenth century pioneers Traces are to be found of a Saint-Julien de Rintrac, perhaps Saint-Julien's earliest name, as from the thirteenth century. But we have to wait until the seventeenth century pioneers, urban and rural aristocrats, discover the exceptional merits of these terroirs.
Traces of this system still exist today in the structure of estates within the appellation: by the side of the two villages of Beychevelle and Saint-Julien, the large estates are heavily preponderant, representing more than four fifths of the total surface of vineyards.
The terrain is practically identical over all the commune. Only the proximity of the estuary, sometimes close, sometimes further away, can cause slight variations in climate. In fact, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle's layer of gravel takes the form of a huge rectangle over 3 miles long and 2 miles wide. And the alluvial deposits are particularly well fragmented into ridges of Garonne gravel of the early Quaternary. Accordingly, the vines are safeguarded from stagnant water.
The wines from the Saint-Julien appellation may be recognized by their unparalleled bouquet, particularly harmonious and mild. They have a fine deep colour and combine the finesse of their aromas and a solid constitution. They have body, are very rich in flavour and have a delicious and delicate bouquet.
Production conditions (Decree dated November 14, 1936)
In order to have the right to the Saint-Julien appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the commune of Saint-Julien and from precisely defined parcels in the communes of Cussac, and Saint-Laurent, "excluding the parcels situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions: grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare). |
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