| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
With its distinctive label of a sailing boat, Beychevelle is a Bordeaux that is popular the world over. Always one of the most forward and "user-friendly" of the Saint Julien classed growths, this is a wine that is usually made to give relatively early drinking pleasure rather than to win academic blind tastings. We have noticed a significant step-up in quality in recent vintages. The percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon is low for the Northern Médoc and there is always a high percentage of Merlot in the final blend. From a vineyard that is 90 hectares in size. Always polished and supple, it is in huge demand in China where it is known as "Dragon Boat Wine".
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. Drink 2025-2038.
The 2021 Beychevelle has a pleasant, light bouquet that needs coaxing from the glass, eventually offering blackberry, briar, peppermint and sage aromas. The oak here is neatly integrated, though it does not possess the dimension of the previous vintage. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a firm grip on the entry. The Cabernet Sauvignon is fully in the driving seat here, imparting quite intense blackberry and graphite notes. As with many Saint-Julien barrel samples, a Pauillac-like structure comes through. The licorice-tinged finish is fresh and focused. This is quite an endearing Beychevelle after the challenging growing season.
Beychevelle achieved a normal yield in 2021 with a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc. Bright ruby colour. A floral scented nose of cherry blossom, woody herbs and hedgerow. The palate follows with tones of rosemary, red cherry and redcurrants. Fresh plums and pithy tannins come together in a compact, midweight core of fruit that should prove approachable from a fairly youthful stage. Sappy and savoury on the finish.
Blueberry and some chocolate and berry character. Medium body, fine tannins and a fresh, medium finish.
A blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc, the 2021 Beychevelle is deep garnet-purple colored. It sings of raspberry coulis, Morello cherries, and blackcurrant pastilles with hints of roses and forest floor. Light to medium-bodied, the palate is tightly knit with grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long with mineral and floral sparks.
2026-2038
Silky and well textured fruits, with gentle build through the palate and a carefully constructed balance of raspberry and redcurrant fruit and fresh acidity that comes through in lemongrass and a raspy slate texture. Not easy to achieve this in 2021, will have needed careful sorting and plot by plot work in vineyard and cellar. The firm frame is a little austere, but there is finesse here, gentle campfire smoke.
57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Cask sample.
Pleasantly fragrant with floral and dark-fruit notes. Juicy and ripe on the palate. Less flesh and concentration than top years but fruit present and tannins finely honed. Clean, persistent finish. (JL)
Drink 2027 – 2038
The 2021 Beychevelle is a strong effort, exhibiting aromas of sweet berries and plums mingled with cigar wrapper and fresh mint. Medium to full-bodied, bright and fine-boned, it's deep and layered, with powdery tannins, lively acids and a saline finish. This wine only improved over the five times I tasted it.
