The tour and tasting at B was the last visit of the day that began at Château Léoville-Poyferré, Appellation Saint-Julien, 2ième Grand Cru Classé in the morning. After Château Léoville-Poyferré, we enjoyed a tour and tasting at Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron, Appellation Pauillac, 2ième Grand Cru Classé, followed by a wine-pairing lunch at Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron.
At Château Beychevelle, Appellation Saint-Julien, 4ième Grand Cru Classé, we toured the estate and tasted 4 wines with General Manager Philippe Blanc.
Château Beychevelle
This historic château is one of the largest properties in Bordeaux. The château was constructed in 1565 by Bishop François of Foix-Candale and is well-known as the “Versailles of the Médoc” with its beautiful architecture, exquisite interior, and magnificent park.
A sequence of illustrious, noble proprietors enlarged the buildings and made the garden into one of the most spectacular in the Bordelais.
In 1875 Château Beychevelle was purchased by Armand Heine, the cousin of the famous German poet Heinrich Heine, who is best known outside of Germany for his lyric poetry which was set to music by composers such as Robert Schumann and Franz Schubert.
Since 1986 the property belongs to the Grands Millésimes de France. Manager has since been Aymar de Bailleux. A huge renovation project was underway for several years and finished in 2016. The new cellars are surrounded by glass walls.
Vineyard
Château Beychevelle has 250 hectares of land, about 90 of which are planted with vines. The rest consists of grassland where Limousin cows graze, and of pine forests, poplar, ash and walnut trees.
The vines have an average age of 30 years and are closely planted, with densities of 8,300 to 10,000 vines per hectare; they have developed substantial root systems, enabling them to draw nutrients from deep in the soil, and to cope with the sometimes difficult weather conditions, such as when there are droughts in the summer.
The vineyard is planted with the Médoc’s four traditional grape varieties: 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot.
The heart of the vineyard is located on two plateaus of deep Garonne gravel from the Gunzian period, on the edge of the Gironde, providing ideal conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon. These are the famous gravelly hilltops of the Médoc, close to the Gironde, which offer the best conditions for the classic Bordeaux varietals. Returning the sun’s warmth during the night, and draining away excess rain water, the vines are able to flourish and the grapes ripen perfectly. The resulting deep red wines are well-balanced and generous, offering power tempered by a silky texture.
New Winery
Château Beychevelle’s new winery has been custom-made to suit the vineyard, with every vine having a place in a plot-by-plot vinification process, that enables each terroir to express its full complexity and depth.
More spacious, and with an improved layout, the new facilities also permit a gentle transfer of the grapes by gravity, very precise temperature control, and extractions adjusted to the characteristics of each vat.
Combining innovation and tradition, the winery is a perfect reflection of Château Beychevelle’s “haute-couture” expertise.
The Wines
Château Beychevelle
Grand Cru Classé
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.
Aging and fining: In French oak barrels for 18 months, with 50% in new oak barrels. The wine is then fined with egg whites, with traditional racking by candle light.
40 000 to 50 000 cases
Amiral de Beychevelle
Château Beychevelle's Second Wine
The rigorous selection process undergone by the grand vin results in the creation of its younger brother, Amiral de Beychevelle.Despite being made from young vines, Amiral de Beychevelle benefits from the same growing techniques, meticulous sorting, and traditional barrel ageing.It has the same elegance and finesse as its older brother, but reveals its character more quickly, offering wine-enthusiasts the full vivacity of its youth. It can be kept for up to fifteen years, depending on the vintage.
Aging and fining: In French oak barrels for 12 months, with 30% in new oak barrels. The wine is then fined with egg whites, with traditional racking by candle light.
Brulières de Beychevelle
Brulières de Beychevelle's 12 hectares of vines are 5 km from Beychevelle's vineyard; being further from the Gironde estuary, they benefit from a cooler climate.The vineyard is in the Haut-Médoc appellation and has been managed organically since 2008.Brulières' blend consists of just two grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.Vinified and aged in a separate winery, it is produced with the same level of care as Château Beychevelle and Amiral de Beychevelle.
The Wines we Tasted
2011 Amiral de Beychevelle
Wine-searcher a verage price in US$: 48
Nose of black fruit and spices. Delicious, full-flavoured attack and an elegant finish.
2009 Brulières de Beychevelle
Wine-searcher average price in US$: 35
Floral, fresh fruit bouquet. The palate is rounded and flavourful with tobacco and black fruit. Good length.
2011 Château Beychevelle Grand Cru Classé
I always love tasting at this Château. Philippe Blanc, head honcho, is so down to earth and matter of fact you can’t help but trust him. I asked him if he was happy with his 2011. “It’s not 2009 or 2010, but it’s in the top 50% of wines we have made in the last decade. Try it – you tell me”. He is right.
Not as flamboyant as the last two years, however it has real density and sweetness that other wines are lacking this year. Sumptuous, plump and really attractive with an excellent and lengthy finish, I seriously think it is more attractive than their 2005. Great work Mr White! Simon Staples, Asia Fine Wine Director
2009 Château Beychevelle Grand Cru Classé
Wine-searcher average price in US$: 119
The finest Beychevelle since the 2003 and probably since the 1982, Beychevelle's 2009 is opaque purple in color, with a beautiful, floral nose intermixed with black currant fruit, licorice, cedar wood and Christmas fruitcake. Full-bodied yet still elegant and pure, this wine has velvety tannins, a broad, savory mouthfeel, and a very long finish. There is plenty of tannin behind the extravagant fruit, glycerin and texture of this wine, but it is largely concealed. This wine could actually turn out to be even better than my relatively conservative tasting note. Anticipated maturity: 2020-2042. Score: 93 Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (199), March 2012
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