One of the highlights from the successful St Julien commune. Château Beychevelle, which hugs the Gironde, has created a gem of a wine.
The best examples from the best Beychevelle vintages are powerful and concentrated, and the 2015 is no exception. The 2015 has the juicy appeal so characteristic of the house style, as well as the structural back bone to evolve perfectly for 10+ years in the cellar.
Two glowing endorsements from a couple of our preferred critics:
“This could evolve into one of Philippe Blanc’s great Beychevelles.” 92-94 points Neal Martin
“Rather good purity and very exciting velocity on the palate making this a superb wine.”18+ points Matthew Jukes
At £535 its is well below the current market prices of the 2005, 2009 and 2010 which are £850/cs IB, £750/cs IB and £700/cs IB respectively
Ch Beychevelle 4ème Grand Cru Classé St Julien
£535 per 12 bottles IB
With a slightly higher proportion of Merlot to Cabernet in the blend, this is a very striking wine in 2015. With aromas of pomegranates and fresh currants, this balances generous fruit with an appealing crunchy freshness from the Cabernet. Very good sweetness on the finish, all in all an extremely complete and enjoyable wine. Drink 2022-2034. Goedhuis, Score: 93-95
The 2015 Beychevelle was picked between 22 September and 8 October, a blend of 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot that will be matured in 50% new oak. It has quite a high IPT at 81, a pH of 3.72. It has a clean and crisp bouquet, tightly-wound at first, then unfurls with redcurrant, cranberry and raspberry scents, leaning towards the red spectrum rather than black. There is impressive delineation here, no frills, almost clinical in its “aromatic efficiency.” The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin. This is a suave Beychevelle in the making, harmonious in the mouth, supple even, gently building towards a lightly spiced finish. Among the Saint Julien wines, this is clearly one of the more understated 2015s. It is only when you swallow the wine that its lingering flavors remind you that this could evolve into one of Philippe Blanc’s great Beychevelles. While it is not a headline-grabbing wine, a decade in bottle will be handsomely rewarded. Neal Martin, Score: 92-94
Bright crimson. Aromatic rather than concentrated. Racy and sinewy. Lots of charm and pzazz without being in the least heavy. Bravo! Drink 2024-2040 Jancis Robinson, Score: 17
This is very pretty with ultra-fine tannins, blueberry, blackberry and mineral flavors. Full body, integrated and balanced. Shows refinement and tension. James Suckling, Score: 92-93
Lots of depth and more complexity of fruit than usual – more layered and better grip. This is a very classy Beychevelle, well up to its fourth-growth status. Decanter, Score: 92
Rather good purity and very exciting velocity on the palate making this a superb wine. The texture is delightful with much more stuffing than in past vintages and more length, too. The balance and complexity in this blend is well-judged giving it a seamless character already without any obvious joins between the grape varieties. The tannins are firm but juicy, too, with an impression of a wine with a chance to drink it early and then enjoy it mellowing over a very long period of time. This is a slightly finer wine than the 2014 but only in terms of gloss and integration and I will be fascinated to seem them both evolve. Matthew Jukes, Score: 18+
Understated and nuanced, the 2015 Beychevelle is a wine of lovely finesse. Graphite, smoke, plum, violet and lavender are some of the many notes that are found in this delicate, super-expressive Saint-Julien, while floral notes add lift. The finessed side of Saint-Julien comes through nicely here. In 2015, yields were around 47 hectoliters per hectare. The blend is 47% Merlot, 42% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot. New oak is around 50%. Antonio Galloni, Score: 92-94