Château Beychevelle 2024

Dark ruby; expressive bouquet, radiant blackberry fruit, cassis notes, cold fireplace; round and soft on the attack, sensationally fine tannins, powerful yet not heavy, great precision, very good aromatic length. Outstanding this year.

Juicy and clean, with good lift and a real sense of life. Not heavy or particularly weighty, but the tannins have a round, filling mouthfeel—sleek yet well textured—with a push of ripe blueberries and some strawberry fruit. It stands up in the line-up of St-Julien wines. Acidity is still there on the finish, which is great. Missing a touch more excitement and still some compaction, but this ageing should help. Ageing 70% new oak. pH 3.57. 5% press wine (to check). Airpulse and pigeage for gentle extractions. Tasted three times.

Flowers, spearmint, cedar, cigar box, currants, and a background note of cocoa pop on the nose. The juicy, fresh palate presents a display of black raspberries topped with mint, chocolate, and Indian spices, alongside cherries and black cherries with ease. This leaves a touch of chalk at the end of the vibrant finish. If you allow it a few years in the bottle before pulling a cork, it will be even better and should provide you with pleasure for two or more decades with ease. The wine blends 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot. 13.3% ABV, pH 3.57. The harvest took place September 24 - October 9. 58% of the harvest was placed into the Grand Vin. Drink from 2029-2050. 93-95 Pts

A typical Beychevelle nose—majestic, silky, hedonistic—with pure notes of blue fruits and peppery flowers, rounded out by a hint of cigar box. The palate opens quite velvety and creamy, then a tangy edge awakens the taste buds. The brightness and freshness of the fruit, combined with this creamy impression, offer promising prospects for the wine’s evolution.

The nose is fruity, with delicate intensity and a lovely hint of sweet pepper. It reveals notes of wild blackberry, small wild black fruits and, more slightly, camphor, combined with fine touches of grey pepper and sap, discreet hints of lily and lilac, as well as a subtle hint of nutmeg. The palate is fruity, offering freshness, minerality, a fresh, zesty backbone, a touch of tension and precision. On the palate, this wine shows notes of juicy/pulpy cherry, juicy/fresh blackberry and, more slightly, cornflower, layered with touches of small red berries, lily and lilac, along with fine hints of racy minerality, fleshy plum, sap, smokiness and a hint of camphor. Good length. Freshness and a certain minerality. The tannins are sappy, flavorful, offering a touch of softness and a subtle chew on the finish.