Château Beychevelle Saint-Julien 2018 - Grand Cru Classé
19/20
Bettane & Desseauve
96/100
Vinous
96/100
The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve
18/20
RVF
95/100
Robert Parker
“The most artistic and versatile in its history!”
“An exotic and flamboyant wine with no pretensions, the 2018 Beychevelle immediately displays extraordinary richness and liveliness. Inky black fruits, chocolate, licorice, spices, menthol, and espresso imbue this sumptuous Saint-Julien with a striking aromatic and gustatory complexity. Soft edges and silky tannins add to its irresistibly sensual personality. Time in the cellar should help the new oak integrate, but readers should be prepared for a heady, spirited wine. 2028–2043” (Vinous, A. Galloni, 2021)
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Eye
A deep, intense, and beautiful color
Nose
A bouquet of ripe red and black fruits, with hints of spice and smoky oak
Palate
Intense and harmonious, with silky tannins that support fruit bursting with freshness and concentration
Serve
Decant at 17-18°C
Open
Several hours earlier
Drink from
2025
Drink before
2040
Food and wine pairings
Enjoy it with goose foie gras, game birds, or duck breast
Bettane & Desseauve
Wine rated (2019 guide) 19/20 (Exceptional quality wine)
Rated estate (2020 guide): 4 stars (Producers of the very highest quality, the pride of French viticulture)
About the wine:
Sublime finesse and infinitely delicate texture in a very full-bodied wine—a true square through the circle—the most artistic and well-rounded Beychevelle in history.
About the estate:
This magnificent estate, boasting some of the most elegant architecture in the Médoc, has long been nicknamed “Little Versailles.” It bears the name of Admiral de Beychevelle, governor of Guyenne under Henry III. Owned by the family of Aymar-Achille Fould, a minister under General de Gaulle, it was subsequently acquired in the late 2000s by the Castel and Suntory groups. The new winery and the resources provided to the excellent director Philippe Blanc have enabled this château—famous in Asia and around the world, which explains its high prices—to fully express one of the Médoc’s finest terroirs. Aristocratic aromas and texture, lovely suppleness characteristic of the appellation’s finest Merlots, yet with the freshness and distinct cedar notes of the region’s Cabernets. The 2016 vintage will go down in history.
Guide Hachette des vins
Rated estate (2020 guide) Award-winning wines (This producer’s wines regularly receive awards from the guide)
About the estate:
The “Versailles of Bordeaux.” Beychevelle is a little gem of classical architecture. Its prestige also stems from the powerful families who once owned it. Its name is said to derive from a Grand Admiral of France, the Duke of Épernon under Henry III, who demanded that ships passing in front of his château “lower their sails” as a sign of allegiance. Established in the 17th century and expanded in the 18th, its vineyard (90 hectares) has evolved significantly, which explains its current dispersion across the entire AOC. In 2017, it acquired a new winery designed by Arnaud Boulain. Owned since 2011 by the Suntory and Castel groups, it is managed by Philippe Blanc.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate
Wine rated (2021 guide) 95/100 (Extraordinary wine)
Rated estate (2020 guide) Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate)
About the wine:
The 2018 Beychevelle needs a good swirl to release its classic notes of blackcurrant, plum jam, and blackberries, with hints of unsmoked cigars, tilled earth, cedar, and graphite. The medium- to full-bodied palate is still very tight, offering layers of black fruit and earth finely packed within a framework of firm, grainy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with a long, mineral-driven finish. This wine will need 5 to 6 years to open up, after which it will drink beautifully for over 20 years.
RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France
Wine rated (2021 guide) 18/20 (Great wine)
Rated estate (2020 guide) 1*Star (Up-and-coming stars or quality winemakers producing wines of a high standard—you won’t be disappointed when tasting the wines from these estates)
About the wine:
This is a flamboyant and charming Beychevelle, with ripe fruit, richness, and a very long finish. The texture remains delicate and silky.
About the estate:
Since 2011, this iconic Saint-Julien estate has been owned equally by Pierre Castel and the Japanese group Suntory. It enjoys an excellent reputation, consistently producing elegant and always easy-drinking wines. While not the most flamboyant, they also age very well. Like many Médoc estates, the château has brought its winemaking facilities up to date and appears to be making further strides in the precision of its wines.
Wine Enthusiast
Rated estate (2020 guide) Recommended (Wine producer recommended by Wine Enthusiast)
Vinous
Wine rated (2021 guide) 96/100
About the wine:
An exotic and flamboyant wine with no pretensions, the 2018 Beychevelle immediately displays extraordinary richness and liveliness. Inky black fruits, chocolate, licorice, spices, menthol, and espresso imbue this sumptuous Saint-Julien with a striking aromatic and gustatory complexity. Soft edges and silky tannins add to its irresistibly sensual personality. Time in the cellar should help the new oak integrate, but readers should be prepared for a heady and spirited wine. 2028–2043
The Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve
Wine rated (2021 guide) 96/100
About the wine:
The nose offers notes of flowers, tobacco leaves, thyme, blackcurrant, blackberries, cedar, and damp earth. Deep in color, the wine is full-bodied, with a depth of flavor that culminates in a rich, round, concentrated, long, elegant, and fruity finish. This wine will age and evolve for at least 25 to 30 years.