Château BEYCHEVELLE 2023

Description

Antonio Galloni 94-96 points www.vinous.com
The 2023 Beychevelle is fabulous. As always, Beychevelle includes quite a bit more Merlot than most wines in the appellation, but the Cabernet is especially high here. Inky dark fruit, crème de cassis, mocha, licorice and lavender build in the glass. This juicy, extroverted Saint-Julien has a ton to offer. The combination of fruit intensity, acid and supporting structure is superb. The 2023 is showy, but not at all overdone. Beychevelle remains one of the most distinctive wines in all of Bordeaux. It is especially classy in this edition. Tasted two times.

Neal Martin 92-94 points www.vinous.com
The 2023 Beychevelle was picked from September 13 through October 6 over 17 days of harvest, partly because of the size of the crop and not having to rush. It has the highest proportion of Merlot under winemaker Philippe Blanc (35%), and it matured in 70% new oak. This has a notably floral and tightly-knit bouquet, leaning a little more toward blue fruit than other Saint-Julien wines tasted from barrel. The oak is nicely integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with strict tannins that impart a sense of linearity. Very saline, this is a saliva-inducing Beychevelle, lightly spiced with a structured, almost Pauillac-like finish. Excellent.

Yves Beck 94-95 points www.yvesbeck.wine
La symbiose entre fruits, nuances florales, épices et élevage est parfaite ! Le bouquet annonce de la générosité et de la sapidité. L’attaque, dense, ouvre la voie à un vin ample, mais également vif. Les tannins sont charnus ainsi que suaves et créent le lien avec le côté aiguisé de l’acidité, structurante de surcroît. Seule la finale doit encore gagner en expression aromatique ; l’élevage saura régler cela. Un vin imposant et gourmand… un caractériel en résumé !  2029-2058

Jean-Marc Quarin 94 points www.quarin.com
Couleur sombre, intense et pourpre. Nez très aromatique et fruité. La bouche est celle du Beychevelle que j’attends, brillante pour ses arômes sophistiqués, au risque à cet âge que le corps ne soit pas à son maximum. La distinction générale enchante le buveur, plus encore en finale lorsque le grain du tannin se montre fin et lui aussi aromatique. Assemblage : 61 % cabernet sauvignon, 35 % merlot, 4 % petit verdot. Degré d’alcool : 13°3.

William Kelley 93-94 points www.erobertparker.com
The 2023 Beychevelle has turned out especially well this year, exhibiting a more integrated, seductive style than recent vintages that were constructed in a punchier, more extracted register. Offering up aromas of cassis and plums mingled with notions of pen ink, violets and pencil shavings, it’s medium to full-bodied, broad and fleshy, with a deep core of fruit and a classy, suave profile that foregrounds the estate’s prime vineyard holdings on the plateau around Ducru-Beaucaillou. It’s a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot that represents 50% of the estate’s production.