Beychevelle - Saint-Julien 2020

Vinous

94-94

byNeal Martinthe2/28/2025

The 2020 Beychevelle has an open-knit, very well-defined bouquet with pure black cherries, bilberry, veins of blueberry and crushed violet. There's just a touch of new oak still waiting to be assimilated. The palate is lavish and very ripe, displaying black fruit tinged with notes of fig and date, turning almost exotic toward the lascivious finish. Perhaps, for Beychevelle, this is modern in style. It's a world away from the slightly herbal showing in barrel, but bottle age ought to temper its hedonistic urges. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting.

Alexandre Ma

96

byAlexandre Mathe4/18/2023

Wine Advocate

93.00

byWilliam Kelleythe4/6/2023

Rich and muscular, the 2020 Beychevelle offers up aromas of cassis, blackberries and baked plums mingled with notions of spices, pencil shavings and toasty new oak. Medium to full-bodied, thick and fleshy, with an ample core of fruit framed by powdery, generously extracted tannins that assert themselves on the finish, this is a more powerful, chunky Beychevelle than the suave 2019.

Wine Spectator

94

byJames Molesworththe3/31/2023

Delivers vivid fruit, with an eye-catching beam of cassis, kirsch and plum sauce notes that flow through nicely, supported by a light brambly edge and a well-inlaid graphite spine. The finish is scored by violet and anise as the fruit lingers. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2027 through 2037.

Jeb DUNNUCK

97

byJeb Dunnuckthe3/30/2023

The Grand Vin 2020 Château Beychevelle is a tiny selection representing just 55% of the total production of the estate. The blend is 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot which spent 18 months in 70% new French oak, hitting 13.5% natural alcohol. Surpassing both the 2016 and 2018, this inky-hued Saint-Julien offers a round, lush, full-bodied style as well as gorgeous aromatics of black cherries, blueberries, loamy earth, chocolate, and spring flowers. The vintage doesn't get any sexier, and this has sweet tannins, an opulent mouthfeel, and riveting purity and finesse. While it already offers pleasure, it's going to benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and keep for 25+.

The Wine Cellar Insider

96

byJeff Levethe3/22/2023

The nose opens with a gorgeous display of flowers, chocolate, tobacco, black currants, blackberries, licorice, wet forest floor and espresso. As good as the perfume is, the wine is all about its layers of creamy, fresh, sweet, ripe, dark red pit fruits on the palate. The wine is full-bodied, elegant, lifted and refined, with length and purity to top it all off. The wine should age effortlessly for 3 decades, yet drink well, relatively early. Drink from 2025-2060.

Alexandre Ma

96

byAlexandre Mathe3/15/2023

Wines Critic

98

byRaffaele Vecchionethe3/10/2023

Wow! The sensory profile is absolutely devastatingly good with remarkable elegance and strength. Notes of rose petals, pink grapefruit and pomegranate blend excellently with hints of cedar, citron, guaranà , linden, citronella and hibiscus. Full bodied, perfectly matured tannins and a finale which excites the central palate, lighting up a remarkably pressing progression. One of the best wines ever tasted from Bordeaux. A blend of 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 4% Petit Vedot. Better from 2026.

Vinous

96

byAntonio Gallonithe2/24/2023

The 2020 Beychevelle is a wild, exotic beauty. Blackberry jam, gravel, crushed rocks menthol and espresso ristretto give Beychevelle its flamboyant personality. All the elements are so well balanced in this full-throttle, hugely enjoyable Saint-Julien. The 2020 is lights out.

Vinous

93

byNeal Martinthe2/15/2023

The 2020 Beychevelle was perplexing from barrel. Re-tasting it three or four times, I discerned a faint but nagging vegetal note on the finish, though it was not evident on a bottle subsequently tasted at the property, which governed my banded score. Returning to Bordeaux to taste the wines that had been bottled in June 2022, I certainly appreciate the bouquet that is clean and pure with blackberry, bilberry, cedar and background sous-bois aromas. The oak is beautifully integrated. The palate is medium-bodied with pliant tannins and well-judged acidity. Quite intense black fruit laced with graphite, perhaps a tad more peppery than usual. On the first bottle encountered at a merchant, I picked up on the green note that sent alarm bells ringing. A second bottle at the château unequivocally showed no signs at all, very sleek and poised with a residual tingle of black pepper. Based on this sample, I am cautiously optimistic about this Beychevelle, though I will always keep a lookout for that trait.

Jamessuckling.com

94

byJames Sucklingthe1/16/2023

A very polished and refined 2020 with a medium body, integrated tannins and a pretty texture. Nice currant, light chocolate and cedar undertones. Fresh finish. Drink after 2026.

Wine Spectator

94

byJames Molesworththe11/30/2022

Delivers vivid fruit, with an eye-catching beam of cassis, kirsch and plum sauce notes that flow through nicely, supported by a light brambly edge and a well-inlaid graphite spine. The finish is scored by violet and anise as the fruit lingers. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2027 through 2037.

TASTED

94

byAndreas Larssonthe7/6/2021

Floral and elegant aromas, violet, ripe dark berries, fine tobacco and mild oak. Good volume with a finely rounded texture and grainy tannin, fluid and succulent fruit, good purity and a long bright finish.

Vinous

94-96

byNeal Martinthe6/25/2021

The 2020 Beychevelle is the one wine that I vowed to re-taste at the château since I found three samples tasting in the UK vexing because of a green taint on the finish. Here, the nose performs well: pure blackberry and crushed violet, none of those incongruous “mulch” or “vegetal” scents that I noticed before. That’s a good omen. The palate? This is far different to the samples tasted before. I think there is still a very nuanced green/bell pepper note towards the finish, but here it is subsumed into the layers of black fruit. Swallowing a sip just to be certain, I am more reassured that the samples in the UK were unrepresentative and glad that I did not attribute a score, which I am happy to do now.

Vinous

94-96

byAntonio Gallonithe6/1/2021

The 2020 Beychevelle opens with the most exotic bouquet imaginable. Wild flowers of all sorts, spice, lavender and inky dark fruit all saturate the palate. As always, Beychevelle is an overt, flamboyant wine, but all of the elements are so well out together. The 2020 is sexy, alluring and impossible to resist. Time in the glass brings out redder tonalities of fruit along with sweet floral notes that add striking inner perfume. Even as a barrel sample, I am so tempted to just drink it.

Jeb DUNNUCK

95-97

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/28/2021

Based on 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot, the Grand Vin 2020 Château Beychevelle is a stunner that does everything right, offering a monster bouquet of black and blue fruits as well as candied violets, incense, flowers, and toasty oak. A ripe, full-bodied, incredibly sexy wine in every sense, it has a great mid-palate, ripe, velvety tannins, no hard edges, and a great finish. It's one of the more up-front, exotic wines in the vintage and should be accessible with just short-term cellaring.

Decanter.com

94

byJane Ansonthe5/25/2021

Smoke, grilled almond on the nose, even a touch of rubber from an edge of reduction. This has depth to black chocolate and bilberry fruit, it is well balanced and seductive. Enjoyable, it's pretty broad shouldered but it sits well within the successful run of vintages at Beychevelle. A yield of 47hl/ha. 18 months ageing. 55% first wine.

The Wine Cellar Insider

95-97

byJeff Levethe5/21/2021

Dark garnet in color, the wine shows off its black currants, licorice, wet forest floor, tobacco leaf, creme de cassis and blue fruit on the nose effortlessly. Full-bodied, fresh, elegant, lifted and vibrant, the wine is refined, juicy, sweet and long, with an ending packed with ripe, red and black currants, silky tannins, spice and crushed stones from start to finish. Made from blending 51% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot , 13.45% ABV, pH 3.8. 55% of the harvest was used in the Grand Vin. 95-97

Wine Advocate

94-96

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/20/2021

Deep purple-black colored, the 2020 Beychevelle offers up vibrant notes of black raspberries, fresh black cherries and cassis, plus hints of wild sage, chocolate mint, rose hip tea and fallen leaves, with an exotic hint of Indian spices. The medium to full-bodied palate offers layers of crunchy black fruits with a firm, grainy texture and just enough freshness, finishing long and perfumed.

Anthocyanes

95-97

byYohan Castaingthe5/11/2021

Nez de mure et d'épices, de cassis avec de la profondeur et une belle complexité. Légèrement fumé et boisé élégant et noble. Bouche dense, élégante avec des notes de réglisse, de cerise, de fruits noirs et d'épices. Belle puissance. Fruits noirs à noyau en finale. Un Beychevelle un peu terrien mais élégant. Beau potentiel de garde.

Bernard Burtschy

94-95

byBernard Burtschythe5/10/2021

Falstaff

92-94

byPeter Moserthe5/10/2021

Ein sehr klarer, frischer Duft: Holunder, Kirschwasser, Moos und Waldmeister, nus- siges Holz. Sandelholz. Auch etwas Lakritze und Veilchenpastille. Cremiger Auftakt, gut und mit Augenmaß extrahierte Gerbstoffe: reif, mürb, dennoch frisch, in gut zum Körper passender Menge. Präsente Gaumenfrucht, reife Säure. Ein Wein, der Präzi- sion und Harmonie ausstrahlt.

My Bettane + Desseauve

95-96

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/7/2021

Jamessuckling.com

94-95

byJames Sucklingthe4/23/2021

Sweet-berry and tobacco character with blackberries and violets. It’s full-bodied with firm, polished tannins and a fresh finish. Very fine at the end.

Tastingbook.com

95

byMarkus Del Monegothe4/14/2021

Dark purple colour with violet hue and black core. Very aromatic nose with elegant spiciness, incense, ripe fruits, blackcurrants and blackberries, very fragrant toasting aroma with mocha and dark chocolate, elegant mild spices in the backwound. On the palate well balanced with freshness and complexity, almost salty minerality, ripe tannins, well integrated in a velvety style, mild acidity, ripe fruit. An expressive wine with a hint of sweetness, with freshness, great aromatic depth and length.