Beychevelle - Saint-Julien 2023

Vinous

93

byNeal Martinthe2/1/2026

The 2023 Beychevelle was bottled in June 2025. "It underwent a strict selection, so this Grand Vin represents 53% of the total crop," winemaker Philippe Blanc told me. Allowing this five minutes to open in the glass, it has a refined bouquet, a mixture of red and black fruit, cedar and a sprig of wild mint. Clean and precise, it gains intensity yet always conveys a sense of control. The palate is medium-bodied with svelte tannins. Again, much like the Amiral de Beychevelle, it has a precise and refreshing mineralité-driven finish that lingers in the mouth. This is a delicious Beychevelle that will just need three to four years in bottle.

Jamessuckling.com

95

byJames Sucklingthe1/27/2026

A deep, youthful nose of ripe black cherries, mulberries, graphite and a touch of violets. Fine-boned and structured, showing more poise and elegance than sheer power and density. A precise, medium- to full-bodied wine with good acidity and a long finish. Drink from 2028.

My Bettane + Desseauve

95-96

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/15/2024

Remarquable finesse et subtilité aromatique, corps délicat et plein, admirable sensation tactile du tannin. Il a tout le charme propre au grand vin du château.

Yvesbeck.wine

94-95

byYves Beckthe5/14/2024

Die Symbiose aus Frucht, blumigen Noten, Gewürzen und Reifung ist perfekt! Das Bouquet kündigt Üppigkeit und Genuss an. Der Auftakt ist dicht und ebnet den Weg für einen vollmundigen, aber auch lebhaften Wein. Die Tannine wirken fleischig, etwas süßlich, und schaffen eine Verbindung zu der messerscharfen Seite der Säure, die zudem strukturierend wirkt. Ein imposanter und köstlicher Wein… ein Charakterwein, kurz gesagt!

Jeb DUNNUCK

93-96

byJeb Dunnuckthe5/13/2024

From a château that seems to have hit another gear over the past five to seven years, the 2023 Château Beychevelle is based on 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot, pulled from 60% of the total production, and will see 18 months in 70% new French oak. Its deep purple hue is followed by a deep, rich, medium to full-bodied Saint-Julien loaded with ripe red and blue fruits, leafy herbs, truffle, iron, and spring flowers. It's medium to full-bodied, has a remarkable sense of freshness and purity, velvety tannins, and outstanding length. The 2023 hit 13.3% alcohol with a rock-solid pH of 3.67.

The Wine Independent

90-92

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe5/7/2024

The 2023 Beychevelle represents 50% of this year's crop. Deep garnet-purple in color, it springs with vibrant notes of redcurrant jelly and blackcurrant pastilles giving way to an undercurrent of cranberries, crushed rocks, and wild thyme plus a hint of black olives. The light to medium-bodied palate is refreshing and pure, with a slight chewiness to the well-managed tannins, finishing on a savory note. The blend is 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot. This is the highest proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in Beychevelle ever, following the new plans to include more of this variety.

The Wine Cellar Insider

94-96

byJeff Levethe5/6/2024

Black, red, and blue fruit, with a hint of chocolate, flowers, and espresso jump from the nose. The palate is packed with layers of supple, black cherries, vibrant black currants, cocoa, spice, black raspberries, and espresso. Energetic, medium-bodied, long, and intense, with purity, and lift, this is going to offer fabulous drinking with just a few years in the cellar. The key to the vintage this year was patience, which was to find the perfect moment to harvest. The wine blends 61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot. This is the highest percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon ever used in the blend! 13.3% ABV, pH 3.67. The harvest took place September 13 - October 6. This is the longest harvest on record. 50% of the harvest was placed into the Grand Vin. Drink from 2029-2060. 94-96 Pts.

Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

94

byJane Ansonthe5/6/2024

Plummy red fruits, fresh acidities, sculpted tannic architure, this has balance and finesse, white pepper, capsicum spice, black tea, cigar box, liqourice root, rose petals, fine tannins, St Julien balance with a kick of smoked oak on the finish.

Vinous

94-96

byAntonio Gallonithe4/30/2024

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.

Vinous

92-94

byNeal Martinthe4/29/2024

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.

Falstaff

93

byPeter Moserthe4/29/2024

Dark ruby, purple reflections, brightening at the rim. Dark forest berries, fine herbal savouriness, red cherries, also fresh figs, hints of fine oak. Medium complexity, good freshness, fine, ripe tannins, mineral, red berry nuances in the finish, redcurrants in the aftertaste.

Alexandre Ma

93-94

byAlexandre Mathe4/28/2024

Wine Advocate

93-94

byWilliam Kelleythe4/26/2024

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.

Jamessuckling.com

94-95

byJames Sucklingthe4/25/2024

Pure fruit to this, with blueberries, hazelnuts, walnut and blackcurrants. Just like eating grapes at this stage. It has a full body, juicy tannins and a savory finish. Remains vivid and energetic.