Chateau Beychevelle 2023

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "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."

JAMES SUCKLING: "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."

JEB DUNNUCK: "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."

WEINWISSER: "Opulentes Bouquet, Heidelbeerdrops, getrocknete Rosenblätter und Holundersaft. Am komplexen Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, nerviger Rasse, engmaschigem Tanningerüst und trainiertem Körper. Im geradlinige straffen Finale blaubeerige Konturen, Cassiswürze, dunkles Graphit und feinsandige Adstringenz."

VINUM: "Offenherzig, reiffruchtig, expressiv, viel dunkle Frucht, Tiefe; der Gaumen beeindruckt, seidige Tannine, knackige Frucht, salin, lang, feinwürzig. Ausgezeichnet dieses Jahr."

DECANTER: "Fragrant and floral note, fully expressive aromatically with strawberries and red cherries, you can definitely smell the Petit Verdot on the nose - intense. Clean and clear, a lovely weight in the mouth. Smooth but grippy too, tannins are svelte and super fine, this has nice ripe fruit, good body and mouthfeel and a long finish. Juicy, almost fleshy, this has some weight in the mouth. I like the depth, this has some chew, a soft hint of sweetness plus creamy chalkiness plus a lovely lift on the finish. Cool and crisp but well managed. Really excellent and very accessible, juicy and elegant. Highest ever proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. 6% press wine. Yields around 50hl/ha. 50% grand vin production. Ageing 18 months, 70% new oak. 1/3 aged in one year barrels."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "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."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Dunkle Waldbeeren, feine Kräuterwürze, rote Herzkirschen, aber auch frische Feigen, dezente Edelholzanklänge. Mittlere Komplexität, gut Frische, feine, reife Tannine, mineralisch, rotbeerige Nuancen im Abgang, Rote Ribiseln im Nachhall."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "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."