Chateau Beychevelle 2014

Full-bodied, dense, fleshy, imposing: aligns more with its style than with the vintage.

The 2014 Beychevelle has a very comely, pure bouquet with heightened dark cherry, blackcurrant and wilted violet scents, rendering it almost more Margaux-like than Saint-Julien. The palate is medium-bodied, svelte in texture with light tannin. It is a nimble Beychevelle, light on its feet with wonderful freshness and tension toward the finish. This is a very well-crafted wine from Philippe Blanc and his team, a St-Julien that is nimble on its toes.

This has a fleshy feel, with plum and blackberry compote notes driving along thanks to a solid graphite spine. Anise and roasted apple wood accents frame the finish, which has excellent length. A textbook St.-Julien that should age well. Best from 2019 through 2030. 19,835 cases made.

A little savoury on the nose and palate, some meaty aspects coming through, accenting the bright fruit with some gravy, meaty tones. Good juiciness, there’s definitely lift and high acidity coursing through this one, but it loses a bit of oomph come the finish. Good minerality, wet stones, liquorice, graphite and milk chocolate. Just feels a bit faded, but still very much enjoyable.

A very classic Saint-Julien that has good concentration and real elegance, too. Great black fruits on the nose with subtle oak, and the richness and dry tannins are beautifully balanced. You could drink it now, but this will age beautifully.

The 2014 Beychevelle is dark, ample and yet also quite nuanced. Blue and purplish stone fruits, lavender, spice, menthol and licorice notes abound in this super-expressive Saint-Julien. There is lovely freshness and vivacity to the flavors, but this is a pretty intense, succulent style. Tasted two times.

Medium-bodied, easy to drink, and charming, the wine is soft-textured, forward, earthy, and herbal, with a spicy, leafy, red currant, and plum finish. Drink from 2024-2044.

The 2014 Beychevelle checks in as a Merlot-heavy blend of 51% Merlot, 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, and the rest equal parts Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. This deeply colored 2014 offers loads of ripe black cherry and smoky blackberry fruit as well as an undeniable minerality in its charcoal, toasted spice, and graphite aromas and flavors. With medium to full-bodied richness, good concentration, notable tannin, and a fresh, classic style, this age-worthy 2014 will benefit from 4–5 years of bottle age and keep for two-plus decades.

Deep purple, dense at the core, with a garnet sheen at the rim. Lovely bouquet of cassis and mulberry, indicating fine depth. On the palate, Black Currant and great concentration. Rarely has a Beychevelle impressed me so much en primeur. For me, it is at least as good as its own 2009 and 2010 vintages!

Deep purple, dense at the core, with a garnet sheen on the rim. Lovely bouquet of cassis and mulberries, showing fine depth. On the palate, with blackcurrant and displaying a rather impressive concentration. Rarely has a Beychevelle convinced me so much en primeur. For me, it is at least as good as its own 2009 and 2010 vintages!

Mineral, light bouquet with red cherries, raspberries, chalk, acetone. Slender, firm palate with light structure, sweet aromatics, sandy tannins, light, sweet finish. 16/20 2021 - 2032

Deep ruby colour; as it hits the 10-year mark you can see the work that Beychevelle had begun to do at this point, tightening up its fruit expression and working the tannins to elongate them. Slate, cocoa bean, espresso, bilberry, cassis, totally delicious, plenty to enjoy if a little short on the finish. Will soften further over the next decade, but you can start drinking now. Harvest from September 25 to October 14, 60% new oak for ageing.

The 2014 Beychevelle is medium to deep garnet in color. Notes of blackcurrant jelly, cedar, and pencil lead stride confidently from the glass, plus hints of menthol and truffles. The medium-bodied palate has a rock-solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and a lively line supporting the muscular fruit, finishing long and earthy. Tasted blind with the Southwold Group in London in February 2024.

Ripe, generous and elegant at the same time, it already offers plenty of pleasure and charm, with a supple palate supported by good substance.

On the nose, there are spicier, more vegetal undergrowth notes than in other vintages of the same cru. Then come aromas of ripe plums and macerated strawberries. Initially horizontal, it then recovers that verticality so characteristic of Beychevelle, culminating in a warm finish with notes of ferns.

Deep ruby red. Fruity bouquet with good intensity. With aeration, it develops fine complexity with an appealing interplay of spice, fruit and freshness. The palate entry is silky, fruity and slightly indulgent. The body shows a fine balance between tannins and structure. It is slightly rich and well supported by its structure, which brings fruit and length to the finish. A wine that still calls for a little patience. A fine success.

Here is one of the pleasant surprises of the vintage! This score is as good as the one awarded to the 2009 en primeur. Over the course of three tastings, I was won over by its flesh and the seamless flow on the palate, all without losing any of its perfumed aromatic signature. Lovely length. A success.

This is already a delicious wine in the balanced Saint-Julien style. Smooth and ripe, it is fruity with a structure that promises medium-term aging. The rich aftertaste shows both the promise and the pleasure of the wine. Drink from 2020.