Chateau Beychevelle 2017

Dark and winey, with a solid core of plum, blackberry and cherry paste flavors, infused liberally with sweet tobacco and tar notes. Shows brambly energy through the finish, which displays ample grip for the cellar. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2022 through 2036.

93–95. Barrel Sample. This wine is ripe with dense black fruits backed by firm tannins. There is sufficient structure, although the fruit and balanced acidity take center stage. Drink this attractive wine from 2023.

Aromatic nose displaying scents of blueberry, blackcurrant and refined undertones of cloves, violets and minerals. Focused and precise on the palate, very classic with nice rich, integrated tannins.

Aromas of flowers, berries and light cedar with some milk-chocolate undertones. Medium body. Creamy tannins and a firm, caressing finish. Shows tension and focus. Better after 2022.

The 2017 Beychevelle is a luscious, extroverted beauty. An exotic mélange of super-ripe dark cherry, red plum, pomegranate, espresso, licorice and blood orange build as this potent, unctuous Saint-Julien opens up in the glass. The tannins need time to soften but should not be much of an issue in another few years' time. I very much like the push and pull of ripeness and energy in the 2017. In a word: memorable. Tasted two times.

With its dark color, the wine serves up a juicy array of black fruits, tobacco, cedar and earthy nuances. The wine is full bodied, concentrated and shows the lift from the vintage. The tannins are silky. The finish focuses you on its polished, fresh, dark, red berries. Made from blending 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the wine reached 13.5% ABV with a pH of 3.66.

Deep dark ruby, with purple reflections, and a delicate bright rim. On the nose ripe plum fruit underlaid with fine nougat, black cherry, and orange zest. Taut, elegant, juicy berry fruit, well-integrated tannins, with good persistence, some minerality on the finish, and showing good length. It has certain development potential.

The 2017 Chateau Beychevelle is another beautiful wine from this estate, which is being run with incredible talent and passion by Romain Ducolomb, who was hired away from Chateau Clinet. The 2017 is based on 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc (a selection of just 52% of the production) and spent 18 months in 60% new French oak. Lively, elegant notes of green tobacco, lead pencil, flowers, mint, and blueberries all emerge from the glass, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a classic, elegant texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It’s up with the top wines in the vintage and will evolve for 2+ decades.

Kunz barrel sample 18: a sweet, finely jammy, medium-bodied bouquet with strawberry jelly, acetone, vanilla and toasted notes. Fruity, upfront palate with sweet fruit, a slender structure, fine sandy tannins, medium aromatics and a light finish. Can still improve.

Sweet, delicately jammy, medium-bodied bouquet: strawberry jelly, acetone, vanilla, toasty notes. Fruity, upfront palate with sweet fruit, a lean structure, fine sandy tannins, medium aromatics and a light finish. Can still improve. 16/20 2023 - 2034

A vintage that will provide lots of pleasure over the long term but with no need to wait to begin enjoying it. With a gentle dip through the mid-palate, it doesn’t have the intensity of some in the lineup, but delivers sappy fennel along with slate-like texture and freshness, plus a gourmet edge of cocoa bean that adds layers to the blueberry and raspberry fruit, and a mouthwatering finish. Harvested September 13 to October 3, aged in 60% new oak.

The 2017 Beychevelle is a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and 1% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it springs from the glass with vivacious notes of black raspberries, boysenberries, and crushed blackcurrants, plus nuances of dark chocolate, anise, and violets. Medium-bodied, the palate is tightly knit with beautiful acidity delivering energy to the red and black fruit layers, supported by a fine-grained texture, finishing long and fragrant.

The 2017 is quite supple, of course, but very refined, well-balanced and above all devilishly charming.

Blue fruit, very precise and fresh at first, is softened on the second nose by notes of hay, chamomile and dried clementine peel. The palate is taut, full of sinuous energy; it holds the promise of a great “classic” vintage.

A dense, deep colour with purple highlights. Plenty of fruit and freshness in the bouquet of Beychevelle 2017. Wafts of black berries and spices. A generous, compact attack. The wine is full-bodied and broad on the palate, thanks to tannins that provide ideal support on the back end. They are fine-grained and in harmony with the structure. The latter carries the aromatic expression through to the finish. An imposing, convincing wine.

A deep, intense, beautiful colour. A moderately aromatic nose with ripe fruit. Smooth on the attack, developing into a flavoursome palate with a luscious, perfumed texture. A pleasant finish, slightly discreet.

A very fresh, fruity nose, quite explosive. This wine unfurls a lovely silky thread, driven by youth and brightness. On the palate, it’s focused and thirst-quenching: full-bodied, generous and mouth-watering. The aromatic palette brings to mind black fruit jam and delicate spices; there’s real depth, without any cloying sweetness. Nicely defined, supple tannins. A joyful, easy-drinking 2017. A fine expression of a vintage that deserves to be rediscovered.