CHATEAU BEYCHEVELLE 4eme Grand Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 2019 Bottle

Description

Château Beychevelle 2019 is a distinguished Bordeaux that receives high acclaim, earning 96 points from Vinous and James Suckling, and 95 points from Wine Enthusiast. This elegant St-Julien wine showcases a complex bouquet of currants, crushed stones, blackberries, and floral notes. Vinous highlights its enticingly earthy and pencil box aromas, with a palate that is beautifully balanced, featuring fine tannins and a refreshing, mineral-driven character. Wine Enthusiast commends its dense structure, layered with dark fruits and rich chocolate. Decanter praises the seductive aromatics and purity of fruit, while Jancis Robinson notes its smooth, velvety texture. This impressive vintage promises to age gracefully, making it ideal for enjoyment from 2026 to 2045.

*****

VINOUS 96 points
Drinking Window 2026 - 2060
From: Bordeaux 2019: The Southwold Tasting (Feb 2023)
The 2019 Beychevelle has a very appealing, quite intellectual, pencil box and earthy nose that unfurls in the glass, taut and focused, the oak supremely well integrated. The palate is beautifully balanced with finely-sculpted tannins, wonderful balance, fresh and mineral-driven with a precise and complex finish. Superb sapidity, this is top notch with a long future ahead. Time to raise my score. Tasted blind at the Southwold annual tasting. - By Neal Martin on January 2023

JAMES SUCKLING 96 points
Gorgeous aromas of currants, crushed stones, blackberries and flowers. Full-bodied with refined tannins that are long and very polished. Creamy texture. It goes on for minutes. Lovely energy and sophistication to this. Try after 2026.

WINE ENTHUSIAST 95 points
94–96. Barrel Sample. Dense and concentrated, this wine is layered in dark tannins, rich chocolate and black fruits. The estate is producing richer wines than in the past without sacrificing the Saint-Julien style. — Roger Voss

THE WINE ADVOCATE 94 points
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Drink Date: 2025 - 2055
Aromas of raspberries, currants, pencil shavings and sweet spices introduce the 2019 Beychevelle, a medium to full-bodied, supple and enveloping wine that's fleshy and seamless, with a generous core of fruit, ripe tannins and succulent acids, concluding with an expansive finish. This is an open-knit, demonstrative Saint-Julien that will offer a broad drinking window.

Château Beychevelle is a large landowner, at 250 hectares, but of these only 90 are planted to vines and only 78 located within the Saint-Julien appellation (the rest are in neighboring Cussac). Around 60% of those holdings are located on the plateau between Branaire-Ducru and Ducru-Beaucaillou, and the percentage of Merlot is quite elevated at 40%—though it's declining, as replanting here favors Cabernet Sauvignon. Since 2008, viticulture has become much less dependent on chemicals. The grand vin itself represents just over half of the production, and in the last decade or so, it has become a touch richer and more structured in style, while retaining the fleshy, charming style that has won the estate so many admirers.
Published: Apr 07, 2022

DECANTER 95 points
Tasted by: Georgina Hindle
(at Bordeaux, 05 Jan 2022)
Part of Best St Julien 2019 wines tasted en primeur
Drinking Window: 2027 - 2045
Dark nose, quite serious and seductive. This draws you in from the first smell with lovely florality and delicacy. On the palate it's deep and the power is on show no doubt, there's concentration but also such aromatics and purity of fruit with tannins that are gentle and svelte. Lifted the whole way through, good acidity and a subtle creaminess at the end. A well framed, pretty and powerful style. Great winemaking with precision.

JANCIS ROBINSON 17 points
Drink: 2026 - 2045
46% Cabernet Sauvignon, 49% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. Barrel sample.
Fragrant and floral on the nose. Plenty of zest and energy on the palate. Smooth, velvety texture. Tannins plentiful but polished. Clean and digeste with a persistent, palate-cleansing finish. (JL)