Vinification & Style
The estate has around 90 hectares of vines planted on deep Garonne gravel and gravelly sand with excellent drainage, ideal for ripening Cabernet Sauvignon and building aromatic intensity.
The 2016 blend is 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged for about 18 months in French oak barrels, roughly 50% new and 50% second‑fill, adding vanilla, roasted coffee and spice while preserving fruit purity and terroir expression.
This is the first vintage entirely produced in the new cellar, with more precise temperature control and parcel‑by‑parcel vinification, giving greater clarity, definition and finesse while retaining Beychevelle’s hallmark suppleness.
Tasting Notes
Color: Deep ruby to garnet with a purple rim, indicating high ripeness and concentration.
Aroma: Blackcurrant, blackberry, ripe plum and red cherry, layered with violets, dried herbs, cigar box, pencil shavings, cocoa and a touch of vanilla—complex and refined.
Palate: Medium to full‑bodied with a very silky, polished texture. The dark‑fruit core is pure and concentrated, lifted by fresh, vibrant acidity. Tannins are fine‑grained yet firmly structured. The mid‑palate reveals tobacco, spice, chocolate and stony minerality, leading to a long, persistent finish with floral, dark‑berry and subtle coffee/cocoa notes; superbly balanced.
Critic Scores & Reviews
James Suckling: 94 points — “Loads of cassis, graphite and smoke. Full‑bodied yet very elegant, with velvety tannins and a long, fine finish. Best from 2022 onwards.”
Wine Advocate (Lisa Perrotti‑Brown MW): 95 points — Praises the 2016 as tightly knit, deep‑fruited and built for aging, marking a new quality chapter for Beychevelle.
Wine Spectator (James Molesworth): 93–96 points (barrel) — Notes plush blackberry, cassis and sleek tannins with excellent length, calling it a strong debut for the new cellar era.
Vinous (Antonio Galloni): 91–94 points — Describes it as pushed to the edge of ripeness but still alluring, full‑bodied and sensual without being heavy.
The Wine Cellar Insider (Jeff Leve): 98 points — “Serious wow wine… one of the great vintages of all time for Beychevelle,” with an estimated drinking window of 2024–2056.
Decanting: 1.5–2 hours for young bottles; 60–90 minutes once the wine has 8–10 years in bottle
Serving Temperature: 16–18°C
Food Pairing: Grilled lamb rack, black pepper beef, braised beef short ribs, soy‑roast chicken, oyster sauce beef cubes, seared duck breast, truffle mushroom pasta, Cheddar or Comté cheese
Special Info: The 2016 Beychevelle is widely regarded as one of the château’s top modern‑era vintages and a reference point for the estate, thanks in part to the upgraded cellar. Drinking window is roughly 2022 to 2045–2055, so it can be enjoyed for its youthful fruit and tension now or cellared long‑term for added complexity.
Origin: France, Bordeaux, Saint-Julien
Type: Red Wine
Grape Variety: 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc
ABV: About 13.5%
Volume: 750ml
