The Legendary Chateau Beychevelle: Origins, 10 Best Wines (2024)

The prestigious Chateau Beychevelle is revered for its exceptional terroir-driven red wine blends classified as Supreme Fourth Growths. It has an illustrious past and is dubbed as the Versailles of Bordeaux for its stunning architecture.

Let’s explore the origins of this Bordeaux wine estate, its vineyards, and winemaking practices. We’ll also show you the 10 best Chateau Beychevelle wines and an easy way to add a bottle or two to your wine collection!

Chateau Beychevelle - the Versailles of Bordeaux

Chateau Beychevelle (pronounced Baisse-Voile) is situated near the Gironde river in the Saint Julien appellation, Medoc in the Bordeaux region. 

It’s elegant red blend wines are predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon, with smaller amounts of Merlot, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc grape varietals.

Chateau Beychevelle produces three distinct wine styles:

• Chateau Beychevelle: The age-worthy Grand Vin is made with grapes from the finest vineyard plots of the Chateau. It was classified as Quatrieme Grand Cru Classe in 1855.
• Amiral de Beychevelle: The Chateau’s second wine was first released in the 1950s. The wine has a more youthful character than the Grand Vin.
• Les Brulieres de Beychevelle: This is a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes cultivated from vineyards in the Haut Medoc appellation.

The Chateau is owned by Grands Millésimes de France.

The Enchanting Past of Chateau Beychevelle

The Medoc estate was built in 1565 by Bishop François de Foix Candale. 

Beychevelle was then passed on to the Dukes of Eperon and numerous other owners. 

The name Beychevelle means “lower sails.” It was coined in the 17th century when all boats that passed by the Chateau would lower their sails. This was an act of honor towards Jean-Louis Nogaret de la Valette (Duke of Eperon) - the first owner of Beychevelle, who was also a respected Navy Admiral of France. 

After the respected Navy Admiral, the Chateau was owned by the second Duke of Eperon, a patron of arts who hosted different artists, including the famous Molière.

In 1757, Marquis de Brassier bought the estate and renovated it. In 1825, the estate was sold to the negociant Pierre-François Guestier.

Next, the estate was passed on to the Heines family in the late 1800s. They created the Chateau’s beautiful architecture and magical gardens filled with sculptures, trees, and exotic birds. 

The Achille-Fould family was the next one in charge of the Beychevelle estate. In 1970 Aymar  Achille-Fould took over the estate’s management.

The Grands Millésimes de France company (owned by the Castel and Suntory Group) was a partner at Chateau Beychevelle since 1988 with Philippe Blanc at the helm.

In 2011, the GMF group officially bought the Chateau. The Chateau Beychevelle winery facilities were modernized in 2016.

Chateau Beychevelle - Vineyards and Terroir

Chateau Beychevelle has 85 hectares of vineyards in Medoc, including 36 hectares in the neighboring Haut Medoc appellation. 

More than 50% of the vineyard plots are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% with Merlot, and the rest are Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot vines. The average vine age is 30 years, while the density is around 8,000-10,000 vines per hectare.

Part of the vineyard is located on a plateau, elevated at 18 meters altitude. The soil is composed of Garonne gravel which provides good water drainage and emits the sun’s heat in the nights.

The exceptional terroir and the proximity to the Gironde estuary create the perfect conditions for growing Cabernet Sauvignon. The Chateau plans to increase the acreage of Cabernet Sauvignon vines soon.

About 15% of the Chateau vineyards are cultivated organically. 

Next, let’s find out how Chateau Beychevelle wines are made.

Winemaking at Chateau Beychevelle

The modernized winery allows for a plot-by-plot vinification, which enhances the expression of the terroir in the wine.

The wines are vinified in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats. During fermentation, the wine is moved gently with the force of gravity. 

Malolactic fermentation takes place in tanks and oak barrels.

After that, the wine is aged in 50% new French oak barrels for about 18 months. 

On average, Chateau Beychevelle produces 40,000-50,000 cases of wine a year.But which Chateau Beychevelle wines should you look out for in 2024?

The Most Elegant Chateau Beychevelle Wines to Buy in 2024

Here are some of the best Chateau Beychevelle wines you can add to your wine collection:

1. Chateau Beychevelle 1945 

This Fourth Growth Grand Cru Classe wine has preserved its elegant finesse and delicious flavors of baked black plums. The velvety tannins unravel under the opulent but balanced cassis and black currant nose.Price of Chateau Beychevelle 1945: $674

2. Chateau Beychevelle 1958

This prestigious wine has sweet tannin levels, well-preserved freshness, and subtle savory notes of black cherry paste flavors. The palate of the wine is rich with undertones of lovely mulled plum and dried herbs, followed by ample fruit aromas.Price of Chateau Beychevelle 1958: $331

3. Chateau Beychevelle 1961

Here we have another Prestigious Cru Classe wine from Saint Julien with exquisite elegance and fantastic freshness. The flavor of warm cassis and plum fruit glides softly along an edge of smoke and leather. The aroma bouquet is rich with a dominant black currant fragrance. 

Price of Chateau Beychevelle 1961: $629

4. Chateau Beychevelle 1982

This vintage is complex yet balanced with enchanting warmed plum aromas. The palate is layered with a core of black fruit flavors, hints of baked black plums, and pleasant velvety tannins.

Price of Chateau Beychevelle 1982: $274

5. Chateau Beychevelle 2000 

This exceptional St. Julien red wine has outstanding black fruit paste flavors that combine well with bright acidity and chewy tannins. Elegant black cherry, spice, and dried herbs tasting notes are followed by fantastic freshness.

Price of Chateau Beychevelle 2000: $197

6. Chateau Beychevelle 2005 

This vintage is medium-bodied with an intense aroma of black cherry and wet granite. The palate showcases exceptional elegance and offers a sweet tannin mouthfeel with mild acidity. The blackberry fruit glides pleasantly over a graphite edge and transitions into a long-lasting finish.Price of Chateau Beychevelle 2005: $150

7. Chateau Beychevelle 2010 

This prestigious wine opens up fully after an hour of decanting. The intense red color hints at the delicious flavors of red fruit and warmed plum. The nose is intense with warm cassis and lovely mulled plum notes.Price of Chateau Beychevelle 2010: $154

8. Chateau Beychevelle 2016 

This red wine can be cellared for at least 6-7 more years until it reaches maturity. The palate of this vintage showcases subtle savory notes of plum, cassis, and black cherry accompanied by a fantastic freshness and ample fruit aromas.Price of Chateau Beychevelle 2016: $121

9. Chateau Beychevelle 'Amiral de Beychevelle' 2004 

This second wine of Chateau Beychevelle has extraordinary strawberry, and licorice tasting notes that transition gently into mocha, leather, and oak aftertaste with medium tannin levels.Price of Chateau Beychevelle 'Amiral de Beychevelle' 2004: $130

10. Les Brulieres de Beychevelle 1985 

This elegant wine has mild tannin levels and refreshing acidity. The palate unravels a dominant blackberry flavor accompanied by vanilla and tobacco aromas.

Price of Les Brulieres de Beychevelle 1985: $87

Now that we’ve discovered some of the most elegant Chateau Beychevelle wines, let’s look at their investment potential.

Investing in Chateau Beychevelle

The Chateau owners have been pumping in huge investments to modernize winemaking processes, which have raised the wine quality greatly. They’ve also focused on marketing the brand overseas, making the wine very popular, especially in Asian markets.

Chateau Beychevelle’s Grand Vin and second wine have a good aging potential of 10 to 15 years, and some of the most exceptional vintages can last even beyond that.

The critic review scores for the recent vintages (from 2008 onwards) have significantly improved to an average of 91.7.

Chateau Beychevelle St Julien also outperforms other Bordeaux Chateaux in the secondary market. The Chateau Beychevelle Liv-ex index surged by 600% during 2004-’19, while the average Bordeaux index increased only by 200%. 

Beychevelle also offers an increasing return on en primeur investments, which is much higher than that of any other Chateau from St. Julien. 

Currently, the greatest return on investment comes from the older vintages from 2000 to 2008, which are at their peak. The vintages from 2008 onwards will continue rising in price as the wines age and present ideal investment opportunities.

Chateau Beychevelle is also quite popular at auctions. At The Grand Whisky auction in 2020, 12 bottles of Chateau Beychevelle Saint Julien 1982 sold for $2,300. 

So, how can you get a coveted bottle of this investment-worthy red wine without waiting for the next big auction?That’s where Vinovest comes in.

Buy Chateau Beychevelle and Other Exceptional Wines Through Vinovest

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Chateau Beychevelle: An Elegant Wine for Your Collection

Chateau Beychevelle is a prestigious cru classe red wine that is a great celebratory drink. The Grand Vin also has a promising investment potential. 

With Vinovest you can easily buy one of these exceptional wines or any other collectible bottles. You just have to sign up and start exploring all the amazing wines to add to your collection.