The Château Beychevelle estate has a rich history and has been around since the 16th century. The Foix Candele family owned the beautiful estate for a long time. François de Foirx Candale commissioned the construction of Beychevelle Castle in 1565. Beychevelle means to lower the sails in old dialect. This was the inspiration for the image on the label. Château Beychevelle is classified as Quatrièmes Cru in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855.
The vineyards cover a total area of 90 hectares and can be found on the left bank of the Bordeaux in the Saint-Julien appellation. Cabernet Sauvignon takes up half of the plantings, followed by Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. The vineyards have a high planting density of 8,000 to 10,000 vines per hectare. Of these vineyards, 35% are farmed organically.
The renovation of the wine cellar was completed in 2016. The new winery is inspired by sailing, which is also reflected on the label. Large ships, voyages and sails were the common theme running through the architect's design. The new cellar makes it possible to take the quality to a higher level.
The three different wines produced at the château are the Grand Vin Château Beychevelle, Les Brulières de Beychevelle and the Amiral de Beychevelle. The wines are fermented in stainless steel tanks, after which the wine is aged in French oak, for usually 18 months. All wines have a rich and complex character with an everlasting aftertaste.
The best vintages of Château Beychevelle are: 1961, 1982, 1989, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2021, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
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