Château Beychevelle | Saint Julien
Château Beychevelle is a Fourth (Quatrièmes) Grand Cru Classé of the 1855 Bordeaux Classification and is situated in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Médoc region, on the Left Bank of the Bordeaux region of France. Throughout the centuries of its history, Château Beychevelle has been ruled by a noble line of influential men and women, who have brought glory and their own signature touches to the estate. The construction of the iconic Château was commissioned by Bishop Francois of Foix-Candale in 1565. At the beginning of the 17th century, the estate became the property of the first Duke of Epernon Jean-Louis Nogaret de la Valette, a great French navy admiral, mignon of King Henri III and Governor of Guyenne. During his reign, all boats passing the estate on the Garonne would have to lower their sails as a sign of respect for and allegiance to the duke – hence the Gascon name “Bêcha vela” or “baisse voile” in French, meaning “lower sail,” which became “Beychevelle” over time. The emblem of the Château also echoes this noble past through a ship with a griffon-shaped prow, which is featured on every bottle of Château Beychevelle wine.
Today, the Château Beychevelle estate covers 250 hectares, with 90 hectares planted with vines and the rest consists of grassland, where Limousin cows graze and of pine forests, poplar, ash and walnut trees. It's proximity to the Gironde provides the regulating effect that the best vineyards of the region enjoy and Beychevelle’s largest vineyard is situated similarly, in both aspect and soils, to those found at Château Latour. The vineyard is planted with the Médoc’s three traditional grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon (57%), Merlot (40%) and Petit Verdot (3%).
In recent years Château Beychevelle’s new winery has been custom-made to suit the vineyard, with every vine having a place in a plot-by-plot vinification process, that enables each terroir to express its full complexity and depth. More spacious and with an improved layout, the new facilities also permit a gentle transfer of the grapes by gravity, very precise temperature control and extractions adjusted to the characteristics of each vat. Combining innovation and tradition, the winery is a perfect reflection of Château Beychevelle’s “haute-couture” expertise.
The estate makes three wines, the Grand Vin, its second wine Amiral de Beychevelle and a Haut-Médoc, Les Brulières de Beychevelle.
