BEYCHEVELLE° 2023

Beychevelle

Château Comments

Beychevelle is undoubtedly the most beautiful château in Saint-Julien. Its elegant lines, along with its stunning parks and gardens, are admired by the numerous visitors of Médoc. However, Beychevelle is primarily a large vineyard. The main plot of the Château is located in a deep Garonne gravel soil, the preferred terroir for Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines produced from this plot are characterized by a lovely smoothness, subtle and spicy aromas, and a great elegance that defines the style of the Château.

History of the Château

Jean-Louis Nogardet of La Valette, the first Duc d'Épernon, was the one to give his name to Beychevelle. As the Grand Admiral of France, when ships sailed past his castle, they would lower their sails out of respect for this great man. Over time, "Bêche Velle" (lower sail in Gascon) became Beychevelle. When the Duc d'Épernon's son died without an heir, the estate was divided into three parts, two of which became Château Branaire Ducru and Château Ducru Beaucaillou.
In 1757, the property was purchased by Marquis Brassier de Budot, and that same year, the manor was demolished to make way for the magnificent castle we know today. The estate then passed to shipowner Jacques Conté, who dedicated little time to its management. As a result, the estate's reputation had significantly declined when he resold it 25 years later to his nephew, Pierre François Guestier. The Château paid for these years of neglect by modestly obtaining the rank of Fourth Grand Cru Classé in 1855. In 1874, the property was acquired by banker Armans Heine. His daughter would later marry Charles-Achille Fould, and their descendants remained at the helm of the château until it was purchased by the GMF group.

<b>Today...</b>

Château Beychevelle now belongs to Grands Millésimes de France, owned by the Castel and Suntory groups and presided over since its inception by Aymar de Baillenx.
Since 1995, the group has trusted Philippe Blanc, an agricultural engineer, with the management of the estate. He is aware of the efforts made since he took over and is confident about the future: "I believe we have made great progress and that Beychevelle's situation has never been better in technical and economic terms. We are perfectly in the race of Bordeaux's flagship properties and this with constant, regular, but always reasonable investments."
Looking towards the future and strengthened by its past, Château Beychevelle, like its wine, will reveal its true dimension over time.