Château Beychevelle is a winery in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. The wine produced here was classified as one of ten Quatrièmes Crus (Fourth Growths) in the historic Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.

History

The men of Beychevelle have always ruled their land nobly and brought glory to the château. Ever since its construction in 1565 by Bishop François of Foix-Candale, the reign of the Dukes of Epernon (of which the great admiral, Jean-Louis Nogaret de la Valette was the first), its rebuilding in 1757 by the Marquis de Brassier and subsequent enlargement by the Heine family, followed by the Achille-Fould family until 1986, the château has never ceased to amaze visitors, both in terms of its vineyard and the exceptional setting. Beychevelle’s reputation and extraordinary beauty would not be what they are today without the help of remarkable women, such as Marie-Amélie Kohn, Madame Guestier and Madame Heine, Marie-Louise Fould and Lillette (Elisabeth de Foucaud) who have marked its history, developing its decorative style, its aura of hospitality and its beautiful gardens. Today, Château Beychevelle belongs to Grands Millésimes de France, which is part of the Castel and Suntory groups, represented by M. Nobuhiro TORII.

Vineyards

Château Beychevelle has 250 hectares of land, about 90 of which are planted with vines. The rest consists of grassland where Limousin cows graze, and of pine forests, poplar, ash and walnut trees. The vines have an average age of 30 years and are closely planted, with densities of 8,300 to 10,000 vines per hectare; they have developed substantial root systems, enabling them to draw nutrients from deep in the soil, and to cope with the sometimes difficult weather conditions, such as when there are droughts in the summer. The vineyard is planted with the Médoc’s four traditional grape varieties: 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Our job is to select the right grape variety for each plot, depending on the terroir’s characteristics and constraints. Manual harvests allow us to sort and retain the best grapes, which are then vinified and blended in our wines.  

Wines

Ever since it was first produced, and down through the various vintages, Château Beychevelle has reflected the elegance and finesse of Saint Julien's finest terroirs.Graceful and complex, with a tremendous aromatic richness, Château Beychevelle is made from the best plots in the vineyard and undergoes a rigorous selection process.It reveals its character after about ten years, and can be kept for several decades, depending on the vintage. The chateau makes a second label wine called Amiral de Beychevelle.