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Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
2011 Beychevelle, Château Beychevelle

2011 Beychevelle, Château Beychevelle

Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

The Lowered Sail

Graceful, savoury and quietly assured, the 2011 Beychevelle opens with black cherry, plum and blackcurrant, woven through with cedar, tobacco leaf and a subtle floral lift. Earthy undertones and graphite give the fruit a distinctly classical character, while hints of liquorice, dried herbs and warm oak spice add depth to its composed, inviting bouquet.

The palate is medium-bodied and supple, with fine-grained tannins giving shape to the dark fruit and a refreshing line of acidity keeping everything poised. Time in bottle has brought a more mellow, savoury dimension, drawing the wine towards a persistent finish of plum, cedar and mineral freshness. This is a particularly appealing choice for anyone who enjoys mature Bordeaux with elegance, detail and enough structure to accompany a generous meal, ready to enjoy now or over the next couple of years.

For when: Sunday lunch deserves a proper claret and an unhurried afternoon.

Pairs with: Roast lamb with rosemary, beef Wellington, duck breast with wild mushrooms, venison loin, roast guinea fowl with chestnuts or mature Comté.

Beychevelle’s sailing-ship emblem recalls the Duke of Épernon, a former owner and Admiral of France. According to local legend, passing vessels lowered their sails in respect, inspiring the Gascon expression “Bêcha vêla” and, eventually, the château’s name. Classified as a Fourth Growth in 1855, the estate remains one of Saint-Julien’s most recognisable names.

Whats in the bottle
47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot

Notable Awards
92 points, Wine Enthusiast

£149.00 - £149.00
£149.00
£149.00 - £149.00
£149.00
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Château Beychevelle’s history reaches back to the sixteenth century, with the original château built in 1565 for François de Foix-Candale, Bishop of Aire. Its subsequent association with the Duke of Épernon helped establish the estate’s enduring maritime identity. Today, Beychevelle is jointly owned by the Castel and Suntory groups, with Philippe Blanc overseeing the property.
The vineyards occupy gravelly ground in Saint-Julien, close to the Gironde estuary. Deep Garonne gravel, with clay and gravel beneath, provides drainage and varying water reserves, while the nearby estuary moderates temperatures. Cabernet Sauvignon brings structure and aromatic definition, complemented by Merlot’s rounded fruit and smaller contributions from Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.
The estate’s approach combines careful vineyard work, rigorous fruit selection and measured barrel ageing. Mechanical soil cultivation and the avoidance of herbicides form part of its environmental programme, with ISO 14001 certification achieved in 2014. The guiding aim is a wine with the depth expected of classified Bordeaux and the balance to become increasingly expressive with age.

The 2011 blend comprises 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. A hot, dry spring advanced the growing cycle, although water stress subsequently slowed ripening. Cooler, wetter summer weather brought relief, followed by favourable conditions during the latter part of September. Harvest ran from 14 to 29 September, with twelve days of picking across that period.
Grapes were harvested by hand and carefully sorted before vinification. Fermentation took place in vats using selected yeasts, with pumping over to extract colour, flavour and tannin from the skins. Meticulous selection was particularly important in achieving the vintage’s balance of fruit and structure.
The wine matured for 18 months in French oak barrels, split equally between new oak and barrels that had previously held one vintage. This ageing developed the wine’s structure and subtle spice, supporting its progression towards the layered, savoury character it shows with bottle age.
Alcohol: 13.2%. pH: 3.7. Recommended drinking window: 2026–2028.

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