Château Beychevelle 2017: A Saint-Julien with Character in a Challenging Vintage
The 2017 vintage in Bordeaux will be remembered for the April frosts, a severe weather event that significantly reduced yields at many estates. Château Beychevelle, a Fourth Growth in the 1855 Saint-Julien classification, benefited from the thermal protection of the Gironde estuary, which shielded its vines from most of the damage. The wine bears the hallmarks of a hot, dry summer, with ripe fruit and a pronounced tannic structure—characteristics of a selective yet successful vintage for the well-exposed terroirs of the Left Bank.
Tasting Château Beychevelle 2017: Sensory Profile, Food Pairings, and Aging Potential
The Tasting
The color is a deep, dense purple with still-youthful violet highlights. On the nose, the profile centers on ripe black and red fruits—blackcurrant and blackberry leading the way—with a hint of candied cherry that emerges with aeration. Notes of cedar and a subtle hint of graphite round out the bouquet, reflecting the Cabernet Sauvignon that makes up half of the blend. On the palate, the wine opens with a full-bodied, fruity attack, driven by the richness of the Merlot. The mid-palate reveals a tight yet silky tannic structure, without any harshness. The oak influence, derived from ageing in French oak barrels, remains well-integrated and provides structure without weighing down the wine. The finish is long, marked by lingering aromas of black fruit and sweet spices, with a persistence that attests to the quality of the vintage on this terroir.
- Blend: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 1% Cabernet Franc
- Alcohol content: 13.4% vol.
- Ageing: 18 months in French oak barrels, 60% of which are new
- Ageing potential: up to 20 years
Food and Wine Pairings
The tannic structure of Château Beychevelle 2017, combined with ripe fruit and well-integrated oak, naturally calls for red meats: a herb-roasted rack of lamb or a rare rib of beef would be excellent pairings. Game birds—such as partridge or pheasant in sauce—will complement the wine’s aromatic complexity. To finish the meal, a matured, pressed-curd cheese, such as a “Grande Réserve” Comté, will harmoniously round out the tasting experience.
Aging Potential
Château Beychevelle 2017 can be enjoyed now, provided it is decanted at least two hours before serving to soften its still-youthful tannic structure. Its aging potential through 2037 is based on the solidity of its tannic structure, the quality of the fruit concentrated by a dry summer, and the aromatic freshness preserved by the cool nights of late summer. In five to eight years, the oak will be fully integrated, aromas of cedar and blond tobacco will enrich the profile, and the wine will gain in complexity and smoothness.
Vineyard, terroir, and cellar: the winemaking process for Château Beychevelle 2017
The Vintage in the Vineyard
The 2017 growing season began early, driven by a mild winter, which left the buds vulnerable to the late April frosts that struck much of the Bordeaux vineyards. On the terroirs of Château Beychevelle, the immediate proximity to the Gironde estuary played a decisive moderating role, tempering nighttime temperatures and minimizing damage. The hot, dry summer fostered excellent phenolic ripeness, while the cooler nights in September helped preserve the fruit’s aromatic vibrancy. The harvest was carried out under favorable sanitary conditions.
Work in the Cellar
Château Beychevelle’s new fermentation tank, commissioned in 2016, enabled rigorous plot-by-plot winemaking for this vintage, allowing extraction levels to be tailored to each lot of grapes. This approach facilitated the management of the uneven ripeness resulting from the unpredictable spring weather. Ageing in French oak barrels, with 60 percent new oak, has given the wine its structure and oaky character without masking the fruit’s expression or the distinctive aromatic signature of the Saint-Julien appellation.
