Located north of Saint Julien, Château Beychevelle boasts one of the Medoc’s most remarkable châteaux surrounded by immaculate gardens. There are two theories explaining its name and nautical label - both acknowledging the passing ships in the nearby Gironde and the Gascon language - "beychet velo" or "bêche velle" meaning "lowered sails" and "sailing vessel", respectively.
St Julien is like the middle child of the Médoc - not as assertive as Pauillac or as coquettish as Margaux. It lies firmly between the two more outspoken communes and as a result, produces a blend of them both. St Julien's wines have often been sought out by aficionados for their balance and consistency, particularly in the UK. Yet due to its middle-child nature, it can occasionally be overlooked globally and as a result, underrated by those markets outside the UK. Despite the fact that it has no first growths, it has several second growths including Léoville Las Cases, Léoville Barton, Léoville Poyferré and Ducru Beaucaillou as well as the celebrated châteaux such as Talbot and Beychevelle.
Deep ruby/purple in colour, with a sweet nose of black currants, earth, licorice, and mineral, the 2000 is relatively powerful and dense for the normally restrained and elegant Beychevelle. Medium to full-bodied, dense, and chewy, it is showing even better out of the bottle than it was from the cask. While it appears to be the finest example made at Beychevelle since the 1989 and 1982, patience will be required.