Château Beychevelle 2025, St Julien
IN BOND
Delivery 2028
Appellation - St Julien
Owner - Castel and Suntory
The 2025 was made from 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. 13.5% alcohol.
Second wine – Amiral de Beychevelle
Annual production – 500,000 bottles
TASTING NOTES
The 2025 Beychevelle was picked from September 5 to 21 at 31 hl/ha, fairly reasonable for Saint-Julien this year, albeit the second lowest after 2013. Matured in 70% new oak, this has a concentrated nose with blackcurrants, blueberry, inkwell and light violet scents. Very fine definition, a Beychevelle that leans on the more opulent side aromatically, though always controlled. The palate is medium-bodied with a velvety smooth entry that lends it sensuality. Extremely precise, exquisite pure fruit, quite mineral-driven with a very long, quite sensual finish. I don't think Philippe Blanc has overseen a Beychevelle as good as this. 13.4% alcohol.Drinking Window
2032 - 2060
95/97
Neal Martin, vinous.com, May 2026
The 2025 Beychevelle reveals a toasty, oak-marked bouquet of dark wild berries, licorice and spice. Medium- to full-bodied, structured and concentrated, it’s built around an assertive tannic frame, concluding with a long, spicy, licorice-inflected finish. While the wine is marked by both concentration and oak at this stage, élevage may bring greater finesse and a more integrated, enveloping tannic profile.
92/93
Yohan Castaing, Wine Advocate, April 2026
Spicy, with dark fruit aromas. Angular in style, with a linear profile and precise, focused tannins. It shows clarity, fresh dark fruit and balance that stands out.
95/96
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com, April 2026
Cloves and grilled red peppers, deep mulberry fruits, this is so delicious, charcoal and liquorice, St Julien balance, really luscious and joyful. Yield 32 hl/ha. Philippe Blanc director. 2034-2044.
93
Jane Anson, JaneAnson.com, April 2026
The 2025 Beychevelle is a very sexy wine. Plush and exuberant, the 2025 is seriously impressive right out of the gate. Blackberry, lavender, mocha, crème de cassis and a kick of French oak are all beautifully amplified in the glass. The blend is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot, with the plush richness of the Merlot very much in evidence. There's a lot of wine here. The 2025 spent three weeks on the skins, more or less the norm here, but it also includes 13% press wine, a bit higher than most years. More than anything else, the 2025 is a wine of extreme pleasure. It is an exceptional Beychevelle, one of the finest in recent memory. 2035-2075
95/97
Antonio Galloni, vinous.com, April 2026
