2022 Beychevelle

I was able to taste the 2022 Château Beychevelle on multiple occasions, and it never failed to impress me. Based on 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that will see 18 months in 70% new oak, it's one of those wines that makes you stop and say "wow" due to its purity, depth, and texture. Sporting a dense purple hue as well as lots of blueberry and black cherry fruits, it's full-bodied and has a layered, seamless mouthfeel, building yet gorgeous tannins, and subtle background notes of crushed violets, flowers, and graphite. This is a sensational effort from director Philippe Blanc.

A blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2022 Beychevelle has a TPI of 78 and a pH of 3.8. It is deep garnet-purple in color and needs a swirl or two to wake up pronounced notes of crème de cassis, plum preserves, and Morello cherries, giving way to nuances of candied violets, Darjeeling tea, and dark chocolate. The medium to full-bodied palate is densely laden with layers of black fruit preserves, supported by fine-grained tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long with a mineral lift. “The beginning of 2022 was tricky,” said Beychevelle’s technical director Romain Duclomb. “We saw a touch of frost and a little hail. The winter had been very dry, and the spring was wet. Luckily, June through August was very dry. We had only 15 mm of rain in the middle of August, yet we were surprised by the shape of the vines. Of course, the young vines struggled. Some died.” As for the winemaking, he commented, “We had to go gentle on the tannins. We got everything we could but had to go very gentle with the extra alcohol (14%). In the end, we had no idea that our grape varieties could give this kind of performance with this weather. Our early season leaf plucking was really reduced since 2003. We had some vine blockage, which kept the sugar accumulation slow and kept the alcohol from being excessive. Our Cabernet is exceptional, but I do think this is the best Merlot we have ever made.” This is a very impressive showing in 2022 from an estate that’s been on the upward swing in recent years!

Unwinding in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries and cassis mingled with hints of violets and licorice, framed by creamy new oak, the 2022 Beychevelle is medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, with a fleshy core of fruit framed by rich, unusually suave and polished tannins in the context of recent vintages at this address. It's a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 42% Merlot and 4% Petit Verdot, with a pH of 3.85, quite typical for this address.