Clearly a star in the vintage, the 2021 Château Beychevelle is showing even better from bottle than barrels, revealing a dense purple hue as well as gorgeous notes of crème de cassis, spicy oak, smoked tobacco, and iron. Based on 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, aged in 70% new oak, it's medium to full-bodied, has a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, beautiful overall balance, and a great finish. It needs 4-5 years to integrate its oak but will easily evolve for two decades. It's a pure, layered, incredibly impressive 2021 that has tons to love, and I'd certainly be thrilled to have bottles in the cellar.

Soft ruby rose in colour, fresh acidities, this is clearly a challenging vintage, well handled with gentle and fine tannic frame, raspberry and redcurrant fruits, clear tobacco leaf and smoked earth, edges of tumeric and cumin, should soften a little over the next few years, but honestly no great need to wait, this has St Julien balance and charm, and perhaps the earlier the better to make the most of those qualities, 60% new oak.

The 2021 Beychevelle is rich and sumptuous, but not quite as pushed in that direction as some recent vintages have been. Then again, that sort of opulence was simply not possible in 2021. Even so, the 2021 flows with dark blue/purplish fruit, incense, espresso, mocha, menthol and licorice. All the elements are so well balanced. The 2021 is a terrific Beychevelle with a bright future.
Antonio Galloni, Vinous, May 2022

Silky and well textured fruits, with gentle build through the palate and a carefully constructed balance of raspberry and redcurrant fruit and fresh acidity that comes through in lemongrass and a raspy slate texture. Not easy to achieve this in 2021, will have needed careful sorting and plot by plot work in vineyard and cellar. The firm frame is a little austere, but there is finesse here, gentle campfire smoke.
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux, May 2022

Dark chocolate, green peppercorns, blackcurrants, lots of Cabernet markers on the nose. Missing a touch more mid palate depth, starts off juicy and bright but then settles and quietens. It's got a lovely sleek texture, tannins are really well integrated and this isn't at all pushed which is a great effort in 2021 showcasing restraint over trying to make something too hefty. I just wanted some more vibrancy and concentration to follow through. This may just need more time to come together and harmonise.

The 2021 Beychevelle opens in the glass with notes of sweet berry compote, plums and creamy new oak, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy palate with an unusually sweet core of fruit for the vintage, framed by plenty of chewy tannin, and concluding with a vanillin-inflected finish.

The 2021 Beychevelle is a strong effort, exhibiting aromas of sweet berries and plums mingled with cigar wrapper and fresh mint. Medium to full-bodied, bright and fine-boned, it's deep and layered, with powdery tannins, lively acids and a saline finish. This wine only improved over the five times I tasted it.
William Kelley, April 2022

The 2021 Beychevelle has a pleasant, light bouquet that needs coaxing from the glass, eventually offering blackberry, briar, peppermint and sage aromas. The oak here is neatly integrated, though it does not possess the dimension of the previous vintage. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a firm grip on the entry. The Cabernet Sauvignon is fully in the driving seat here, imparting quite intense blackberry and graphite notes. As with many Saint-Julien barrel samples, a Pauillac-like structure comes through. The licorice-tinged finish is fresh and focused. This is quite an endearing Beychevelle after the challenging growing season.
Neal Martin, Vinous, May 2022

Leans further into black fruit but still focused on strawberry and red cherry fruit. Hint of nori. Quite richly textured, tannins firm up a bit through the palate. Red cherry, hint of plum, mid-ripe blackcurrant. Not long but well balanced in a quite weighty style. Touch of black tea, dark stone, green herb.
April 2022

Pleasantly fragrant with floral and dark-fruit notes. Juicy and ripe on the palate. Less flesh and concentration than top years but fruit present and tannins finely honed. Clean, persistent finish. (JL)
Drink 2027 – 2038
Jancisrobinson.com, May 2022

57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. Mid-deep ruby. Dried cherries and a hint of balsamic on the nose here. Dry, austere tannins and very high acidity together with a strong hit of wood spice. This is chalky and spicy with oak. (TP)