Château BEYCHEVELLE 1979
Château Beychevelle is located in Saint-Julien , in the Bordeaux wine region. It was ranked Fourth Grand Cru Classé in the 1855 Classification. The name of Beychevelle comes from the first Duke of Epernon, naval admiral who owned the estate in the 16th century. Boats passing on the Garonne had to lower their sails in deference and the term "Baisse-Voile" became Beychevelle. This nautical theme extends to the ship with a griffin bow featured on the label. Today, Château Beychevelle belongs to Grands Millésimes de France owned by the Castel and Suntory groups. The property extends over 250 hectares, of which approximately 90 hectares are planted with vines. The rest is made up of meadows with Limousin cows, pine, poplar, ash and walnut forests. The estate is managed in reasoned culture , with part of the vineyard in organic farming.
Château Beychevelle is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot . The wine is aged in barrels, 70% of which are new. The 1979 vintage was complicated for Bordeaux. The winter was wet and cold and the rains continued throughout the early spring. The weather finally recovered, allowing the vines to develop. The lack of rain during the summer months of July and August combined with low temperatures ended this difficult vintage.
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot