Chateau Beychevelle Saint Julien 2007 750ml

Tasted at BI Wine & Spirits’ 10-Years-On tasting, the 2007 Beychevelle has a more vigorous bouquet compared directly against the 2007 Talbot: dusky black fruit, sage and a hint of espresso. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, more mature than I was expecting with a soft but cohesive, meaty/dried blood finish that has a sense of rusticity, ferrous on the aftertaste. Drink now and over the next 10-12 years. Tasted February 2017.

• Country: France
• Region: Bordeaux
• Appellation: Saint Julien
• Size: 750ml
• Color: Red

Varietal

Red Bordeaux

There are few regions in the world with stricter regulations in regards to wine production and grape varietals than those found in Bordeaux, France. Here, in the home of the world’s finest wines, the type and quality of grapes used is of utmost importance, and the legendary wineries which work on the banks of the Gironde river have mastered the careful art of juice blending to find the perfect balance for their produce. Whilst there are six ‘official’ Bordeaux grapes, the two key varietals for almost every fine Bordeaux wine are Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, and with good reason. Whilst Cabernet Sauvignon grapes are renowned for their acidity and astringency, strong fruit and spice flavors and full body, Merlot grapes are notably rounded, soft, fleshy and lighter on tannin. The combination of these two varietals, along with a small percentage of (commonly) Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc, is the perfect balancing act ”“ the two grape varietals cancel out each others weaker points, and accentuate all that is good about the other.