chateau beychevelle 1999

located on a low altitude plateau, the saint-julien aoc vineyard borders the commune of cussac. most of the land benefits from a soil similar to that of latour, made up of large gravels with drainage favored by numerous canals. the castle was built in 1565 by bishop françois de foix-candale. his niece, who inherited it, married jean louis de nogaret de la valette, the first duke of épernon, great admiral of france and governor of guyenne, close to king henri iii. the duke's power and fame were such that boats passing in front of the estate had to lower their sails as a sign of allegiance ("lower the sail" in patois), hence the name beychevelle. a new château was built in the middle of the 18th century by the marquis de brassier, baron de beychevelle. the property was classified as a fourth growth in 1855. several owners have succeeded each other at the head of the property until today: the japanese suntory and the castel group are now co-shareholders of gmf (grands millésimes de france), which owns château beychevelle among others. the vineyard covers 90 hectares within an estate of 250 hectares and the grape variety is composed of 62% cabernet sauvignon, supplemented by 31% merlot, 5% cabernet franc and 2% petit verdot. the vineyard is run under sustainable agriculture. chateau beychevelle has become one of the best signatures of the medoc. the 4th great growth in the 1855 classification, château beychevelle would undoubtedly deserve another title if the classification were to be redone. with no less than 70 hectares in the famous médoc appellation of saint-julien, it has become a must. the blend is composed of 47% cabernet sauvignon and merlot and the rest cabernet franc and petit verdot. a very rigorous selection is made in the vineyards and in the cellar to keep only the best fruit. the wine is fine and balanced, rich in tannins and the aromas of fruit and spices are of a charming finesse. with a good structure, these wines are suitable for long aging. many wine lovers, both french and foreign, are looking for the old vintages, which are particularly successful. as for the recent years, they are appreciated by a worldwide clientele, especially from asia.