1961 Château Beychevelle, Saint-Julien

🍇 60% Cabernet Sauvignon – 30% Merlot – 10% Cabernet Franc (typical estate blend)
📅 Vintage: 1961
📍 Bordeaux – Saint-Julien (Fourth Growth, 1855 Classification)
⭐ Robert Parker WA: 92 | Jancis Robinson JR: 17.5/20 | Michael Broadbent: ★★★★
📦 75 cl
⏳ Maturity: Fully mature – enjoy now; drink within next 3–5 years

📅 The Vintage – 1961: Structure and Seduction

1961 is regarded as one of the greatest Bordeaux vintages of the 20th century. A challenging spring with devastating frost led to dramatically reduced yields. However, a warm, dry summer followed by a textbook harvest yielded concentrated fruit, firm tannins, and vivid acidity.

The result? Wines of phenomenal structure and longevity, many of which remain vibrant to this day. In Saint-Julien, the wines achieved a balance of ripeness and restraint, making estates like Beychevelle quietly heroic.

👃 Tasting Notes

👁 Appearance:

Burnished garnet with a faded brick rim, bright at the core with soft translucence. Mature legs fall slowly and evenly.

👃 Nose:

A delicate, evocative bouquet of dried rose petal, redcurrant, cedar cigar box, and saddle leather. Secondary and tertiary aromas swirl—mushroom, iron, tea leaf, forest humus, and a whisper of dried herbs. The nose is both intellectual and emotive, changing subtly in the glass.

👄 Palate:

Silky, medium-bodied, with tannins fully integrated. Flavors of dried cherry, graphite, tobacco leaf, and sous-boisunfold in quiet succession. Still retains a fine acidic thread, which brings lift and structure. The finish is graceful, dusty, and long, echoing with minerals, cocoa powder, and dried fruit.

🍽️ Pairing:

Ideal with roast squab, chanterelle mushroom tart, duck with figs, or a fine aged Comté. Or simply enjoyed alone, in hushed admiration.

🏰 The Estate – Château Beychevelle

Château Beychevelle is one of the most visually iconic and historically rich estates in Bordeaux, often called the “Versailles of the Médoc.” Its name (“Baisse Voile” or “Lower the Sails”) reflects its 17th-century connection to the Duc d’Epernon, a powerful admiral.

Located in the southern part of Saint-Julien, on deep Garonne gravel soils, Beychevelle produces wines known for silken texture, balance, and aromatic finesse. Though ranked as a Fourth Growth, its best vintages consistently challenge those of higher classification—especially in classic years like 1961.

🏆 Awards & Critics

• Robert Parker – Wine Advocate (WA): 92/100
  "A superb effort, with the breed and aging grace of a fine Saint-Julien."

• Jancis Robinson (JR): 17.5/20
  "Beautifully evolved. Iron-rich, fragrant, savory—vintage and terroir in fine harmony."

• Michael Broadbent: ★★★★
  "Consistently elegant. A classic 1961 with finesse, not weight."

• Decanter (archival):
  "Beychevelle at its best—lithe, aristocratic, hauntingly perfumed."

🖋️ Final Impressions – Signature & Emotion

The 1961 Beychevelle is a wine for lovers of aged Bordeaux in its most poised and soulful form. With its gentle, fully mature character, it sings not of power, but of persistence, patience, and purity.

Enjoy now—with a light decant (15–20 minutes) and served at 16–17°C—in a contemplative moment or with cherished company.