Winemaker and vineyard: The vineyard is composed of the four noble Medoc grape varieties: 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. The heart of the vineyard is located on two plateaus of deep Garonne gravels from the Güntz era on the edge of the Gironde, a favourite terroir for Cabernet Sauvignons. Indeed, these famous Medoc gravel mounds, in proximity to the Gironde, offer the best conditions for the flourishing of Bordeaux grape varieties. Restoring the heat of the sun during the night, and draining excess rainwater, the vine finds there the ideal conditions to ripen its grapes. These will produce wines, of a deep red, balanced and generous, both silky and powerful.

Tasting: Beychevelle appears to have handled the 2011 vintage in an intelligent manner, producing a soft, round, attractive, medium-bodied wine that, while not terribly deep or powerful, is well-balanced with excellent equilibrium and lots of dusty, loamy soil notes interwoven with black cherry and plummy fruit. This pretty St.-Julien can be drunk over the next decade. (robertparker.com, 30.04.2014)

Service: Serve at room temperature (16-18°C) to accompany flambéed quails.