2002 Beychevelle
By Chateau Beychevelle
The 2002 Beychevelle from Chateau Beychevelle, St-Julien, Bordeaux
Amidst the prestigious vineyards of St-Julien, the 2002 Beychevelle from Chateau Beychevelle stands as a testament to the resilience and depth of Bordeaux's winemaking tradition. The climatic conditions of the year presented challenges but also brought forth unique characteristics that seasoned collectors will find both intriguing and compelling in this vintage.
A Year Defined by Contrast and Character
Despite a rather tumultuous growing season marked by capricious weather, including a damp summer and an unforeseeably dry September, the 2002 vintage has emerged with distinction. It reveals the adroitness of Chateau Beychevelle’s wine-making, demonstrating their ability to triumph over the vicissitudes of nature.
An exemplar of skilled viniculture and precise harvest timing, the 2002 Beychevelle expresses a sophisticated bouquet where aromas of dark berries mingle with an underpinning of oak and a whisper of earthiness. On the palate, a harmonious balance prevails; cassis and plum notes pirouette with refined tannins, gently eased into complexity by hints of tobacco and leather accrued during maturation.
Savouring Investment Potential
For the fine wine investor, the appeal of the 2002 Beychevelle lies not merely in its tasting profile but in its maturation trajectory as well. Piquing interest with its more accessible price point relative to more lauded years, it holds potential for steady appreciation as part of a diversified investment portfolio.
Resting graciously in cellars, this vintage continues to unfurl its latent grace and will reward those patient enough to allow it to reach the zenith of its expression. As it continues this journey, rarity combined with inherent quality begin to stoke the fires of value.
Indeed, whether approached with an investor's eye or savoured on the palate, the 2002 Beychevelle from Chateau Beychevelle is a noteworthy chapter in the storied tapestry of Bordeaux wines –a narrative thread woven through arduous climatic adversity into a memorable, investable vintage.
Market price (USD)
$1,060.00
12x75cl
Highest score
87
POP score
124.29
Scores and tasting notes
Tasted blind at Farr's 2002 Bordeaux tasting. This Beychevelle lacks a little vigour on the nose although it is imbued with a sense of clarity with notes of blackberry leaf, graphite, hot bricks/gravel and wild hedgerow. Medium-bodied, rustic tannins, irony, bitter cherry, redcurrant and strawberry with a focused, edgy, straight-laced finish. Tasted October 2009.
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Jan 2010
A plum/garnet evolved color leads to a relatively superficial, fruity wine with medium body, pleasant flavors, but no real persistence, depth, or complexity. Drink it over the next 7-8 years. Beychevelle remains the most conspicuous under-achiever in the otherwise brilliant appellation of St.-Julien.
Robert Parker Jr - The Wine Advocate, 28 April 2005