1996 Château Beychevelle

The 1996 Beychevelle has a light nose with caramel-tinged red fruit, a little soft and muffled, though not unpleasant. The palate is medium-bodied with dry tannins on the entry. There is quite a bit of brett here, rather gamey toward the finish. I don't mind this 1996, but it is showing its age. This ought to be better given the reputation of both château and vintage. Tasted at the Beychevelle vertical at the property.

The 1996 Beychevelle was served from double magnum at the property. The nose is fully mature with touches of mushroom, leather and sous-bois, though not quite as complex as say the 1996 Ducru Beaucaillou. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity, though it is not as refined or as nuanced as its peers. This is from a period where I think that Beychevelle was not firing on all cylinders and I have been scathing with my reviews in the past. Even here it lags behind its peers, something that I feel has been rectified in recent vintages by Philippe Blanc and his team. Tasted July 2016.