Saint-Julien 1999

The 1999 Left Bank harvest produced wines of moderate concentration and genuine finesse, favouring Saint-Julien's natural balance of aromatic elegance and cedary precision. Château Beychevelle's 1999 earned 16.5/20 from Jancis Robinson MW, who found it fragrant, clean and appealingly fresh, and further praise from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate for its attractive cedar, spice box and cassis nose and elegant, supple finish. Beychevelle is one of Saint-Julien's most recognisable estates, its name derived from the Gascon command baisse-voile, the order for passing ships to lower their sails in tribute to the Duc d'Épernon, Jean-Louis Nogaret de la Valette, Grand Admiral of France, a tradition that gave rise to the sailing ship on every label. The blend is Cabernet Sauvignon dominant with Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot.