Château Beychevelle

The origins of the Beychevelle estate date back to the early 14th century, when the land was already cultivated. By the late 14th century, a fortified complex with a keep was built here to protect the mouth of the Gironde during the Hundred Years' War. At that time, the property belonged to Archambaud de Grailly. In 1565, Bishop François de Foix-Candale commissioned the construction of the current château. Through marriage, the estate passed to Jean Louis de Nogaret de La Valette, then Admiral of France, in 1587. Legend has it that the name Beychevelle originates from the tradition that ships passing the estate would lower their sails as a sign of deference (French “baisse voile”). After a varied history and several changes of ownership, including the Abbadie and de Brassier families, the current building, in the style of a Chartreuse Louis XV, was constructed in 1757 by François-Etienne de Brassier. During the French Revolution, the estate was confiscated and later acquired by Jacques Conte. The 1855 classification ranked Beychevelle as a 4th Growth. It later came into the possession of the Heine and Achille-Fould families before the majority shares were transferred to GMF in 1984, and today to the Japanese conglomerate Suntory.

Château Beychevelle is situated in Saint-Julien-Beychevelle in the Gironde department, within the French region of Aquitaine. It is located at an elevation of approximately 14 meters above sea level.

Today, Château Beychevelle houses an active wine estate, celebrated for its wines. The historic building is well-preserved and continues to serve the purposes of viticulture.

• Château Branaire Ducru (castle), approx. 0.3 km away
• Château Ducru-Beaucaillou (castle), approx. 0.7 km away
• Château du Glana (castle), approx. 0.8 km away
• Château Gruaud-Larose (castle), approx. 1.3 km away