| VARIETALS |
62% Cabernet Sauvignon
31% Merlot
5% Cabernet Franc
2% Petit Verdot |
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| PRODUCTION |
15,000 to 20,000 cases per year |
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| VINIFICATION |
Manually harvested. Fermented in stainless steel and epoxy-lined temperature controlled vats at 30°C. The cuvaison lasts between 20 and 25 days. Come January after the harvest, an assemblage/selection is made between the Grand Vin and the 2nd wine. Amiral is aged 18 months in one-year-old barrels previously used for Ch. Beychevelle and 15% in new oak. No filtration is made at bottling leaving the wine its original texture and substance. |
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| STYLE |
Clearly identifiable to Ch. Beychevelle: soft, elegant and fruity with excellent breed. With Amiral, the objective is to make a wine which can be drunk earlier than the Grand Vin. Ideally consumed after 3-7 years of ageing. |
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| MARKET NOTE |
Beychevelle (the “Versailles of the Médoc” due to the splendour of the château and the design of its gardens) is one of Bordeaux’s best “brands” based on international notoriety. Amiral is distributed exclusively by Barrière Frères. Such an exclusive distribution is rare for second wines of prestigeous estates.
The name Amiral de Beychevelle was given to this 2nd wine in respect to the château’s 17th century owner, Jean-François Nogaret de la Valette, the Duc d’Epernon and Admiral under Henri III. |
