Chateau Beau Site St. Estephe, Bordeaux, Complete Guide

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Learn everything about Chateau Beau-Site St. Estephe with wine tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn about the best vintages, a history of the property, information on the vineyards and winemaking. If you want to read about other Bordeaux wine producers: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Beau-Site, History, Overview

Chateau Beau-Site dates all the way back to the 18th century. The Medoc estate takes its name from its location, as Beau Site can be translated to a beautiful site. Part of its beauty comes from its stellar views of the Gironde estuary. Since 1955, the vineyard had been owned by the well-known, popular, and powerful Casteja family.

The Casteja family owns one of the most dominant negociant bouses, Borie-Manoux. Chateau Beau-Site is not the only vineyard in the hands of the Casteja family. In fact, they also control Chateau Batailley and Chateau Lynch-Moussas in Pauillac, Domaine-de-LEglise in Pomerol, Chateau Trotte Vieille in St. Emilion, and several other properties in Bordeaux. Today, Chateau Beau-Site is managed by Philippe Casteja with the help of his son, Frederic Casteja.

Chateau Beau-Site Vineyards, Grapes, Terroir, Winemaking

The 40-hectare Left Bank vineyard of Chateau Beau-Site is planted to 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. This shows an increase in the Cabernet planted in the vineyard. Here you find nice slopes with peak elevations of 20 meters.

The terroir has gravel, stones, clay, and sand soils. The vines are situated in the far north of the appellation not far from Chateau Calon Segur. On average the vines are maintained at 35 years of age.

The wine is vinified in traditional, rectangular-shaped, cement tanks. Malolactic fermentation takes place in vat. The wine is then aged in an average of 50% new, French oak barrels for 12-15 months before bottling. There is a second wine, Chateau Haut-Vignoble Seguin. Close to 18,000 cases of wine are produced here each year.

The best vintages of Chateau Beau-Site are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2010, 2009 and 2005.

When to Drink Chateau Beau-Site, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Beau-Site can be enjoyed on the young side with 1 hour or so of air. However, the wine is usually better at 3-6 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character.

The wine will be at its best between 5-12 years of age after the vintage. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of about one hour, give or take. This will allow the wine to soften in texture and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Serving Chateau Beau-Site with the Best Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau Beau-Site is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

Chateau Beau-Site is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, stewed, and grilled dishes. Chateau Beau-Site is also good when served with Asian dishes, hearty seafood, or fish like tuna, mushrooms, pasta, and a myriad of different cheeses.

www.chateau-beausite.fr

Château Beau-Site Wine Tasting Notes

13 Vintages 41,127 Views Sort by Vintage-Rating

2023
91
Cedar, mint leaves, tobacco, currants, and flowers blend together in this forward, fresh, lifted, vibrant, medium-bodied, chewy wine. There's a lot of character here without a big price tag. The wine blends 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2038. 90-92 Pts.

Cedar, mint leaves, tobacco, currants, and flowers blend together in this forward, fresh, lifted, vibrant, medium-bodied, chewy wine. There's a lot of character here without a big price tag. The wine blends 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. Drink from 2027-2038. 90-92 Pts.

476 Views   Tasted
2022
92
Uncommonly rich for Beau-Site, the wine is packed with ripe, dark fruits, spice, licorice, and flowers. Round, fresh, and filled with chewy, sweet fruits, the finish is fresh, and fruity, offering nuances of licorice, and dark cocoa on the back end. The wine blends 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2025-2037. 91-93 Pts.

Uncommonly rich for Beau-Site, the wine is packed with ripe, dark fruits, spice, licorice, and flowers. Round, fresh, and filled with chewy, sweet fruits, the finish is fresh, and fruity, offering nuances of licorice, and dark cocoa on the back end. The wine blends 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Merlot and 3% Petit Verdot. Drink from 2025-2037. 91-93 Pts.

1,563 Views   Tasted
2021
90
Cedar, peppery spices, herbs, tobacco leaf and currants show in the nose with little effort. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, chewy, vibrant, fresh and peppery, which adds to the red currant profile. Drink from 2024-2036.

Cedar, peppery spices, herbs, tobacco leaf and currants show in the nose with little effort. On the palate, the wine is medium-bodied, chewy, vibrant, fresh and peppery, which adds to the red currant profile. Drink from 2024-2036.

249 Views   Tasted
Peppery, with a spicy, leafy edge to the bright, crisp, chewy, floral red fruits. The wine is medium-bodied, forward, fresh and loaded with sweet, chalky, spicy, juicy, red currants. Drink from 2024-2037. 89-91

Peppery, with a spicy, leafy edge to the bright, crisp, chewy, floral red fruits. The wine is medium-bodied, forward, fresh and loaded with sweet, chalky, spicy, juicy, red currants. Drink from 2024-2037. 89-91

1,219 Views   Tasted
2020
91
March 21, 2023 - Black and red currants, coffee bean, licorice, and smoke create the nose. Medium-bodied, creamy, and fresh, with soft-textures, and chalky red fruits with a background note of chocolate on the mid-palate, and in the finish, this is going to be delicious in its youth, and age for over a decade. Drink from 2023-2038.

March 21, 2023 - Black and red currants, coffee bean, licorice, and smoke create the nose. Medium-bodied, creamy, and fresh, with soft-textures, and chalky red fruits with a background note of chocolate on the mid-palate, and in the finish, this is going to be delicious in its youth, and age for over a decade. Drink from 2023-2038.

2,042 Views   Tasted
Medium-bodied, savory, earthy and spicy, with a core of crunchy fresh red berries finishing with touches of cedar, tobacco leaf, pepppery spice and red currants. You can enjoy this classicly styled wine with just a few years of age. 89-91 Pts

Medium-bodied, savory, earthy and spicy, with a core of crunchy fresh red berries finishing with touches of cedar, tobacco leaf, pepppery spice and red currants. You can enjoy this classicly styled wine with just a few years of age. 89-91 Pts

1,426 Views   Tasted
2019
92
Spicy with fresh herbs, forest leaf and Asian spices that accompany all the sweet, ripe, cassis and blackberry. There is ample freshness to all the ripe fruits, concentration and a nice touch of cocoa along with a firm tannic edge allowing the wine to age and evolve. This is clearly the finest vintage of Beau-Site ever produced! Drink from 2024-2039.

Spicy with fresh herbs, forest leaf and Asian spices that accompany all the sweet, ripe, cassis and blackberry. There is ample freshness to all the ripe fruits, concentration and a nice touch of cocoa along with a firm tannic edge allowing the wine to age and evolve. This is clearly the finest vintage of Beau-Site ever produced! Drink from 2024-2039.

1,166 Views   Tasted
Clearly the best vintage of Beau-Site ever produced! The wine pops with loads of fresh, ripe, sweet, elegant spicy cherries, flowers, Asian spices, cassis and blackberry. Fresh, concentrated, long and clean, with a beautiful purity of fruit, espresso, earth, spice and cocoa in the finish. This is going to age and evolve for at least 20 years or more. 91-93 Pts

Clearly the best vintage of Beau-Site ever produced! The wine pops with loads of fresh, ripe, sweet, elegant spicy cherries, flowers, Asian spices, cassis and blackberry. Fresh, concentrated, long and clean, with a beautiful purity of fruit, espresso, earth, spice and cocoa in the finish. This is going to age and evolve for at least 20 years or more. 91-93 Pts

2,488 Views   Tasted
2018
90
The ripeness in the fruits is apparent on the nose with its dark red pit fruit, currant, blackberry and spice filled notes. Earthy, fresh, sweet, round and fruity, with an inkling of dark chocolate in the end note, this has a lot generosity along with the right softness in the tannins. This is the best Beau-Site produced yet. Give it a few years in the cellar and it is going to be even better as it fills out, softens and loses its baby fat.

The ripeness in the fruits is apparent on the nose with its dark red pit fruit, currant, blackberry and spice filled notes. Earthy, fresh, sweet, round and fruity, with an inkling of dark chocolate in the end note, this has a lot generosity along with the right softness in the tannins. This is the best Beau-Site produced yet. Give it a few years in the cellar and it is going to be even better as it fills out, softens and loses its baby fat.

2,059 Views   Tasted
Forward, fresh, fruity with an early-drinking charm, enjoy this wine for its round, open, earthy character. 88-90 Pts

Forward, fresh, fruity with an early-drinking charm, enjoy this wine for its round, open, earthy character. 88-90 Pts

2,705 Views   Tasted
2017
87
Forward and already easy to drink this wine is all about polished tannins and ripe, red fruits sifted in herbs and cedar with ruby-colored berries and cocoa in the finish.

Forward and already easy to drink this wine is all about polished tannins and ripe, red fruits sifted in herbs and cedar with ruby-colored berries and cocoa in the finish.

1,909 Views   Tasted
2016
89
Medium-bodied, crisp, bright, and fresh, with a core of red currants, tobacco leaf, and cedar and a crunchy finish. Drink from 2022-2034.

Medium-bodied, crisp, bright, and fresh, with a core of red currants, tobacco leaf, and cedar and a crunchy finish. Drink from 2022-2034.

3,352 Views   Tasted
Fresh, black raspberries conspire to create a crowd-pleasing, forward-styled wine, assuredly great on release.

Fresh, black raspberries conspire to create a crowd-pleasing, forward-styled wine, assuredly great on release.

2,703 Views   Tasted
2015
85
Medium bodied, forward, easy drinking wine with a strong, olive, cedar and tobacco overtones that on top of the red fruits.

Medium bodied, forward, easy drinking wine with a strong, olive, cedar and tobacco overtones that on top of the red fruits.

3,155 Views   Tasted
Forward, light weight wine, with an herbal, lean, cherry, early drinking, personality. 83 - 85 Pts

Forward, light weight wine, with an herbal, lean, cherry, early drinking, personality. 83 - 85 Pts

3,567 Views   Tasted
2014
87
Forward, earthy, medium bodied, tobacco and cherry tinged wine. Semi strict in style, with loads crunchy, spicy berries in the once again, semi-strict finish. Quite classic in nature.

Forward, earthy, medium bodied, tobacco and cherry tinged wine. Semi strict in style, with loads crunchy, spicy berries in the once again, semi-strict finish. Quite classic in nature.

1,828 Views   Tasted
2012
86
Crunchy, bright, fresh, crisp red fruits, cedar, and peppery, leafy notes are there from start to finish in this medium-bodied wine.

Crunchy, bright, fresh, crisp red fruits, cedar, and peppery, leafy notes are there from start to finish in this medium-bodied wine.

2,600 Views   Tasted
2010
88
Firm, spicy, bright and crisp, with a classically leaning profile, the cassis is ripe and fresh, but the tannins and a bit tough. Give this time, and things could soften here.

Firm, spicy, bright and crisp, with a classically leaning profile, the cassis is ripe and fresh, but the tannins and a bit tough. Give this time, and things could soften here.

4,131 Views   Tasted
2009
88
Ready to go, medium-bodied, soft, round and focused on its display of spicy, earthy, red fruits, cedar, forest floor and tobacco profile.

Ready to go, medium-bodied, soft, round and focused on its display of spicy, earthy, red fruits, cedar, forest floor and tobacco profile.

2,489 Views   Tasted