France

Chateau Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse

Chateau Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse Premier Grand Cru Classe B Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Bordeaux

Saint-Emilion Grand Cru

Concentrated ruby, purity of fruit expression, chalky tannins with redcurrant and raspberry, lift and juice, white pepper spice, the team here manages to capture the best of the vintage and this is a wine with ageing ability and a quiet sense of joy. 3.36ph, 7% press wine in here, more than usual, using 114h half barrels for the press wine, long slow harvest. Josèphine Duffau Lagarosse co-owner and winemaker. 40% new oak (compared to 70% in 2022, for example), Axel Marchal and Julien Viaud consultants.

Inside Bordeaux

The 2023 Beausejour (formerly Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse but since 2021 simply named Beausejour) is a blend of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. It is ageing in 60 % new oak barrels and it has a pH of 3.41. The color is a deep garnet-purple and after a swirl or two, it rockets out of the glass with intense scents of redcurrants, Bing cherries, and fresh blackberries, giving way to an undercurrent of candied violets, fragrant soil, and crushed rocks. The medium-bodied palate is a very tightly wound coil of red berry, mineral, and earthy flavors, framed by firm, fine-grained tannins and great tension, finishing long and perfumed. Gorgeous!

by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW

Just so good, so much uplift, direction and power, with vivid violet reflections to the ruby coloured fruit. Intense and concentrated on the opening, then a soaring limestone juice comes in through the mid palate, with the whole thing showing precision and character. A jumbled, joyful mix of blueberry, cassis, peony, roses, pummice stone and slate limestone, cocoa bean and coffee, showing real depth and seduction. This is always one of the wines that for me most leans in to the character of limestone, and you really feel the full impact in this hot year. Old vines 45 years average. Stopped all punch down during fermentation, now only soft pumpovers and infusion. Axel Marchal and Julien Viaud consultants. Highest Cabernet Franc percentage in the estate's history, and a full 40hl/h yield, 3.5ph. Potential 100.

The 2021 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse has a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It reveals evocative notes of black raspberries, kirsch, and juicy blackberries, leading to nuances of violets and aniseed. The medium-bodied palate is wonderfully perfumed and lively, with plush tannins and a long mineral-laced finish. Seriously impressive!

Intense but delicate, really an exciting wine to taste where you feel the energy build through the palate. Unmistakable limestone influence with the floral aromatics, a jumble of peony, roses and violets, opening up to brambled raspberry and loganberry fruits, with fennel, oyster shell and slate. Huge ageing potential. Cabernet Sauvignon rather than Cabernet Franc in this blend, just one of the many ways in which it stands out from its peers even on the limestone plateau of St Emilion, its delicacy suggesting it is one of the most Burgundian of Bordeaux wines. This vintage was overseen during the growing season and vinification by the team under Nicolas Thienpont, but given its final blend and ageing by new co-owner Josephine Duffau-Lagarosse, along with Prisca Courtin-Clarins.

The 2019 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse is made from 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes barreling out with bold notes of stewed black plums, blackberry pie, and fruitcake, plus wafts of tar, Indian spices, and licorice. The medium to full-bodied palate is rich and densely packed with expressive black fruits, framed by firm, rounded tannins, finishing long and spicy.

The 2018 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse is deep garnet purple in color. It skips out with bright notes of redcurrants and black raspberries, plus touches of violets, cardamom, and cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied, elegantly styled with very fine tannins and lots of delicate layers, it finishes long and fragrant. Beautiful!

The 2017 Beausejour Duffau is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It leaps with notes of blackberry pie and plum preserves, followed by hints of dried herbs, tree bark, and black truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers a firm structure of grainy tannins and plenty of freshness to support the muscular black fruits, finishing long and minerally.

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2016 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse floats out of the glass with ethereal scents of crushed black cherries, blackberry preserves, and rose oil, followed by licorice and dusty soil notes. The full-bodied palate explodes with bright, expressive black fruit layers, framed by plush tannins and fantastic tension, finishing very long.

Nicolas Thienpont and Stéphane Derenoncourt were in charge of the winemaking at Beauséjour back in 2015, producing exceptional bottles, and this is a standout success. Perhaps smokier on the opening than you would find today, generous and fleshy in its delivery of brambled autumnal fruit, with ripe black cherry and luscious damson but with the restraint and slate edging that bring you into the heart of the limestone soils. Love this wine, and it sings in 2015.

The 2014 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse is medium to deep garnet-brick in color. Evolved notions of leather, iodine, and sandalwood lead to a core of dried cranberries and boysenberry preserves plus a hint of garrigue. The medium-bodied palate is mature and chewy, with appealing freshness and a slightly rugged finish.

The 2013 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse has a medium garnet color, with a touch of brick. It comes bounding out with spritely notes of stewed red and black plums, boysenberry preserves, and unsmoked cigars, followed by wafts of dried roses and powdered cinnamon, with a touch of Provence herbs. The medium-bodied palate has a good core of expressive, dried red and black berries, supported by chewy tannins and finishing with a mineral lift.

The 2012 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse is medium to deep garnet colored. It needs a fair bit of swirling to uncover notes of prunes, blackberry preserves, and fruitcake, plus suggestions of unsmoked cigars and sandalwood. The medium to full-bodied palate remains laden with youthful fruit and ripe, rounded tannins with seamless freshness and a long, savory finish. It should age well for a further 18 years+.

A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, without any Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2011 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse has a deep garnet color. Notes of juicy blackberries, preserved plums, and Morello cherries spill from the glass, followed by hints of mint tea, dark chocolate, lilacs, and damp soil. The full-bodied palate delivers a fantastic backbone of freshness to cut through the rich, dramatic black fruit layers, supported by ripe, rounded tannins, finishing long with a minty lift.

Intense and concentrated, with muscular but velvety tannins, a ton of limestone-induced slate and pumice stone juice that kicks in after a few moments. Nowhere near at the perfect drinking window, this was the second year with Nicolas Thienpont, and his more concentrated style, together with the natural impact of the vintage, means you need patience, but it's a wine I'd be willing to get on. There are delicate floral notes underneath the black fruits, and a salted cracker finish. Bernard Oizeau cellar master, yields of 21hl/h.

Subdued on the opening notes, wrapped in dark pepper spice, capsicum, fennel, incense and crayon. A sweeter, richer black cherry fruit emerges after good 15 minutes of opening, and the shape evolves in the glass, showing greater delicacy and nuance as the limestone soils give lift and texture. This was the vintage that Nicolas Thienpont and Stéphane Derenoncourt arrived at the estate, and began to shake things up.

A blend of 70% Merlot, 26% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2008 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse is deep garnet-colored, with a hint of brick. Notes of black cherry compote, blueberry preserves, and raspberry coulis spring playfully from the glass, backed up by a perfume of rose oil and spearmint, plus a touch of new leather. The full-bodied palate is packed with layers of black and red berry preserves, supported by fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing long and perfumed. Nice!

A blend of 70% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2007 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse has a deep garnet color, with a hint of brick. It slowly drifts from the glass with evocative scents of preserved plums, dried blackberries, unsmoked cigars, and Darjeeling tea, complemented by an undercurrent of pencil shavings and sassafras. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly crafted, with compelling freshness and a pleasantly chewy texture, finishing savory.

A blend of 74% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2006 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse has a deep garnet color, with a hint of brick. It skips out of the glass with bright, cheery notes of kirsch, redcurrant preserves, and rose bud tea, followed by hints of dried mint, graphite, and tobacco leaf. The medium to full-bodied palate has a sturdy structure of firm tannins and well-knit freshness, supporting the maturing red fruit and earthy flavors, finishing on a stewed tea note.

Hints of bricking around the edges of the wine, still firm ruby in the core. Sandalwood, cedar, liquorice and fennel aromatics, followed by gentle autumnal fruit, this has complexity and effortless charm. So much pleasure here, and you feel it's just at the very beginning of its drinking crescendo. A masterclass in limestone, just begging to be paired with food. Far less focused and concentrated than you would find this wine today, and at this point it was four years away from Nicolas Thienpont arriving as director, but the power of the terroir shines through.

A blend of 73% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2004 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse has a deep garnet-brick color. It is a little closed and broody to start off, featuring slowly emerging notes of plum preserves, black truffles, and tobacco leaf, with underlying nuances of dusty soil, rusty nails, and dried Provence herbs. The medium-bodied palate delivers a racy backbone and pleasantly chewy tannins to frame the black fruit and mineral layers, finishing long and savory.

A blend of 72% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Franc, and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2003 Beausejour Duffau Lagarrosse has a deep garnet-brick color. It strides confidently out of the glass with notes of stewed black cherries, boysenberry preserves, dried roses, and licorice, leading to underlying wafts of Indian spices, tree bark, and incense. Medium-bodied, the palate delivers a great mid-palate of spicy black fruit preserves, with pleasantly chewy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on a lingering earthy note.

A blend of 71% Merlot, 21% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2002 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse is medium garnet-brick in color. It comes bounding out of the glass with ready-to-go notes of Morello cherries, dried mulberries, and redcurrant jelly, opening out to perfumed hints of rose oil, jasmine tea, dried lavender, and fallen leaves. The medium-bodied palate is wonderfully fragrant, with floral and spice notes accenting the flavors of red berry preserves, supported by silky tannins and great tension, finishing with impressive length. Wow - this is a remarkable 2002!

A blend of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2001 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse has a medium garnet-brick color. It swans out of the glass with a flamboyant perfume of dried roses, fruitcake, and plum pudding, followed by suggestions of star anise, new leather, unsmoked cigars, and game. The delicately styled, light to medium-bodied palate is soft-spoken and refreshing, with silt-like tannins and whispers of exotic spices on the finish.

This would have been made with shorter extraction times than today, with traditionally hands-off winemaking techniques, and very little new oak. You can see it in the pale rose-ruby colour, almost translucent around the rim of the glass but with vibrant reflections, and delicate floral aromatics. On the palate, the crushed rocks, redcherry and liquorice of the dominant Merlot grape on limestone soils come through, along with leather and truffle. Very much in its drinking window, plenty of beauty here, with enough salinity on the finish to make things not only mouthwatering but moreish. The grandparents of Josephine Duffau Lagarrosse, the current owner whose family has been in place since 1847, made this wine. Served out of magnum.

This was at a moment when Beauséjour Duffau Lagarosse was far more traditional in its approach than today, before Nicolas Thienpont and Stéphane Derenoncourt arrived in 2009, and yet it still stands out as an exceptionally beautiful wine, in a vintage that has a deserved reputation in St Emilion. Expect saffron, wild strawberries, fine tannins, saline-drenched stones, cold ash, campfire smoke, blackberry liqueur, all perfectly melted together at this point, easy-going but with flavours that hug the palate. Jean-Michel Dubos owner, Bernard Oizeau cellar master and Michel Rolland consultant. Blend is an estimate.

Elegant and finessed, a testatment to the slow burn power of limestone, this is full of crushed roses, tobacco leaf, soy and gentle salted crackers. The clearest feeling you get from this is of unfussy drinkability, with subtle depths that steal up on you. Tertiary flavours, in its drinking window, lighter than air and yet grounded and full of flavour. The grandparents of Josephine Duffau Lagarrosse, the current owner, made this wine, with short extraction times and traditionally hands-off winemaking. Served out of magnum, 20% new oak, ex-château.

Category	Red wine
Vinmonopolet no.
Producer	Chateau Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse
Vintages	2024
Country	France, Bordeaux, Saint-Emilion Grand Cru
Bottle	75 cl

Alcohol	%
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Sugar	g/l

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