Beausejour Duffau 2018

St Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé B

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Tasting Notes
While the 2018 Château Beauséjour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) doesn't match the 2009 or 2016, it's certainly not far off. I wish every reader could taste this beautiful, age-worthy Saint-Emilion, and they should certainly have bottles in the cellar. Coming from a gorgeous hillside terroir of clay and limestone soils outside of Saint-Emilion and a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, it reveals a dense purple hue as well as classic Saint-Emilion minerality in its cassis and blue fruits as well as notes of damp earth, truffle, tobacco, and spring flowers. With full-bodied richness, a concentrated, backward, structured mouthfeel, lots of tannins, and just a brilliant mix of richness and elegance, it needs a good 5-7 years in the cellar and will have 40-50 years of prime drinking. Score: 97 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2026 - 2076 18 July 2021
A brilliant follow up to the thrilling 2016, the 2018 Château Beausejour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) is a mix of 80/20 of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. As seamless and sexy as they come, with brilliant cassis, blueberry, violets, and background spicy oak, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, beautiful mid-palate depth, ultra-fine tannins, and a finish that won't quite. It's another magical wine from this estate that will be enjoyable with just 3-5 years of bottle age and cruise for three decades or more. Score: 97 - 99 Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 24 April 2019
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Beausejour Heritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse comes prancing out of the glass with the most gorgeous perfume of plum preserves, kirsch, redcurrant jelly and red roses, followed by suggestions of molten licorice, raspberry leaves, oolong tea and iron ore, with a waft of forest floor. The medium to full-bodied palate is laden with black and red berry preserves layers, framed by fantastically plush tannins and a seamless backbone, finishing long and earthy. A wine of impeccable poise and polish, it is delicious now, but allow it 3-4 years in bottle to really fan its feathers and drink it over the next 20 years or more. Score: 97 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2024 - 2044 11 July 2021
Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Beausejour Heritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse is just a little reduced at this nascent juncture, opening to reveal decadent black plum preserves, blueberry compote and spice cake scents with hints of mincemeat pie, dried roses, star anise and cardamom plus a waft of charcuterie. Full-bodied, rich and densely laden with layers of black fruit and savory nuances, it has a rock-solid structure of firm, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with mineral sparks. Score: 95 - 97 Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 23 April 2019
The 2018 Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse was picked from 25 September to 4 October for the Merlot and on 3 and 8 October for the Cabernet Franc, cropped at 27.5hl/ha. This is a Saint-Émilion that exhibits a little sur-maturité on the nose, especially going back and forth nosing between this and its sibling, Pavie-Macquin (both made by Nicolas Thienpont). Likewise the palate has a slightly viscous texture, very opulent and dense with dark plum, blackcurrant and veins of dark chocolate towards the saturated finish. There is quite a difference between this two crus, but on this occasion, despite this having lower alcohol (14.3%), it is the Pavie-Macquin that shows the mineralité and terroir expression that I look for. Score: 91 - 93 Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2042 01 November 2019
Nicolas Thienpont has been director here for 10 years now, and the changes that he has brought have had a stunning and important effect, firmly placing this as one of the best estates in the appellation. Everything feels a little deeper and darker than its sibling Pavie Macquin in this vintage: the tannins are a little less pliant and a little more serious. This is clearly going to age well - you can feel the scrape of the limestone, the concentration of the cassis and tight tobacco flavours, the lift of the spices through the finish, and the tannic mass that's undeniable. 2018 saw half the normal yield, down in the mid-20hl/ha, and you can't miss the concentration it lends to the wine. The vines come from the slopes with clay over limestone, and with such natural power allied to these low yields I am sure this will take a full 10 years to become drinkable, but watch it really come into its own in 40 or 50 years! 98-100 points. Score: 98 - 100 Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2028-2042 15 April 2019
A muscular and powerful young wine with incredible depth and power. Full-bodied, layered and dense. Flexes its muscle with every sip, yet there’s agility and precision to it at the same time. Blueberries, salt, white pepper and stone. Purple fruit. Amazing depth. Score: 99 - 100 James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 11 April 2019
The 2018 Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse is a fascinating wine, as it is quite a departure from recent vintages. In 2018, the Beauséjour is distinctly perfumed and floral, with a dense core of red fruit and a brighter profile than the darker personality that is usually such a signature of this cru. Although quite dense on the palate, the 2018 also has so much richness in its fruit that the typically austere tannins are pretty much buried. Rose petal, mint, blood orange and spice add nuance in a crescendo of aromas, flavors and textures that is dazzling. It is an especially refined Beauséjour. This is a tremendous showing from estate manger Nicolas Thienpont, consulting winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt and their team. Tasted three times. Score: 94 - 97 Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 April 2019
Showy, with boysenberry and plum flavors liberally laced with red licorice notes. The fruit is flamboyant, but this reveals honest grip and solid energy through the finish. Score: 95 - 98 James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 28 March 2019

Tasting Notes

While the 2018 Château Beauséjour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) doesn't match the 2009 or 2016, it's certainly not far off. I wish every reader could taste this beautiful, age-worthy Saint-Emilion, and they should certainly have bottles in the cellar. Coming from a gorgeous hillside terroir of clay and limestone soils outside of Saint-Emilion and a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, it reveals a dense purple hue as well as classic Saint-Emilion minerality in its cassis and blue fruits as well as notes of damp earth, truffle, tobacco, and spring flowers. With full-bodied richness, a concentrated, backward, structured mouthfeel, lots of tannins, and just a brilliant mix of richness and elegance, it needs a good 5-7 years in the cellar and will have 40-50 years of prime drinking.

Score: 97

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com Maturity: 2026 - 2076 18 July 2021

A brilliant follow up to the thrilling 2016, the 2018 Château Beausejour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) is a mix of 80/20 of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. As seamless and sexy as they come, with brilliant cassis, blueberry, violets, and background spicy oak, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, beautiful mid-palate depth, ultra-fine tannins, and a finish that won't quite. It's another magical wine from this estate that will be enjoyable with just 3-5 years of bottle age and cruise for three decades or more.

Score: 97 - 99

Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com 24 April 2019

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Beausejour Heritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse comes prancing out of the glass with the most gorgeous perfume of plum preserves, kirsch, redcurrant jelly and red roses, followed by suggestions of molten licorice, raspberry leaves, oolong tea and iron ore, with a waft of forest floor. The medium to full-bodied palate is laden with black and red berry preserves layers, framed by fantastically plush tannins and a seamless backbone, finishing long and earthy. A wine of impeccable poise and polish, it is delicious now, but allow it 3-4 years in bottle to really fan its feathers and drink it over the next 20 years or more.

Score: 97

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com Maturity: 2024 - 2044 11 July 2021

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Beausejour Heritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse is just a little reduced at this nascent juncture, opening to reveal decadent black plum preserves, blueberry compote and spice cake scents with hints of mincemeat pie, dried roses, star anise and cardamom plus a waft of charcuterie. Full-bodied, rich and densely laden with layers of black fruit and savory nuances, it has a rock-solid structure of firm, rounded tannins and seamless freshness, finishing with mineral sparks.

Score: 95 - 97

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate, RobertParker.com 23 April 2019

The 2018 Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse was picked from 25 September to 4 October for the Merlot and on 3 and 8 October for the Cabernet Franc, cropped at 27.5hl/ha. This is a Saint-Émilion that exhibits a little sur-maturité on the nose, especially going back and forth nosing between this and its sibling, Pavie-Macquin (both made by Nicolas Thienpont). Likewise the palate has a slightly viscous texture, very opulent and dense with dark plum, blackcurrant and veins of dark chocolate towards the saturated finish. There is quite a difference between this two crus, but on this occasion, despite this having lower alcohol (14.3%), it is the Pavie-Macquin that shows the mineralité and terroir expression that I look for.

Score: 91 - 93

Neal Martin, Vinous.com Maturity: 2025-2042 01 November 2019

Nicolas Thienpont has been director here for 10 years now, and the changes that he has brought have had a stunning and important effect, firmly placing this as one of the best estates in the appellation. Everything feels a little deeper and darker than its sibling Pavie Macquin in this vintage: the tannins are a little less pliant and a little more serious. This is clearly going to age well - you can feel the scrape of the limestone, the concentration of the cassis and tight tobacco flavours, the lift of the spices through the finish, and the tannic mass that's undeniable. 2018 saw half the normal yield, down in the mid-20hl/ha, and you can't miss the concentration it lends to the wine. The vines come from the slopes with clay over limestone, and with such natural power allied to these low yields I am sure this will take a full 10 years to become drinkable, but watch it really come into its own in 40 or 50 years! 98-100 points.

Score: 98 - 100

Jane Anson, Decanter.com Maturity: 2028-2042 15 April 2019

A muscular and powerful young wine with incredible depth and power. Full-bodied, layered and dense. Flexes its muscle with every sip, yet there’s agility and precision to it at the same time. Blueberries, salt, white pepper and stone. Purple fruit. Amazing depth.

Score: 99 - 100

James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com 11 April 2019

The 2018 Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse is a fascinating wine, as it is quite a departure from recent vintages. In 2018, the Beauséjour is distinctly perfumed and floral, with a dense core of red fruit and a brighter profile than the darker personality that is usually such a signature of this cru. Although quite dense on the palate, the 2018 also has so much richness in its fruit that the typically austere tannins are pretty much buried. Rose petal, mint, blood orange and spice add nuance in a crescendo of aromas, flavors and textures that is dazzling. It is an especially refined Beauséjour. This is a tremendous showing from estate manger Nicolas Thienpont, consulting winemaker Stéphane Derenoncourt and their team. Tasted three times.

Score: 94 - 97

Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com 01 April 2019

Showy, with boysenberry and plum flavors liberally laced with red licorice notes. The fruit is flamboyant, but this reveals honest grip and solid energy through the finish.

Score: 95 - 98

James Molesworth, Wine Spectator 28 March 2019

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