CHÂTEAU BEAUSÉJOUR DUFFAU LAGAROSSE

The 2020 Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse is aged in around 60% new oak and made by Nicolas Thienpont and Stéphane Derenoncourt; Joséphine Duffau tweaked the blend when she took over in April of the following year. This was bottled at the end of May 2022. It has a perfumed nose, predominantly red fruit, sous-bois and a subtle Japanese nori scent. Quite "contained" at the moment, I can see this shutting down. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grain tannins, dark cherries, bilberry and hints of black pepper and black olive (the latter is accentuated in the chateau bottle). Nicely balanced and persistent, this Saint-Émilion should age with class. Tasted twice with consistent notes. Drinking range: 2025 - 2042 Rating: 92 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2023)

This is a very cool and refined young Bordeaux with crushed-berry, walnut, mushroom, chocolate and salt character. Some wet earth, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with very integrated tannins that are polished and poised. Energetic, long and precise at the finish. 81.5% merlot and 18.5% cabernet franc. Rating: 97-98 James Suckling, The Wine Spectator (Jun 2021)

82% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 70% new oak, Approximately 14% alc., 22 hL/ha. There have been no Zoom tastings this year as quietly emotional nor as dramatic as my video-chat with Joséphine Duffau-Lagarrosse. It was only six weeks ago that Joséphine learned that her last-minute bid to retain ownership of her historic property, which has been in Duffau-Lagarrosse family since 1847, won a nail-biting competition against rival bidders Philippe Cuvelier, owner of Clos Fourtet, and Stephanie de Boüard-Rivoal of Angélus. This tiny 6.5ha property sits atop the famous Saint-Émilion limestone plateau, overlooking Angélus, and with Canon, Beau-Séjour Bécot, Bélair-Monange and Berliquet all near-neighbours this is an extremely well-situated estate. There have been many stories in the wine world of young family members being asked to step up to the plate when they were least expecting it and Joséphine had the grace to admit that she hadn’t expected to be sitting in the hot seat for a good few years. But with plenty of winemaking and viticultural experience, both internationally and also closer to home, she is more than ready to take the helm.

Her first decision was to meticulously taste through all of the barrels, which were vinified under the expert guidance of Nicolas Thienpont and Stéphane Derenoncourt, and then re-blend the 2020 vintage wine in her image. Creating a personal signature is not an easy task, but her indelible imprint involved increasing the Cabernet Franc percentage to achieve the control and timbre which she felt was needed. This is something which she is keen to augment in years to come. The result is an extraordinarily composed wine with Cabernet Franc graphite underpinning the innate Merlot power hidden in the core of this wine. Freshness and delicacy were words I wrote several times in my scrawl and Joséphine mentioned ‘verticality’ and ‘salinity’ which should give you some idea of the shape and energy in this tremendous red. The oak and tannin are discreet and respectful allowing the fruit to billow and caress the palate. This will be a vintage that will start drinking early and then hold its stance for a long time to come. Indeed, the finish is one of the calmest and most complete in the entire commune. I asked Joséphine when the label was changed to include the foil detail not only on the Château name but also on the little people walking along the road to the property. She seemed amused at this question not least because I am the first person ever to ask her. She told me that this tweak was made in the 2015 vintage and it was to symbolise that while there is an imposing stately home and stunning vineyard at Beauséjour there are also people who are important in bringing this estate’s wines to life. This statement has never been truer than it is today. 18.5/20 Rating: 18.5 Matthew Jukes www.matthewjukes.com (Jun 2021)

A blend of 81% Merlot and 19% Cabernet Franc, the 2020 Château Beausejour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) should end up being up with the top wines in the appellation. Showing the more straight, focused style of the vintage, it has a monster of a mid-palate, full-bodied richness, building tannins on the palate, and incredible minerality on the finish. Loaded with cassis fruit as well as lead pencil and graphite notes, this dense, powerful beauty almost requires a fork. It’s brilliant all the way and will have 30-40 years of longevity. Rating: 95-97 Jeb Dunnuck, www.jebdunnuck.com (May 2021)

The 2020 Beauséjour Duffau Lagarrosse was tasted both as a sample sent to my home in the UK and then just a couple of days later at the château itself with new co-proprietor Joséphine Duffau-Lagarrosse. The assemblage is almost the same as Nicolas Thienpont’s but with an extra component: all the Cabernet Franc in the vineyard, representing 19% of the blend. Dark purple in color, this has a perfumed, floral bouquet, scents of wilted iris flower and rose petal combining with the black cherry and black plum aromas. There is a subtle undercurrent of seaweed and shucked oyster shell. The palate is medium-bodied with lithe tannins and a little chalkiness to the texture (more so in the sample at the château). The palate is medium-bodied with fine-boned tannins, fine tension and acidity, and quite mineral-driven, leading to an almost pixelated, precise finish. This is a seriously fine debut from Joséphine Duffau-Lagarrosse. Drinking range: 2027 - 2050 Rating: 93-95 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (May 2021)