Beausejour Duffau Lagarrosse 2018 (6.0L)

99-100 JS / 98-100 DE / 97-99 JD / 95-98 WS / 95-97+ WA / 94-97 VM

#16 James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of France 2021

#54 James Suckling's Top 100 Wines of 2021

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. - James Suckling

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. - Jane Anson, Decanter

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. - Jeb Dunnuck

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. - James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

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. - LPB, Wine Advocate

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. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media