Château Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarrosse 2022 Premier Grand Cru Classé Saint-Emilion

Falstaff
100/100 punten
Deep dark ruby in colour with an opaque core, purple reflections, and subtle brightening on the rim. On the nose, a multi-faceted bouquet of black forest berries, delicate herbal spices, subtle floral nuances, and a hint of crystallised violets in the background. The juicy, full-bodied palate is freshly structured and rich in finesse, with a creamy texture, red berry nuances, and a lingering, citrussy-mineral finish, An immensely delicate wine with excellent aging potential, you would never think this had 14.5% alcohol.

Jane Anson (Inside Bordeaux)
(98-100)/100 punten
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. 

Decanter
(98-100)/100 punten
One of the clear standouts of the vintage! A sensual, fun, salivating and sublime wine from winemaker Joséphine Duffau-Lagarrosse that manages to give such generosity, power, terroir markers and overall drinkability. Aromatic, scented, open and expressive with cherries, blackcurrants, purple flowers and crushed stones. Sleek and supple, sharp, tangy acidity and concentrated ripe fruit - it’s forward and intense, direct but defined and detailed. Fine and supportive tannins have bite and a mineral tang putting you squarely in St-Emilion on limestone. Raw and wild in a way, but so expressive and open - honest and just such a captivating wine that belies the heat of the vintage with its cool menthol, blue fruits and lifted finish. Streamlined and focussed, sustained, determined and characterful - sleek in the best way, this is confident but not showy. Succulent, classy, polished. A brilliant wine. 3.5pH. A yield of 42hl/ha. Harvest 6 - 9 September for Merlot and 23 September for Cabernet Franc. Julien Viaud and Axel Marchal consultants.

The Wine Independent (Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW)
(97-99)/100 punten
The 2022 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarrosse is made from 69% Merlot and 31% Cabernet Franc (the highest ever proportion) with a yield of 42 hl/ha. Deep garnet-purple in color, it spills out of the glass with fantastically perfumed notes of lilacs, molten licorice, Indian spices, and cedar chest, giving way to a profound core of blueberry preserves, blackberry pie, and boysenberries with a waft of crushed rocks. The full-bodied palate is rich and opulent, delivering layer upon layer of fragrant black and blue fruit notes, supported by amazing tension and very fine-grained tannins, finishing long and beautifully perfumed. Dazzingly electric, it's pure energy in a glass! The pH, BTW, is just 3.50—gotta love limestone.

Jeff Leve (The Wine Cellar Insider)
(97-99)/100 punten
Flowers, black raspberries, crushed rocks, saffron, cloves, licorice, and plum liqueur create the nose. Elegant, silky, and fresh, there is intensity along with a haunting sense of purity to the fruits. The wine is perfectly balanced between power, and refinement, which you can easily taste and feel in its layers of ripe, sweet, sensuously-textured fruits. The seamless, mineral-packed finish crosses the 50 second mark with ease. The wine blends 69% Merlot with 31% Cabernet Franc. 14.9% ABV, 3.55 pH. The harvest took place September 6 - September 23. This is the earliest harvest in the history of the estate. Yields were 42 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2027- 2055.

Neal Martin (Vinous)
(95-97)/100 punten
The 2022 Beauséjour Héritiers DuffauLagarrosse was picked on 6-9 September for the Merlot and 23 for the Cabernet Franc, representing the highest percentage to date. It was cropped at 42hL/ha with 14.9% alcohol and a pH of 3.5. Aged in 68% new oak, it has a delicate nose that completely disguises that summer's warmth. Precise redcurrant and raspberry fruit aromas are laced with minerals. The limestone soils percolate and evince the estate's style under Joséphine Duffau Lagarrosse. It seems to deepen, to "stretch out" with aeration, manifesting more darker fruit. The palate is medium-bodied, mineral-driven and almost pastille-like in terms of purity with its mélange of red and blue fruit and granular texture. Background notes of tobacco and black truffle begin to surface with time. There's just a trace of white pepper on the finish. Precise, focused and with plenty of substance, this is a characterful and intellectually satisfying Duffau. Most importantly, not only will it be flippin' delicious, but you get the sense that Joséphine is only just getting started. 

James Suckling
(97-98)/100 punten
A beautiful and enticing red with blackberry, hazelnut, dried flower, spice and berry character. It’s full yet poised with finesse and richness while also being bright and energetic. Precise.

Jeb Dunnuck
(96-98)+/100 punten
The 2022 Château Beauséjour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) looks to be another brilliant wine from this incredible terroir located just outside the village of Saint-Emilion. Based on 69% Merlot and 31% Cabernet Franc resting in 68% new oak, it sports a dense purple hue as well as a floral, intense bouquet of cassis, liquid violets, black cherries, truffly earth, and graphite. Hitting 14.5% alcohol with a pH of 3.5, it's full-bodied and has a pure, layered, opulent mouthfeel and just about perfect tannins. There's a little bit more clay in the soils at this estate (there's still plenty of limestone) which gives the wines plenty of power and richness, and the 2022 holds onto a beautiful sense of elegance.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
(95-97)+/100 punten
The 2022 Beauséjour (Duffau Lagarrosse) promises to be the finest wine that this superb limestone terroir has produced in at least several decades. In recent years, the quality of the site always shone through, but it was sometimes obscured by an impactful vinification and élevage (plenty of creamy new oak and malolactic fermentation in barrel). Much of the estate's Cabernet Franc was frequently eliminated from the blend. Joséphine Duffau Lagarrosse has changed that, incorporating fully 31% Cabernet Franc in the blend to deliver a complex and compelling wine evocative of wild berries, plums, rose petals and violets. Medium to full-bodied, pure and vibrant, it's supple and layered, with beautifully refined tannins, terrific depth at the core and a long, chalky finish.