Château Beauséjour Duffau-Lagarosse 2022

Wineadvocate

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. - WK 04/2023

Vinous

The 2022 Beauséjour Héritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse 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. - NM 04/2023

Beck

Grand travail de sélection parcellaire, intra parcellaire, isolation de lots pour augmenter la précision et la pertinence. Le bouquet se distingue par sa fraîcheur et sa pluralité. Ainsi, il révèle des nuances florales ainsi que des parfums de baies noires mûres. Il en résulte une très belle symbiose. En bouche le vin joue sur plusieurs tableaux. il y a bien entendu le côté charmant, invitant du Merlot et puis il y a le répondant du Cabernet Franc et, surtout, le côté vibrant, énergique, salivant du terroir de Beauséjour ! Plus que jamais, ce dernier a joué un rôle crucial dans le contexte de cette année chaude et très sèche. Les tannins se révèlent peu à peu pour atteindre leur amplitude en fin de bouche. Ils sont fins, suaves mais également vifs. Il en résulte un vin d'une exceptionnelle harmonie avec de la profondeur, de la complexité et de la persistance. Un vin vibrant, suave, vif, expressif avec une finale d'une rare persistance. - 04/2023

Suckling

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. - 04/2023

Dunnuck

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. - 05/2023