2018 Beauséjour (Duffau), St-Emilion
100JA
99DC
99JS
97JD
97RP
97VN
94-96WE
$169.99
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100
Jane Anson
Reviewed September 2021The 10th vintage under the Nicolas Thienpont team, and as it has turned out the penultimate one. Impossible to leave out of my top 50 for laying down because this is easily one of the wines of the vintage, and should form part of any cellar that is looking to reflect the best of 2018. Black cherry and damson fruit roll out layer upon layer, with slate, crushed rocks and baked earth ensuring the progress through the palate is slow and steady, with mouthwatering freshness building up as you go. It's serious and needs time, but it's fantastic, and takes you right inside this discreet corner of the St Emilion limestone plateau. Half the normal yield, down in the mid-20hl/h.
Professional Reviews
99
Decanter
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! (JA)
99
James Suckling
Aromas of blackcurrant, ripe blackberry, black olive, oyster shell and black tea. Some ash and dried flowers, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, tight-grained tannins. Sleek and compact with a savory, mineral finish. Great length and depth. Wonderful texture. Such precision. Try from 2026.
97
Jeb Dunnuck
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.
Details
| Origin | Saint Emilion, Bordeaux, France |
|---|---|
| Type/Varietal | Merlot |
| SKU | 1567221 |