Beauséjour Duffau-lagarrosse - Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2012

Wine Advocate

93 / 100

byNeal Martinthe10/28/2016

Tasted blind at the Southwold Bordeaux tasting. The 2012 Beausejour Duffau Lagarosse has a dense, slightly broody but well-defined bouquet with scents of blackberry, cedar and tobacco, lending it a Left Bank-like personality. In fact, I found this reminiscent of (modern) Château Figeac! The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, well-judged acidity, structured and a little masculine, but don't worry, there is sufficient fruit here to please any Saint Emilion lover. The finish is harmonious and refined. A bright future lies ahead. Tasted January 2016.

Vinous

96 / 100

byAntonio Gallonithe12/31/2015

The 2012 Beauséjour Heritiers Duffau-Lagarrosse is simply magnificent. Succulent black cherries, hard candy, savory herbs, smoke, licorice and tobacco all burst from the glass in a rich, voluptuous, concentrated wine. The tannins are there, but they are nearly buried by the sheer intensity of the fruit. Grilled herbs, smoke, cedar and tobacco meld into the explosive, resonant finish. The 2012 is 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc that spent 16-18 months in French oak, 75% new. There are a number of talented people who work on the Beauséjour wines, including Nicolas Thienpont, David Suire, Stéphane Derenoncourt and Julien Lavenu, but the most important thing is the terroir. And it is world class. Vivid and beautifully sculpted throughout, the 2012 has closed down since I last tasted it, about four months ago. There is little doubt it is one of the wines of the vintage. Don't miss it!

Wine Advocate

94 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2015

Jamessuckling.com

95 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/15/2015

This is really sexy and polished with ultra-fine tannins, dark fruit, dark mushrooms, berries and dried strawberries. Wonderful. Better in 2019.

Wine Spectator

94 / 100

byJames Molesworththe2/10/2015

Quite ripe, with unctuous plum sauce and warmed fig fruit. A solid graphite spine gives this definition and drive, while smoldering tobacco and anise notes fill in the finish. The gorgeous echo of boysenberry at the very end bodes well for the cellar. Best from 2017 through 2030. 1,375 cases made. –JM

Wine Spectator

94 / 100

the1/7/2015

Quite ripe, with unctuous plum sauce and warm fig fruit. A solid graphite spine gives this definition and drive, while smoldering tobacco and anise notes fill in the finish. The gorgeous echo of boysenberry at the very end bodes well for the cellar. Best from 2017 through 2030.— J.M.

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

90-92 / 100

byIan D'Agatathe6/30/2013

(83% merlot and 17% cabernet franc; 28 h/h production):  Opaque purple-ruby.  Perfumed aromas of red cherry and sweet spices complicated by rose petal, white pepper and minerals.  Then suave and juicy on the palate, offering pure flavors of red cherry jam, raspberry and vanilla nicely framed by lively acidity.  Finishes impressively long, with a steely quality and repeating floral notes.  The cabernets were harvested very late here, from October 20 through 23.  Technical director David Suire told me that this was due to a 15-year-old parcel of cabernet franc vines that had been grafted over from cabernet sauvignon because of the estate's dissatisfaction with the sauvignon's quality.  But the grafting caused the vines to ripen even later and it was necessary to wait them out in 2012.

Le Point

16,5 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/16/2013

Fruits rouges et boisé blond, gelée de framboise, joli nez assez éclatant, bouche ronde, tendue, fraîche, vive, bien fruitée, frais, long. G= 2017 G= 10 ans

Wine Advocate

90-92 / 100

byNeal Martinthe5/6/2013

The 2012 is a blend of 87% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc, cropped between 13th and 18th October and 20th and 23rd October respectively. That late picked Cabernet tells on the nose that is glossy and ostentatious with touches of raisin and fresh prune informing the red fruit profile. The palate is full-bodied with sumptuous, decadent ripe red fruit. It has a soft, sexy mouthfeel and it glides across the mouth without a murmur. Yet I prefer the tension and delineation exuded by Pavie-Macquin this year. I would have picked a little earlier. Tasted April 2013.

Wine Spectator

91-94 / 100

byJames Molesworththe4/30/2013

Quite juicy, with notes of anise, blackberry, blueberry and raspberry all wrangling with one another, while singed wood spice and licorice snap fill out the finish. A touch chewy and briary in the end, but there’s ample fruit in reserve. —J.M.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

17,3 / 20

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/29/2013

Assurément, voici le postulant à devenir premier grand cru classé A de Saint Emilion. Ce cru réussit parfaitement le millésime en offrant un vin au nez fin, fruité et noble. Bouche suave au toucher raffiné se développant complexe au milieu du palais. Le vin rebondit en finale sur des arômes nobles avec une touche suave et des tanins fins. Belle persistance. C'est incrachable !

Jancis Robinson

17 / 20

byJulia Harding MWthe4/26/2013

Drink 2017-2025The ripest of the Nicolas Thienpont line-up so far. Ripe sweet cherry. Merlot energy and generosity. Rich but held in check by the finesse of the tannins and the freshness. Lovely and long too. All well judged. But has the firmness and freshness for a good long life. (JH) (17+ points)

Wine Advocate

93-95 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/26/2013

The 2012 exhibits a black/purple color along with a striking nose of incense, spring flowers, blueberries, blackberries and hints of mulberries and crushed chalk. The sumptuous aromatics are followed by a full-bodied, super-concentrated, rich, layered wine that builds incrementally across the palate, finishing with an explosion of fruit, spice, tannin, glycerin and minerality. While neither as backward nor impenetrable as the 2009 and 2010, the 2012 should be approachable in 4-5 years and keep for 2-3 decades. A massive, concentrated effort from this great terroir, the 2012 Beausejour Duffau comes from a 16+-acre vineyard located on the clay and limestone southern slopes of St.-Emilion. It was cropped at 23 hectoliters per hectare, and the final blend was 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. Only 66% of the production went into the top wine, which boasts 14.3% natural alcohol. Readers can usually count on this cuvee being one of the finest wines of the vintage given the talented team behind it, Nicolas Thienpont, Stephane Derenoncourt, David Suire and Julien Lavenu.Drink: 2017 - 2047(93-95+ points)

The Wine Cellar Insider

94-96 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/26/2013

Showing a lot of depth in the color, fresh, dark, smoky and jammy berries, fleshy, rich, opulent textures and a velvet-textured, full-bodied, mineralistic, rich, and concentrated finish are the hallmarks of this wine. 94-96 Pts

matthewjukes.com

17 / 20

byMatthew Jukesthe4/22/2013

Le Figaro

4,5 / 5

byBernard Burtschythe3/7/2013

La robe est dense et le nez d'une grande subtilité. La bouche est dense, serrée, fraîche avec une belle concentration, des tannins d'une grande subtilité et une finale retenue. Un Beauséjour très élégant, moins massif que d'habitude qui pourra se déguster assez vite.