Ch.Beausejour Duffau 2012 750ml

Wine Advocate #227, Oct 29, 2016
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.

Château Beausejour Duffau is one of the 13 Premier Grand Cru Classes in the appellation of St Emilion. Formerly fully titled Château Beauséjour-Duffau-Lagarrosse, was originally part of a single estate with Château Beau-Séjour-Bécot. In 1869 the vineyards were split up between the owner's two children and they have been owned and run separately ever since. Beauséjour-Duffau, a 1er Grand Cru Classé B property, is located on the Côtes of St-Emilion, on the edge of a limestone plateau.
Beausejour-Duffau's 7 hectares of vineyards are planted with Merlot (70%), Cabernet Franc (20%) and Cabernet Sauvignon (10%). The grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled, stainless steel and concrete vats and the wine is aged in barriques (50% new) for 18 months. It is bottled unfiltered. Under the brilliant management of Nicolas Thienpont and Stephane Derenoncourt quality has soared. The estate consistently produces complex St-Emilion wines which are intense, powerful, full-bodied and redolent of black fruits, spices and minerals. It shows at its best with at least 6-7 years of bottle age.

Meats, Beef and Venison