2012 Chateau Beauséjour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) St.-Émilion Grand Cru

We just sourced more of this gem that sold out in minutes a month or so ago.

As in you are a highly discerning connoisseur of wine with a healthy budget?

THIS IS YOUR JAM THEN!

And it’s a tremendous value at that. Why? Because it’s a cult rarity with over a decade of cellar life that has by now evolved into a celestial drinking window that will weaken you in the knees.

Per Robert Parker it’s “undeniably one of the great terroirs in all of Bordeaux.”

The bad news? We could only source 5 cases of it.

Direct from the Château of course so the provenance is impeccable. For just a hair over $100 – the best price anywhere once again – you’re getting a Right Bank legend crafted under the watchful eye of not one, but TWO consultants extraordinaire Nicolas Thienpont and Stéphane Derenoncourt. You may know them from some of his other clients such as Pavie Macquin, Smith Haut Lafitte, or Les Carmes Haut-Brion, to name a few.

The reviews below for it are all from the early tears of its release. Last year though, James Molesworth of Wine Spectator stopped by the Château for a vertical tasting back to 1982. While he didn’t score any, he was blown away by the 2012, “an overlooked year that has now come into its own. The wine is open and enticing, with touches of maturity along the edges in the form of black tea and singed alder. The plum and red currant preserve flavors are still youthful though, staying tightly focused through the finish. A chalky minerality lingers amid the fruit, adding subtle tension.”

Dang this is good, hope you score some!

96 Points – Antonio Galloni’s Vinous “The 2012 Beauséjour Heritiers Duau-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! Drink 2022-2042.”

96 Points – Jeb Dunnuck “One of the stars in the vintage is the 2012 from Beausejour Duffau which checks in as 75% Merlot and 25% Cabernet Franc. It sports an inky purple color as well as classic notes of blackberries, blueberries, crushed violets and graphite. This big, rich, concentrated 2012 has shut down slightly since release, yet still offers tons of density and texture. Hide bottles for another 3-4 years and enjoy over the following two decades or more. This is still available in the market and is a no brainer purchase. Drink 2020-2040.”

95+ Points – Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate “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. 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. Drink 2017-2047.”