CHÂTEAU BEAUSÉJOUR SAINT-ÉMILION
BORDEAUX, FRANCE
WHY BUY: Three world-class wines. One legendary estate. Zero time to waste. These are collector-grade bottles at insider prices. Bold. Under-the-radar. Folks, this is a buy-by-the-case, thank-yourself-later kind of offer.
THE DETAILS: The headliner here is a gorgeous 100-pointer that demonstrates why Château Beauséjour (Duffau Lagarrosse) is one of our favorite Right Bank producers. This small (6.8 hectare), family-run, old-vine estate in St.-Emilion has been on a dramatic upward trajectory of late, helmed by a winemaker named one of France's Top 50 by Le Figaro Vin, but that still remains largely an insider's secret in spite of its status as a Premier Grand Cru Classé B. One of the great benefits of their being so under-the-radar, of course, is the almost shockingly good value for the collector: a 100-pointer that sings with the soul of St.-Émilion for only $170, and a pair of spectacular 97-pointers for just $125. Bordeaux brilliance, at prices that seem almost quaint.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING:
Jane Anson awarded the 2022 vintage a perfect 100 points, calling it "exceptionally good" with "woodsmoke and cedar aromatics, peony and crushed roses, fleshy black fruits, rose petals,” a wine that balances "opulent silk and pumice stone tannic grip.” You see much the same ardency in James Suckling’s 97-point review of the 2021, which he singled out for its "fascinating depth and complexity... beautifully knit fruit and oak spices… [and] extremely long and layered finish. So much finesse here. Lasting well over a minute. A stunning wine from the vintage." Decanter scored the 2019 vintage 97 points as well, and its review brims with sensual specifics: "Gorgeously aromatic and concentrated nose, rich with wild flowers and bramble fruits. Lovely cool blue fruits on the palate, blueberries, plums and black cherries with lashings of graphite, slate and liquorice giving a real spicy menthol mineral tone to the palate. Such complexity with poise and polish."
OUR TASTING NOTES:
The 2022 vintage is Joséphine Duffau-Lagarosse's first from beginning to end, and what a statement of a debut. It hits you first with this intoxicating perfume, but a perfume that keeps shifting — now woodsmoke, now roses, now something darker and more mysterious. Then comes the fascinating paradox of the palate, at once silky and stony. The 2021 vintage plays a different game entirely — brooding at first, then blossoming into layer upon layer of dark fruit and spice. And we loved the finish, which isn’t just long, but also controlled, with a kind of quiet majesty. Of the three, the 2019 vintage might be the most seductive.It opens with wild, almost untamed aromatics, then smooths on the palate into something cooler and more refined. Its freshness is what remains with you. Freshness and energy, and a mineral vein that keeps things electric. In all three of these wines, you find yourself in the presence of heft and seriousness, but without any ponderousness at all.
THE STORY:
The most fascinating thing about Château Beauséjour is that it's been hiding in plain sight for decades. Think about it: Premier Grand Cru Classé B status, a legendary 1990 vintage that scored 100 points with Robert Parker, and sitting on some of the most coveted terroir in Saint-Émilion. Yet somehow, for all that pedigree and positioning, it never quite grabbed the spotlight. The reason is classic Bordeaux: complex ownership among 30 family members, inconsistent quality before 2009, and that unfortunate (but notable) French tendency to allow great estates to languish when the next generation isn't quite ready. But then, in 2021, ninth-generation heir Joséphine Duffau-Lagarrosse teamed up with Prisca Courtin from the Clarins family to buy out the estate’s other shareholders. Two brilliant women (one with deep roots in the vineyard, the other with serious business acumen) taking control of fewer than 7 hectares of prime Saint-Émilion real estate: change came fast at that point. They brought in consultants Axel Marchal and Julien Viaud, built a state-of-the-art winery, and began crafting the kind of wines (balanced, elegant, with power and length) that critics and collectors fall hard for.
THE SPECS:
The estate’s vines average 55 years old, making them the oldest in the Montagne St.-Émilion appellation, and the grow in optimal soil: chalky clay over limestone, which produces wines of great vivacity. Vinification is carried out on an intra-parcellar basis (a process that ensures greater precision), and pump-overs are soft and controlled. The 2022 vintage spent 18 months in barrel with 70% new oak; the 2019 and 2021 vintages, in one-year-old oak.
FUN FACT:
The estate has been owned by the Duffau-Lagarrosse family since 1847, but until 2021, ownership was split among 30 different family members — imagine trying to get 30 of your relatives to agree on anything, let alone winemaking decisions!
WHAT TO PAIR THEM WITH:
These wines demand dishes that can meet them at their level of sophistication — think: duck confit with a berry gastrique, or a standing rib roast with jus, or a cheeseboard centered around a rich and runny Époisses. With their mineral backbone, they make a kind of magic with truffle risotto or anything with wild mushrooms. But the nice thing is, they’ve been made to stand on their own. And stand they do — with elegance and command.
OUR GUARANTEE:
As always, we only buy and source directly from the estate, so rest assured: your wines will arrive in your hands with pristine provenance. Secure your bottles today!
*Offer NOT valid in-store. This offer is made pre-arrival, with wines estimated to be delivered to your preferred store in Fall 2025. All sale prices are the lowest available at Total Wine & More and ONLY valid through Concierge Sales. No further discounts or coupons may be applied. The price reflected on your order form is subject to change after the order is placed in the event of a change in tariffs or taxes that are imposed by the U.S. government, or in the case of currency fluctuations of 10% or greater. Offer not valid in KS, MI, NE, NY, OK & TN. This offer is valid for TWO WEEKS, or until sold out, and will expire on Monday, July 7th, 2025.