2006 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarosse

Tasted both at the château and then blind at Farr Vintners' tasting, the 2006 Château Beauséjour Duffau Lagarrosse does not seem to be ageing as well as I had expected. It feels rustic and rather smudged on the nose, simple mulberry, red plum and dried white flower scents, but it never really soars from the glass. There is something almost attic here. The palate is medium bodied with dry tannin, rather brittle and angular in the mouth with sharp acidity. There is a hardness to this 2006 that does not augur well for the future. Fortunately, far superior wines have been forthcoming from this Saint Emilion in recent vintages. Tasted April 2016.

Tasted blind. Shaded mature ruby. Curious iodine nose. Though the oddness dissipated a bit with time. Very thick and rather overripe. Very uncomfortably drying finish. Not fun to drink. (JR)

Treacly, this is one of the more successful super-modern examples. There is some real intensity here. Quite exciting even if nothing like St-Émilion of the 1970s! (JR)