On the seventh day of Christmas

A ‘brilliant wine from a truly top terroir’, which has been somewhat under the radar in recent years is db’s Bordeaux correspondent Colin Hay’s choice for the seventh day of our festive fine wine compilation.    The wine: Château Beauséjour 2021 Format: 6 bottles in their original wooden case (about which more below) of Château Beauséjour 2021. Unique selling point: The first vintage under Joséphine Duffau-Lagarrosse’s full direction of the exceptionally well-situated tiny jewel that is the Saint-Émilion Premier Grand Cru B Classé Château Beauséjour (as it is now known). To mark this first release and the Château’s new identity, 2021 is the first vintage under the new label and it is also the first to be offered in the newly redesigned (and, frankly, rather gorgeous) six-bottle original wooden case that will be used from now on. As my true love knows well, I’m a bit of sucker for wooden cases; but I’m even more of a sucker for this wine in this often rather under-appreciated vintage! Yours for: This can be found from many a London-based broker or merchant, with Berry Bros. & Rudd currently offering it at £669 in bond for a case (yes, that case!) of six bottles. Tasting note: Château Beauséjour 2021 (St Emilion; 63% Merlot; 27% Cabernet Franc; a fantastically well-situated vineyard of 6.8 hectares on the argilo-calcaire côtes and plateau neighbouring Angélus, Bélair-Monange, Clos Saint Martin and Beauséjour Bécot; aged in oak barrels, 68% of which were new; 13.5% alcohol). Just fabulous. A