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La Lagune 2005

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Haut Médoc
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château La Lagune

Label

Tasting Notes

A final blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot from the Frey family, the 2005 is a gorgeous La Lagune, and one of the first great ones under the Frey administration. This wine has a dense ruby/purple color, a beautiful nose of sandalwood, black raspberries, and cassis, silky sweet tannin, medium to full body, and a textured, long, pure mouthfeel and finish. This wine is probably 3-4 years away from prime-time drinking, but it should evolve gorgeously for another 20-25 years. Drink 2018 - 2044.

94
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (219), June 2015

The Château La Lagune 2005 has a strict and focused bouquet with brambly black fruit, pencil shaving and plenty of sous bois aromas that are well defined. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannin, foursquare in style but with impressive weight. There is a strong graphite element towards the finish that feels persistent in the mouth. Give this classy La Lagune a couple more years in bottle and give it respect. Drink 2018 - 2035

92
Neal Martin, RobertParker.com, February 2015
91
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, February 2008

Tasted blind. Towards brettiness on the nose. Thick and bloody. No subtlety!

15
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, March 2017

Bright ruby-red. Aromas and flavors of currant, mocha, tobacco and smoke, complemented by sweet, nutty oak. Lush, sweet and seamless; quite full for La Lagune. This generous, impressively concentrated wine finishes with sweet tannins, a whiplash of flavor and real mouthcoating breadth. I underrated this two years ago.

92
Stephen Tanzer, International Wine Cellar, June 2008

Black-red, great concentration of ripe blackcurrant fruit with gamey, even leathery overtones, rich, plummy with crunchy fragrance, lively personality and a seductively long finish. Drink 2009-25.

17
Steven Spurrier, Decanter.com, April 2006

Classic, restrained claret nose, deep and reassuring. Imperceptible balance, controlled ripeness and a composed structure. A fine future ahead. Drink from 2014. Awarded 5 stars.

18.5+
Decanter.com, Decanter.com, July 2008
Read more tasting notes...

This is the finest wine made at this estate since 1982, and possibly the greatest La Lagune of all time. Its dense ruby/purple color is followed by an exquisite bouquet of spice box, incense, sweet unsmoked cigar tobacco, black cherry liqueur, forest floor, and subtle toasty oak. Reminiscent of a Cote de Nuits grand cru blended with a top-notch Bordeaux, this beauty possesses silky tannins, a broad, savory, expansive mouthfeel, and intrinsic precision as well as elegance. Moreover, this fabulous wine is a relative bargain for the vintage. Seamless and prodigious! Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025

95
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (176), April 2008

My tastings this year reconfirmed that 2005 is a reference point vintage for La Lagune. The finest wine they have produced since 1982, it is similar to a hypothetical blend of a grand cru Burgundy and a Bordeaux with its sweet, flowery, black cherry, forest floor, and subtle toasty oak-scented bouquet. It could be a Vosne-Romanee Les Malconsorts from a top producer ... it’s that good. Rich and layered, with silky tannin, a broad, expansive mouthfeel, and an elegant style, it should hit its prime in 5-7 years, and keep for 25 or more.

92/94
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (170), April 2007

Until now, my reference vintage for La Lagune has been 1982, with the 1990 running a close second. However, the 2005 has the potential to be the finest La Lagune I have ever tasted. Dense ruby/purple-colored with sweet, briery, mountain berry notes interwoven with flowers, cherries, pain grille, and spice, it is intense yet elegant with tremendous purity and precision. While always somewhat Burgundian in style, the 2005 possesses more muscle and power than usual. It should be drinkable in 3-4 years, and last for 25 or more. It is a brilliant effort from this chateau.

92/94
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (164), April 2006

Very pretty aromas of crushed raspberries, currants and minerals. Medium-bodied, with a lovely, silky tannin texture and a medium finish. Best La Lagune in a long time. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.

89/91
James Suckling, WineSpectator.com, March 2006

Dark crimson. Solid and layered. Lots of chew and substance but great harmony and classic reverberation on the palate. Just a slightly sour note on the finish stops me from giving an even higher score. 13%
Drink 2020-2035

16.5+
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, February 2015

Very bright healthy crimson. A little bit of brett on the nose? But not so as to spoil this very flashy, flattering wine that is already rather soft because of the ripeness of the tannins, which are there. Modern style

16
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, February 2009

Healthy, moderately deep crimson. Full, ripe, foxgloves aroma. Meaty and sweet- certainly very ripe. Extremely bumptious and charming. This wine is wagging its tail! Not for the very long term perhaps but wonderfully bright and zappy. Drink 2010-18

16.5
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, April 2006
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.