| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
The 2015 Lagrange was picked from 21 September until 12 October. This has improved since its last showing a few months ago. The nose still needs more vigour, but the palate is fleshy and velvety in texture with superb harmony on the finish. It continues to meliorate so afford this young Lagrange another three or four years in bottle. Tasted at the Lagrange vertical at the estate. Drink 2024-2044.
Anyone who thinks that modern Bordeaux has become too soft or easy should taste this seriously tannic yet sleek and vibrant wine. So much drive and energy that the weak of heart should better stand back. Better from 2020 and has a couple of decades of ageing potential.
Lagrange 2015 is medium to deep garnet in color. It is a tad closed to begin with, needing plenty of swirling to uncover notes of boysenberry preserves, blackcurrant pastilles and smoked meats, plus hints of pencil shaving and underbrush. Medium-bodied, the palate is tightly knit and refreshing with fine-grained tannins and loads of earth and mineral sparks on the finish.
The fruit flavours from the first moments are plump, rich, round, and clearly successful, majoring on blackberry and loganberry, if a little soft through the mid palate. Fine tannins, attractive mint leaf finish. The lowest percentage of Merlot to date, this is good quality and will be approachable soon. Overall a great vintage, despite the excellent summer being threatened by a huge September rainstorm where 97mm of rain fell in St Julien (compared to 120mm in St Estèphe and 180mm in the most northerly stretches of the Médoc). It meant that the team at Lagrange brought in 85ha of grapes in 5 days, the quickest time on record (although in total the harvest stretched from September 21 to October 12). 35% of production in the 1st wine, 60% new oak. Eric Boissenot consultant.
Tasted blind. Not the freshest nose but dense and concentrated with mases of ripe tannin and some pretty dry (not sweet) fruit. Slightly drying finish.
Drink 2025-2040
This Chateau is the largest of all the classed growths with 117 hectares of vines (4 of which are planted with white varieties). Top quality Saint Julien has been produced here since the late 1980's when it was bought by the Suntory group of Japan. This quality level is partly achieved by the production of a very good second wine, Les Fiefs de Lagrange, which in most vintages makes up more than 50% of production. The red varities are planted 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. Deep purple colour. Black fruits with a hint of fresh mint and coriander seed. The palate is rich and full with plenty of plush, velvety tannin to provide the structure surrounding a core of black cherry fruit. A good level of ripeness that balances the savoury tannin on the finish.
The 2015 Château Lagrange is a heavenly little Saint-Julien that seriously delivers the goods. Based on 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot brought up in around 50% new oak, its deep ruby/purple color is followed by notes of cassis, toasty oak, black licorice and nori (the dried seaweed wrapper used for sushi). With medium to full-bodied richness, beautiful concentration, and ripe tannin, it’s still tight and reserved on the palate and will benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age. 2021 - 2041
The nose has depth the palate has a concentrated mix of black fruits. Firm in the middle but sweeter at the back black cherry and cassis is backed by liquorice and dark chocolate.
The recent investments in the vineyard and cellar at this large, Japanese-owned property are
starting to pay dividends. Fresh, aromatic and stylishly oaked, this is at the lighter end of the
St. Julien spectrum, but has enough Cabernet backbone to age well. Drink: 2020-30
There is quite a lot of dryness here and the oak is blunt and firm, which is somewhat of a signature for Lagrange, and
while I keep wishing it would go away, it doesn’t, and this tips the wine out of balance and loses it any chance of
appealing to my palate. I can sense great Cabernet here which makes my disappointment all the more acute.
The 2015 Lagrange could perhaps benefit from a little more freshness and brightness on the nose, though it has a mineral drive that surfaces with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, a fine bead of acidity, moderate depth but very strict and showing slight attenuation toward the finish. It does quite deliver on the improved showing in bottle compared to barrel, although, like Gruaud Larose, I suspect this is just entering an awkward phase. Tasted blind at the Southwold 2015 Bordeaux tasting.
The 2015 Lagrange, a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot, has an expressive bouquet with blackberry, raspberry, hints of balsamic and autumn leaves that unfolds with time. This is clean and precise, nothing flamboyant but engaging all the same. The palate is medium-bodied with a very seductive and fleshy opening, the acidity very well judged, with a pure and harmonious finish that caresses the senses (partly thanks to the contribution of the Petit Verdot). There is a citrus-like freshness infusing this Lagrange that makes this irresistible. This surpasses my expectations from barrel, hence the higher score. Anticipated maturity: 2020 - 2040.
The 2015 Lagrange is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot and 8% Petit Verdot, continuing the estate's philosophy including more Cabernet in the Grand Vin (for example, in 2005 it was just 46%.) Cropped at 50 hl/ha and matured in around 50% to 55% new oak from six different cooperages, it has a tightly-knit bouquet with blackberry, cedar and light rose petal scents, elegant in style. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly grainy tannin, moderate weight in the mouth, not as intense as either the 2009 or 2010, although it is harmonious and graceful. There is a pleasant spicy, white pepper note that lingers on the aftertaste of what should be one of the earlier drinking Saint Julien wines. Drink: 2020 - 2040.
Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Lagrange gives up fragrant notes of chocolate-covered cherries, cassis and blackberry pie with touches of violets, forest floor, truffles and cigar box. Medium-bodied with plenty of intense black fruit and firm, grainy tannins, it has a racy line and long, mineral-laced finish. 2019 - 2040
Blueish crimson. Light and neat. A bit tight and restrained but certainly not flashy! A bit drying on the end but ambitious for the long term. A slightly minor key for the vintage. Drying end.
Drink 2025-2038
Lightly meat and two veg on the nose. Juicy - juicer than usual with the tannins well covered up by ripe fruit. Bone dry but not austere. Very correct even if not amazingly winning.
Drink 2025-2039
