Region | |
---|---|
Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien |
Colour | Red |
Type | Still |
This château 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 1980s 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 varieties are planted 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot.
The 2022 is stongly Cabernet Sauvignon (86%) with 12% Merlot and only 2% Petit Verdot.
The 2022 Lagrange has turned out nicely in bottle, offering up classic aromas of crème de cassis, plums and pencil shavings, framed by a deft touch of oak vanillin. Medium to full-bodied, dense and velvety, with lively acids and chalky tannins, it's an especially muscular, rich Lagrange that will reward a bit of patience. 2030 - 2055
The 2022 Lagrange (Saint-Julien) has a serious Saint-Julien bouquet: quite dense compared to previous vintages, with potent black fruit, cedar and freshly rolled tobacco that all dovetails into more estuarine-influenced aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with a ripe entry, quite bold in flavor yet there is also control and focus. This is a more muscular Lagrange, grippy with a tarry finish. To repeat, the 2022 is a "serious" Lagrange in a positive use of that word, one that will demand bottle age, ranking alongside the 2016 as the best Grand Vin from this estate. 2029 - 2055
Deep ruby-purple in the glass. Juicy, steeped fruit on the nose with a laden ripeness and natural sweetness. Silky on entry with plush black fruit. Plush and toasty, with smoky, supple black fruit coating the palate. There is a grip on the back end from fruit and wood tannin, lifting and refreshing the mouthfeel. Tangy, with notes of iron and wood smoke, this is toasty on the finish.
A polished and expressive St.-Julien that shows spot-on balance. Fresh blueberries, wet stones, currants and a touch of red berries. Medium- to full-bodied with fine, chalky tannins that are firm but dissolved. Quite precise, juicy and focused. Beautiful balance and length. Drink from 2027.
The 2022 Lagrange is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts forth with bombastic notions of creme de cassis, blackberry preserves, and redcurrant jelly, leading to alluring nuances of cinnamon stick, clove oil, star anise, and violets. The medium-bodied palate is densely laden with black fruit and baking spices layers, supported by ripe, fine-grained tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and opulent. 40% of the year's production went into the first wine and yields were 34 hl/ha. pH 3.53.
Continuing a run of exceptional vintages where everything seems to be going right at this property. High Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, and it comes across in the sleek black fruits and peony character, very much floral and finessed. Good stuff, this is impressive, enjoyable, very St Julien and very good. 50% new oak for ageing, Eric Boissenot consultant, Mathieu Bordes director since 2013.
86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot. Cask sample.
Dark fruit with a strong Cabernet-cassis profile. Layered and firm on the palate but fresh and digeste as well. Builds to a long, persistent finish. Linear and direct. Ageing potential. (JL)
Drink 2030– 2045
The 2022 Lagrange is brilliant, ranking alongside the 2020, 2019 and 2016 as one of this over-performing estate's finest recent vintages. Revealing aromas of dark cherries, cassis, violets and pencil shavings, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, with a deep core of fruit, beautifully refined but youthfully assertive tannins and a long, mouthwatering finish. It's a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot with a very healthy pH of 3.63.
The 2022 Lagrange was picked between 8 and 30 September, it ages in 60% new oak for a planned 21 months. It has an almost clinical bouquet, with very well defined blackberry and blueberry fruit, graphite and crushed stone. Quite a gap in quality between this and the Fiefs de Lagrange this year. The palate is extremely pure with cashmere tannins, black cherry fruit infused by blood orange, lightly spiced, hints of white pepper toward a very concentrated, fine-boned finish. This will require several years in bottle, but it will be worth waiting for. A serious and very able Lagrange that should not be under-estimated. 2029-2055
Solid Lagrange with blueberry and blackberry character. Medium body and a tannin structure that unfolds at the finish. Very well done.
A Lagrange with real depth and restaint, feels so pefectly Left Bank, really impresive, a wine that shows the true possibilities of the vintage. There is a build up of tannins through the palate, but also a juiciness and a gorgeous cassis, bilberry and fresh cherry pit seduction, with huge confidence and clear ageing potential.