2003-CHÂTEAU-LAGRANGE-3ème-Cru-Classé-Saint-Julien

CHÂTEAU LAGRANGE

2003 3ème Cru Classé Saint Julien

Grapes Cab Sauv, Cab Franc, Merlot
Colour Red
Origin France, Bordeaux
Sub-district Haut Médoc
Village Saint Julien
Classification 3ème Cru Classé
ABV 13%

The 2003 Lagrange is similar to the previous bottles at the vertical. The nose shows desiccated red fruit, fig and dusty bureau. It's just missing a little presence and vitality now at 20 years of age. The palate is medium-bodied with a savory entry, quite leathery (though there are no Brettanomyces). It's nicely balanced, although I cannot see this repaying continued cellaring. Tasted at the château. Drinking range: 2023 - 2033 Rating: 88 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Aug 2023)


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The earliest vintage since 1989, with picking beginning on September 11 through to 25. Cigar box, clove and turmeric spice on the nose. The lower natural acidity is replaced by an oyster shell salinity, and although the fruit has faded a little, it is still mouthwatering and ready for sharing. 48% 1st wine in this vintage. 3.6ph. Eric Boissenot consultant. Drinking range: 2022 - 2032 Rating: 90 Jane Anson, Decanter (Mar 2022)

The earliest vintage since 1989, with picking beginning on September 11 through to 25. Cigar box, clove and turmeric spice on the nose. The lower natural acidity is replaced by an oyster shell salinity, and although the fruit has faded a little, it is still mouthwatering and ready for sharing. 48% 1st wine in this vintage. 3.6ph. Eric Boissenot consultant. Rating: 90 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Feb 2022)

The 2003 Lagrange was an early vintage picked from 11 to 24 September, the second earlier ever. For a 2003 it has an attractive bouquet with red cherry, cranberry, fig confit and dates, perhaps lacking typicity but there is nothing overblown. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins, fleshy and rounded with light spicy notes, though it runs out of ideas towards a rather monotone finish. Nevertheless, it is not bad for the vintage. The alcohol was kept to 13% thanks to early picking. Tasted at the Lagrange vertical at the estate. Drinking range: 2021 - 2028 Rating: 88 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Dec 2020)

Château Lagrange

St Julien Troisième Cru Classé 1855.

The fortunes of Château Lagrange were revived with the purchase of the estate by Japanese spirits giant Suntory in 1983. Before that, the 20th century had been a difficult time. Some vineyard had had to be sold off (to Ducru-Beaucaillou and Gloria) and the reputation had slipped considerably.
Marcel Ducasse was employed to run the estate, and the new owners pumped in investment.

Marcel retired after the 2008 vintage and the succession passed to his maitre du chai, Bruno Eynard. Bruno gave way in turn to Matthieu Bordes in 2014. Change has been rapid, with a new building program and the cuverie with an extraordinary 102 stainless vats of differing sizes corresponding to the different parcels by soil type and vine age. Climate change led them to question whether they needed as much Petit Verdot as they have in the vineyard. In recent vintages it has been easy to ripen the Cabernet Sauvignon fully, and since they seek elegance, it would seem right to emphasise the Cabernet and leave out the Petit Verdot which is really there to boost the power, but interestingly Bordes regards its omission from the blend on 2009 as a mistake.

Château Lagrange is one of the larger Médoc estates, much of the vineyard lying a little further inland than many of its Saint Julien rivals. There are still 115ha under vine, 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot for the red wine. Wines spend 217-21 months in wood (50%-60% new).

The second wine, produced since 1985, is Les Fiefs de Lagrange, and this accounts for a large proportion of the production, as nowadays only the best parts of the vineyard are ever considered for the Grand Vin. A small amount of white wine, Les Arums de Lagrange, is produced too, named after the arum lilies around the lake in front of the château

This wine isn't currently part of a mixed case, but you can always browse our full selection of mixed cases here.
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