CHÂTEAU LAGRANGE
2006 3ème Cru Classé Saint Julien
Colour | Red |
Origin | France, Bordeaux |
Sub-district | Haut Médoc |
Village | Saint Julien |
Classification | 3ème Cru Classé |
ABV | 13% |
59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot. More Cabernet than usual. I had rather hoped to see Marcel Ducasse here, since it is last year before retirement, but we were greeted instead by the maitre du chai, who said that he had at first compared the tannins to the hard style of 1986, but that he now thinks 2006 is riper. Deep blue-edged ruby, elegant and pure, graphite and cherries, from the first scent to the finish. Lovely texture with a very attractive lifted mineral core. Rating: 91 L&S (Apr 2007)
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*Case price discount: Mix any 12 bottles of wine (or 9 litre equivalent) or 6 bottles of Champagne, Spirits, Sweet Wine or Fortified (4.5 litres) to get the discounted 'case price' for each bottle.
Dark cassis and bilberry from the first moments, with the tone of the wine showing powerful concentrated fruits and firm tannins that remain imposing at 16 years. An excellent 2006, one for lovers of St Julien, and of savoury Médoc spices. A handover vintage in terms of the winemaking team, the last one fully under Marcel Ducasse with Mathieu Bordès arriving for the blending. Harvest Sptember 18 to October 5, 60% new oak for ageing. Eric Boissenot consultant. Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Feb 2022)
The 2006 Lagrange was picked from 18 September until 5 October. This feels reserved and a little dour on the nose compared to the previous vintage, dusky black fruit, briary and violets - more floral than the 2005. The palate is much better with fine grain tannins, good acidity, bright and focused with cedar and tobacco towards the vigorous finish. Whilst not quite as enthused as I was in its youth, this is still a commendable 2006 Saint-Julien that represents great value for money. Tasted at the Lagrange vertical at the estate. Drinking range: 2021 - 2035 Rating: 91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Dec 2020)
Bright red-ruby. High-pitched aromas of blueberry, cassis, bitter chocolate, pepper, herbs and violet. Enters the mouth suave and smooth, then builds and expands toward the back, offering classic black fruit, licorice, mineral and violet flavors and saturating the palate with fine, dusty tannins. The floral finish offers lovely lift and sneaky persistence. Rating: 90 Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar (May 2009)
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
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