2015 CHÂTEAU LAGRANGE 3ème Cru Classé Saint Julien, Lea & Sandeman

CHÂTEAU LAGRANGE

2015 3ème Cru Classé Saint Julien

IN STOCK
Colour Red
Origin France, Bordeaux
District Left Bank
Sub-district Haut Médoc
Village Saint Julien
Classification 3ème Cru Classé
ABV 14%

75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Merlot, 8% Petit Verdot. (The highest percentage of Petit Verdot for 10 years, it was preferred to the Merlot) Only 35% of the total from the property, after new manager/winemaker Matthieu Bordes was told by the owners to make the best wine possible regardless of cost. Good cassis and blueberry fruit, surprisingly suave, voluminous attack. Good density and richness even if at one tasting it did not seem to develop much complexity, but does have decent length and it seems this is all here ready for the élevage. At the château it was a much better wine, with much more richness and volume, lots of sweet black fruit, showing great promise. Rating: 92-93 L&S (Apr 2016)

*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.

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. Drinking range: 2022 - 2040 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, Decanter (Mar 2022)

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. Rating: 93 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Feb 2022)

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. Drinking range: 2024 - 2044 Rating: 94 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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