CHÂTEAU LAGRANGE
2021 3ème Cru Classé Saint Julien
| Grapes | Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cab Sauv |
| Colour | Red |
| Origin | France, Bordeaux |
| Sub-district | Haut Médoc |
| Village | Saint Julien |
| Classification | 3ème Cru Classé |
| ABV | 13% |
Representing only 39% of the estate's production, the 2021 Lagrange is very promising indeed, mingling aromas of wild berries and blackcurrants with notions of loamy soils, pencil shavings and violets. Medium to full-bodied, ample and seamless, with fine depth at the core, powdery tannins and lively acids, it saw a cool vinification and contains a record 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, much of which was picked late, between the seventh and 12th of October. It's a brilliant effort from Matthieu Bordes and his team. Tasted five times, twice at the estate. Rating: 92-94 William Kelley, The Wine Advocate (May 2022)
| 12 | ||
DELIVERY SERVICE
We offer free nationwide delivery on all orders over £150 (excluding Highlands & Islands). Express Delivery options also available.Goes long on the savoury cassis bud and lemongrass sculpted minerality that captures 2021, leaning in to St Julien finesse. White pepper and fennel spice, good quality, careful and balanced rather than exuberant, with a hint of sweet fruit through the mid palate. Harvest September 27 through to October 12, with no Cabernet picked until October (a smart choice, as the weight of the berries reduced by 30% in the last week before picking because the weather got so much better). 35hl/h yield, 50% new oak. Eric Boissenot consultant. Mathieu Bordes director. An upscore since En Primeur (although this score already given at a separate vertical). Drinking range: 2026 - 2042 Rating: 93 Jane Anson, Decanter (Apr 2024)
The 2021 Lagrange turned out beautifully. Succulent red cherry, plum, cedar, tobacco, spice and mocha infuse the 2021 with gorgeous depth. Soft, succulent and inviting, Lagrange is wonderfully appealing. It will drink well with minimal cellaring. Drinking range: 2026 - 2041 Rating: 94 Antonio Galloni, www.vinous.com (Feb 2024)
Winemaker Matthieu Bordes was the only one to mention that he had to conduct some reverse osmosis (mainly on the Merlot) for the 2021 Lagrange. The wine was bottled last July. It has a classically styled nose, certainly not as complex as in more benevolent seasons, lighter and slightly leafier in style. The palate is medium-bodied and well-balanced, with fine tannins and a little chalkiness toward the finish. I would drink this over the next 10 to 15 years. Drinking range: 2026 - 2038 Rating: 91 Neal Martin, www.vinous.com (Feb 2024)
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
- For full delivery details see our Delivery page.
- We offer free nationwide* delivery for all orders over £150 with our own vans. We also offer an express delivery service for an additional charge.
- Order & Collect from any of our 5 London shops. Order by Midnight for collection the next working day from 11am.
- Private wine storage: we offer a full In Bond and Duty Paid private wine storage service - find out more here.
RELATED PRODUCTS
ORDER COLLECT
ORDER ONLINE AND COLLECT FROM ONE OF OUR SHOPS