A rich and balanced red wine from Saint-Julien
The estate
In the Médoc, Château Lagrange is one of the iconic references in the Saint-Julien appellation. The property boasts ancient origins dating back to Gallo-Roman times, when the estate housed the "Villa Rustica". It was back then that the Order of the Templars first began producing wine at the property. Château Lagrange experienced a real golden age in the 18th century and earned the title of 3rd Classified Growth in the Official Classification of 1855. It was in 1983 that Château Lagrange was acquired by the Japanese group Suntory and its president Keizo Saji. Following a major renovation and investment project carried out by the dynamic new team, Château Lagrange has become one of the top producers of the Médoc region.
The vineyard
Château Lagrange produces Saint-Julien wines from a 118-hectare vineyard, all in one piece. The vineyard enjoys a superb location on two gravelly hills. The vines are 45 years old on average and are planted in silica-gravelly soils with a clay-limestone subsoil. The vineyard enjoys a temperate climate with an oceanic influence.
The vintage
The year 2014 was characterised by optimal weather conditions during the end-of-season, favouring the full ripening of the grapes. The harvest was particularly long, lasting 23 days, i.e. almost twice as long as in 2013.
The blend
Cabernet Sauvignon (76%)
Merlot (18%)
Petit Verdot (6%).
Château Lagrange 2014: Characteristics and tasting tips
The tasting
Nose
The rich and elegant nose reveals intense blackcurrant and raspberry fragrances.
Palate
The palate is seduced by this wine’s precise tannins and its exceptional length on the palate, a promising a very lengthy ageing potential.
The 2014 Lagrange has indeed pulled its socks up, as I opined when I tasted the wine from barrel. Now in bottle, it has a conservative, tertiary nose with introverted black fruit mixed with cedar and sandalwood aromas. It feels tight at the moment but there is satisfying focus here. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin on the entry, though the Merlot component becomes more prominent towards the finish and offers a lovely fleshy, poised finish with a dab of black pepper on the aftertaste. Modest but stylish Lagrange, which is exactly what you expect.