2023 Château Lagrange, St Julien, Bordeaux
Critics reviews
51hl/ha yield
This is very much in the character of Lagrange over the past few years, showing precision and confidence in its construction, finessed and elegant, with St Julien balance and reserved power. Will absolutely deliver for fans of classical Left Bank Bordeaux with its slate tannins, savoury Cabernet black and blue fruits, fresh leaf tea, tobacco, raspberry leaf, spiced sage and lusicous mouthwatering signoff.
Drink 2029 - 2044
Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux (April 2024)
The 2023 Lagrange contains no Petit Verdot this year.
Matured in 60% new oak, the aromatics demand a bit of coaxing in the glass, eventually revealing blackberry and cedar aromas and just a touch of graphite, quite strict and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with very pliant tannins on the entry, ensuring this will be an approachable Lagrange. Pure-fruited and gently grippy, this Saint-Julien has admirable depth, revealing just a hint of brine toward the saline finish. This is a “solid” wine, if perhaps without the flair of the 2022. It will require four or five years in bottle, but should drink well for the next 20 years or more.
Drink 2028 - 2048
Neal Martin, Vinous.com (April 2024)
Tasted two times
The 2023 Lagrange is bright, punchy, and full of character. Red-toned fruit, blood orange, spice, menthol, liquorice, and rose petal lend exuberance and freshness to this mid-weight Saint-Julien. Readers will find a wine of total class and sophistication. In a word: terrific.
Drink 2031 - 2045
Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com (April 2024)
A blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Merlot, the 2023 Lagrange offers up aromas of dark berries, plums and cherries mingled with hints of pencil shavings and violets. Medium to full-bodied, layered and fleshy, with good depth, supple tannins and a suave, vibrant profile, it’s attractively seamless and complete.
When Matthieu Bordes arrived at Château Lagrange in 2006, he had the good fortune to take over a vineyard that had been extensively replanted in the 1980s and was just arriving at maturity. Since Suntory acquired this estate, no expense has been spared, nor has any selection been considered too severe. In 2023, Bordes and his team waited for the Cabernet Sauvignon on the plateau to attain full maturity after the rains and have been rewarded with a fine classic for this estate.
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (April 2024)
This is tight but has creamy, round tannins and a juicy character. Blackberries, chocolate and spices on the medium-bodied palate. Chewy and polished.
James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com (May 2024)
Another great vintage from Lagrange. Strongly scented, lots of Cabernet markers, liquorice, toast, cedar, tobacco, dark chocolate and dark bramble fruit - blackcurrants and blueberries with perfumed accents too. Smooth and supple, almost velvety on the palate, this has a thickness of fine tannins and plump fruit with great juiciness. A touch of bitterness on the finish - some iodine notes, oyster shell salinity and some oak toast. I like the plump, almost fleshy aspect, balancing the acidity with a hint of sweetness.
Drink 2029 - 2042
Georgina Hindle, Decanter.com (April 2024)
I was able to taste the 2023 Château Lagrange on two separate occasions, and it showed beautifully both times. Deep ruby/purple-hued with a gorgeous yet reserved perfume of cassis, graphite, violets, and spicy oak, it hits the palate with a medium to full-bodied, ultra-pure, seamless mouthfeel that carries flawlessly integrated tannins and acidity. It plays in the fresher, elegant vintage style yet has so much to love with its purity, balance, and elegance.
Jeb Dunnuck, JebDunnuck.com (May 2024)
About this WINE
Chateau Lagrange
Château Lagrange was for many years perceived as a tired, underperforming St Julien château that was unworthy of its 3ème Cru Classé status.
In 1983 it was purchased by the Japanese Suntory Group which set about renovating the vineyards and the winery. Lagrange rose to become a model estate and even today few Bordeaux properties can match Lagrange, with its huge barrique chais and its state of the art cuvier with its 56 temperature-controlled, stainless steel cuvées.
St Julien
St Julien is the smallest of the "Big Four" Médoc communes. Although, without any First Growths, St Julien is recognised to be the most consistent of the main communes, with several châteaux turning out impressive wines year after year.
St Julien itself is much more of a village than Pauillac and almost all of the notable properties lie to its south. Its most northerly château is Ch. Léoville Las Cases (whose vineyards actually adjoin those of Latour in Pauillac) but, further south, suitable vineyard land gives way to arable farming and livestock until the Margaux appellation is reached.
The soil is gravelly and finer than that of Pauillac, and without the iron content which gives Pauillac its stature. The homogeneous soils in the vineyards (which extend over a relatively small area of just over 700 hectares) give the commune a unified character.
The wines can be assessed as much by texture as flavour, and there is a sleek, wholesome character to the best. Elegance, harmony and perfect balance and weight, with hints of cassis and cedar, are what epitomise classic St Julien wines. At their very best they combine Margaux’s elegance and refinement with Pauillac’s power and substance.
Ch. Léoville Las Cases produces arguably the most sought-after St Julien, and in any reassessment of the 1855 Classification it would almost certainly warrant being elevated to First Growth status.
Recommended Châteaux: Ch. Léoville Las Cases, Ch.Léoville Barton, Ch Léoville Poyferré, Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou, Ch Langoa Barton, Ch Gruaud Larose, Ch. Branaire-Ducru, Ch. Beychevelle
Cabernet Sauvignon blend
Cabernet Sauvignon lends itself particularly well in blends with Merlot. This is actually the archetypal Bordeaux blend, though in different proportions in the sub-regions and sometimes topped up with Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.
In the Médoc and Graves the percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend can range from 95% (Mouton-Rothschild) to as low as 40%. It is particularly suited to the dry, warm, free- draining, gravel-rich soils and is responsible for the redolent cassis characteristics as well as the depth of colour, tannic structure and pronounced acidity of Médoc wines. However 100% Cabernet Sauvignon wines can be slightly hollow-tasting in the middle palate and Merlot with its generous, fleshy fruit flavours acts as a perfect foil by filling in this cavity.
In St-Emilion and Pomerol, the blends are Merlot dominated as Cabernet Sauvignon can struggle to ripen there - when it is included, it adds structure and body to the wine. Sassicaia is the most famous Bordeaux blend in Italy and has spawned many imitations, whereby the blend is now firmly established in the New World and particularly in California and Australia.
When is a wine ready to drink?
We provide drinking windows for all our wines. Alongside the drinking windows there is a bottle icon and a maturity stage. Bear in mind that the best time to drink a wine does also depend on your taste.
Not ready
These wines are very young. Whilst they're likely to have lots of intense flavours, their acidity or tannins may make them feel austere. Although it isn't "wrong" to drink these wines now, you are likely to miss out on a lot of complexity by not waiting for them to mature.
Ready - youthful
These wines are likely to have plenty of fruit flavours still and, for red wines, the tannins may well be quite noticeable. For those who prefer younger, fruitier wines, or if serving alongside a robust meal, these will be very enjoyable. If you choose to hold onto these wines, the fruit flavours will evolve into more savoury complexity.
Ready - at best
These wines are likely to have a beautiful balance of fruit, spice and savoury flavours. The acidity and tannins will have softened somewhat, and the wines will show plenty of complexity. For many, this is seen as the ideal time to drink and enjoy these wines. If you choose to hold onto these wines, they will become more savoury but not necessarily more complex.
Ready - mature
These wines are likely to have plenty of complexity, but the fruit flavours will have been almost completely replaced by savoury and spice notes. These wines may have a beautiful texture at this stage of maturity. There is lots to enjoy when drinking wines at this stage. Most of these wines will hold in this window for a few years, though at the very end of this drinking window, wines start to lose complexity and decline.
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Description
Blend: 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot.
The deeper gravel has really supported the Cabernet Sauvignon in the Grand Vin this year. The nose is fresh and opulent with notes of cassis, red cherries, and sage, with a hint of graphite. The palate is centred by a core of concentrated dark fruits held in check by seamless tannins. There is real harmony to this wine, another very good St Julien.
Drink 2028 - 2042
Our score: 16.5/20
Berry Bros. & Rudd
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