Château Lagrange Vertical (2019-2022)

The 2019 Lagrange has turned out beautifully in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, blackberries and cassis mingled with hints of loamy soil, pencil shavings and bay leaf. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with an ample core of lively fruit, powdery tannins and succulent acids, it's suave and seamless, concluding with a long, expansive finish. The result of an extremely rigorous selection, and incorporating fully 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is the finest wine this château has produced in the modern era. Remarkably, it was released at the same price en primeur as the 2005!

While I don't think the 2019 Château Lagrange matches the 2018, it's not far off, with a more elegant yet still concentrated style. Beautiful crème de cassis, spicy oak, tobacco, chocolate, and new saddle leather notes all emerge on the nose, and it stays tight, compact, and focused on the palate, with plenty of firm tannins. It opens up beautifully with time in the glass but merits 4-6 years of bottle age, and it should evolve for 20-25 years or more.

A touch more 'old-school' than many of the other super-glossy, rich and concentrated wines, the 2019 Lagrange has loads of floral notes, blackcurrant/menthol character, fine tannins and a cooling, fresh finish. 13.5% alcohol here, yet no shortage of concentration. Only a third of the estate's wine made it into Lagrange, with 80% Cabernet Sauvignon adding almost a Pauillac style to this St-Julien. Remains a relative bargain for the quality level.

Coming from depressingly low yields of just 26 hectoliters per hectare (the lowest since 1991), the 2020 Château Lagrange checks in as 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot that was raised in 60% new French oak. It's a gorgeous, complete Saint-Julien offering remarkable purity in its cassis, violets, chocolate, and leafy tobacco-like aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, with terrific balance, a pure, focused mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and beautifully integrated oak, it's going to benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and cruise over the following 2+ decades in cold cellars.

The 2020 Lagrange is a fine follow-up to the excellent 2019. Offering up aromas of crème de cassis and plums mingled with hints of violets, licorice, pencil shavings and vanilla pod, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with a deep core of ripe but vibrant fruit that's framed by powdery tannins that assert themselves with gentle grip on the finish.

Aromatically very expressive on the nose. Perfumed with ripe fruits and floral characters. Supple and juicy, a lovely lifeforce and bounce. Tannins are plush yet plump giving a roundness to the expression letting the bright red fruits shine and acidity keep everything lifted. Has a joyous quality, so easy to like this - refreshing and enjoyable. The texture and weight is great, lovely medicinal edges as well as some salinity with cooling minty touches and a long finish. Really well worked, not pushed and delivered with poise. It’s lightly framed in terms of texture, more layered vertically than wide, giving an aerial freshness throughout. 

The 2021 Lagrange is a strong effort, offering up notes of dark berries, pencil shavings, licorice and loamy soil, followed by a medium to full-bodied, lively and nicely concentrated palate with lively acids and youthfully structuring tannins that assert themselves on the finish, reflecting the record-high percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. This is one 2021 that will reward a bit of patience.

Showing better from bottle than barrels, the 2021 Château Lagrange has a healthy ruby/purple hue to go with a gorgeous nose of blackcurrants, violets, chalky minerality, and graphite. It's rich, medium-bodied, has a concentrated, layered mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. It's a seriously impressive, layered, concentrated 2021 with tons to love. The blend is 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot, aged 21 months in 50% new barrels. Give bottles 2-4 years and enjoy over the following 15+.

Super-floral on the nose, a celebration of peony, violet and rose flowers. Juicy and supple with a real life-force. The starts off bright and upfront with strawberry and red cherry notes that merge into a darker, more savoury mid-palate full of slate and chocolate. I like the persistence here, the clarity of the fruit expression and the brightness. It's not the most expansive but the individual elements are so well presented with detail on show. A great effort in the vintage with no drop in the mid-palate, acidity in check and nice floral fruit.

Structured and so appealing on the palate, this has a rich texture but doesn't come across as too much. Filling but lifted giving freshness and ripe fruit. I love the delicacy of the tannins, this is finessed with so much detail on show. Feels cool and calm, not shouting, everything in harmony and delivering a really classically styled wine. Power is there for sure but this has poise too. A lovely Lagrange.

Cassis, ripe black cherries, freshly sharpened pencils, leather, and violet notes all shine in the 2022 Château Lagrange, a remarkably pure, concentrated, powerful Saint-Julien with fine tannins and a seamless, balanced mouthfeel. It has the fruit to shine even today. As with many of these top Médocs, I wouldn't be surprised to see this close down with 2-3 years of bottle age. It's going to be long-lived. The blend is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot that spent 21 months in 60% new French oak.

A polished and expressive St.-Julien that shows spot-on balance. Fresh blueberries, wet stones, currants and a touch of red berries. Medium- to full-bodied with fine, chalky tannins that are firm but dissolved. Quite precise, juicy and focused. Beautiful balance and length. Drink from 2027.