CHÂTEAU LAGRANGE
2013 3ème Cru Classé Saint Julien
Colour | Red |
Origin | France, Bordeaux |
Sub-district | Haut Médoc |
Village | Saint Julien |
Classification | 3ème Cru Classé |
75% Cabernet sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot. First tasting showed focused Cabernet fruit, not overly ripe, but pure and quite concentrated. A little dour, but getting there there. Later tasted again where it showed better - Lagrange's usual tendencey to being monolithic, but there's a sweet and textured cassis Cabernet middle with good weight and depth, even if no huge length. 2017-2025 Rating: 88-90 L&S (Apr 2014)
Alternatively, we may well have some bottles in one of our shops - why not give us a call on 0207 244 0522 or send an email to: sales@leaandsandeman.co.uk.
Or, check the RELATED PRODUCTS below for different vintages or wines of a similar style.
There were some moments of respite in St Julien but overall 2013 was a complicated vintage here as elsewhere, three weeks behind in flowering, and a summer that never really got going. It means that you'll find less density than most in the lineup but this is appealing, with delicacy and a mouthwatering finish. Rose bud and green pepper notes alongside gentle raspberry and savoury black fruits. A year where the new cellar and the optical sorting were both essential, as were the 250 people working in the vineyard to bring the fruit in and sort it manually (more than double the typical number). Ready to drink. Yield 37hl/h, 60% new oak. Eric Boissenot consultant. Rating: 89 Jane Anson, www.janeanson.com (Feb 2022)
The 2013 LaGrange exhibits an attractive deep ruby color as well as less oak than is normally found during the first year of tasting. It offers supple tannins, excellent texture and good purity. This successful, medium-bodied 2013 should drink well for 8-10 years. 2014-2024 Rating: 87-89 Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate, www.RobertParker.com (Aug 2014)
Dark red-ruby. Highly perfumed, refined aromas of red cherry, raspberry eau de vie, minerals and rose petal, complicated by sweet spices. Bright and clean in the mouth, with lively acidity lifting the red fruit and spicy floral flavors at the back. Finishes with repeating notes of juicy red berries and minerals. Strange as it may seem in a vintage of light wines like 2013, this Lagrange seems to have a deeper nose and more density than usual. Rating: 87-90 Ian d'Agata - Stephen Tanzer website (May 2014)
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.
ORDER COLLECT
ORDER ONLINE AND COLLECT FROM ONE OF OUR SHOPS