October 4, 2024
Lagrange 2018 & 2020
Lagrange has long been a property that punches well above its weight and one of the best-value purchases in Saint-Julien.
Château Lagrange, located in the heart of Saint-Julien, is a historic estate with roots tracing back to the 17th century. Classified as a Third Growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification, Lagrange consistently produces wines of exceptional quality and value. The estate spans over 115 hectares, predominantly planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.
Lagrange has long been a property that punches well above its weight and is one of the best-value purchases in St. Julien. The wines are known for their elegance, structure, and ageing potential, often outperforming more expensive counterparts from the region. Under the ownership of Suntory since 1983, significant investment and expert winemaking have elevated Lagrange's reputation, making it a favourite among discerning wine lovers and collectors alike.
The 2020 vintage stands out for its elegance and freshness, presenting a more refined profile compared to the ripe and opulent 2018s. Neal Martin refers to the 2020 Lagrange as the "quintessential Lagrange," while Jeb Dunnuck praises it as a "complete Saint-Julien," highlighting its remarkable purity.
In contrast, the 2018 vintage is notably more opulent and demands patience in the cellar. Jeb Dunnuck describes the 2018 Lagrange as a "denser, more serious wine," showcasing an undeveloped yet promising bouquet of cassis, blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, and violets. His impressive score of 97 points reflects a quality that surpasses the typical ratings for Lagrange, although it recommends waiting until 2028 to begin enjoying this exceptional vintage so patience is required.
Secure your bottles of Château Lagrange 2018 and 2020 today whilst stocks last.
Lagrange 2020
95+ Points | Jeb Dunnuck
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.
94 points | Vinous, Neal Martin
The 2020 Lagrange is the smallest production ever since each vine bestowed 4.2 bunches instead of 7 bunches per vines, plus the berries were small, ergo yield was just 26hL/ha. That's less than 2017 when they suffered frost! This year represents 38% of the crop. It has a delightful, precise bouquet, delineated with minerally black fruit, touches of sous-bois and a subtle marine/oyster shell influence. The palate is detailed and mineral-driven, very pure and harmonious, a mélange of red and black fruit, silky smooth with impressive depth. This is a quintessential Lagrange, very seductive and I bet it will be under-estimated by some people. Not me.
94 Points | Vinous, Antonio Galloni
The 2020 Lagrange is fabulous, just as it was from barrel. Super-ripe dark cherry, plum, mocha, licorice, cedar and new leather are all amplified in this gorgeous, striking Saint-Julien. Soft and racy, with no hard edges and exceptional balance, Lagrange is a winner.
Lagrange 2018
97 points | Jeb Dunnuck
The flagship 2018 Château Lagrange is a more dense, backward, serious wine, offering an unevolved yet incredibly promising bouquet of cassis, blackcurrants, scorched earth, graphite, and violets. A big, rich, full-bodied Saint-Julien, it delivers thrilling purity of fruit, plenty of background oak, ripe, silky tannins, and a great mid-palate. This is serious stuff, but it's going to require patience. Hide bottles for 7-8 years, count yourself lucky, and enjoy over the following two decades.
95 Points | Wine Advocate, Lisa Perrotti-Brown
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2018 Lagrange explodes from the glass with bombastic notes of crème de cassis, chocolate-covered cherries and baked red and black plums with suggestions of rose oil, cedar chest, pencil lead and hoisin. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has fantastic vibrancy for the ripeness, packed with juicy black fruits and compelling tension with a finely grained texture to support, finishing on a lingering mineral note. Nicely done!
94 Points | Decanter, Jane Anson
This rivals the 2016 for sure, although the sense of gravity is perhaps just a little less effortless as it was in that incredible vintage. It's closed in and tight on the nose with slightly reductive notes, but it opens up after a few minutes to reveal another good quality St-Julien. A serious wine, it has well structured walls and a moat around the cassis fruit. It's not quite at the level of 2010 but is halfway there, making you stop and think before its gentle power takes over.