2005 Lagrange St Julien

Bordeaux Blend - 1.5L
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REVIEWS

JS 96 JA 94 NM 94 W&S 94 WE 94 JG 93 WS 93 DC 92 JL 92
JS 96

jamessuckling.com, July 2014

Stunning now. A fabulous nose of currants, crushed raspberry and blackberry. Full- bodied, with perfectly integrated tannins and a long, caressing finish. Drink or hold.
JA 94

janeanson.com, June 2022

Balanced, classic, fine tannins, stretched out through the palate, delicate and finessed. Not as powerful as some 2005s right now but one to recommend for opening and drinking. Rose petals, blond tobacco, freshly cured...
NM 94

Neal Martin's Wine Journal, February 2015

The Château Lagrange 2005 has an intense bouquet with cedar and graphite infusing the black fruit, nicely controlled and focused. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin, well-judged acidity and a slightly reserved...
W&S 94

Wine & Spirits, October 2008

Lagrange produced a joyous cabernet in 2005, with the lovely textural fatness and kindness of tannin that places it clearly in St-Julien. The dark fruit has youthful energy, the tannins a woodsy undertone, like biting...
WE 94

Wine Enthusiast, June 2008

The tannins dominate this dark, brooding wine. At this stage, it seems to have closed up, leaving the fruit and acidity buried. But with this concentration, the future looks promising. There is a long aging potential here.
JG 93

View From The Cellar, May 2008

93+ The 2005 Lagrange soars from the glass in a very pure and nascently complex mélange of black cherries, sweet dark berries, tobacco, just a touch of youthful weedy cabernet sauvignon tones, a serious base of soil...
WS 93

Wine Spectator, March 2008

Currant, mineral, plum and light toasty oak follow through to a full body, with ultrasilky tannins and a long, caressing finish. This is thoroughly beautiful. Superbalanced and very pretty. Best after 2011. – JS
DC 92

Decanter, June 2021

Lagrange 2005 is an impressive effort, if perhaps trying just a bit too hard. If the nose still shows a fair bit of wood, although the wine has the ripe blackcurrant fruit to balance this out. The tannins are firm and...
JL 92

TheWineCellarInsider.com, June 2016

Not mature, but approachable, with a core of soft, sweet fruit and a polished, smooth finish. Air will help if you're going to drink it young. The wine was produced using a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Merlot...

WINE DETAILS

Color & Type Red
Varietal Bordeaux Blend
Country France
Region Bordeaux
Sub-region St Julien
Vintage 2005
Size 1.5L

Chateau Lagrange is in the Saint-Julien appellation of the Bordeaux region. At one time, it was the largest wine producing estate in the Medoc. Historical evidence shows winegrowing activity there even in Gallo-Roman times, and in the Middle Ages when the estate received its name.

The 18th century brought widespread renown to Lagrange. An influential shipping merchant, Jean-Valere Cabarrus, invested in the property and established his own sales network. He commissioned Visconti to build the Tuscan-style tower that was to become the emblem of the Chateau.

But it was Count Charles Tenneguy Duchatel, owner from 1842 to 1874, who brought great improvement to the estate by adding a drainage system in the vineyard. The wines were thus classified as one of the fourteen Third Growths in the Bordeaux Wine Classification of 1855.

Due to neglect, debt, and a period of mediocrity, portions of Chateau Lagrange’s vineyards were sold over the years until the remaining holdings were purchased by Suntory in 1983. A complete restructuring of the vineyard and a spectacular renovation of the whole estate was undertaken. After twenty years of dedicated work, as well as human and technical investments, Lagrange once again found recognition.

Today, the estate covers 182 hectares (450 acres), of which 118 hectares (292 acres) are under vine. The combination of Gunzian gravelly soil, sand, and iron-rich clay is planted with 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot. The vineyard for the white wine (Les Arums de Lagrange) covers 7.5 hectares (19 acres) and is planted with Sauvignon Blanc (60%), Sauvignon Gris (20%) and Semillon (20%).

In addition to the grand vin, there is a second wine, Les Fiefs de Lagrange, established in 1985 with vines that average 30 years of age, and a new wine from vines located in the Haut Medoc appellation called Le Haut-Medoc de Lagrange.

For the grand vin of Lagrange, grapes are hand-picked into small crates and then sorted both manually and by an optical sorting machine. Traditional Bordeaux vinification is carried out in 92 temperature-controlled stainless steel vats of varying capacities, thus allowing a separate vinification to respect the character of each plot and soil-type. Placing all or part of a given plot into its own vat also allows harvest at optimum ripeness.

Total vatting time, determined by tasting, varies from 16 to 28 days, depending on the tannic development in the fermenting wines. Temperature of fermentation never exceeds 28°C to guarantee preservation of the finesse and fruitiness. Selection of press wine is performed “barrel by barrel“ allowing a wider choice range during the blend tastings.

The wines are blended only a few months after harvest, to achieve a better harmonization of the tannins and plot origins. The wines are aged 20 months in French oak barrels, of which 60% are new, and racked every 3 months.