The La Lagune was picked between 5th September with the Merlot and finished with the Cabernet on 28th a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon 35% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot yields at 31hl/ha. The nose demands patience: reticent at first but opening up nicely with clean pure strawberry and raspberry aromas laced with subtle forest floor. The palate is medium-bodied with fine balanced on the entry a little gritty and tarry in the mouth but well defined all the way to the linear quite precise finish. It is a "conservative" La Lagune but is commendable for the vintage. Tasted April 2012.

60% cabernet sauvignon 30% merlot and 10% petit verdot on 80 hectares of sandy-gravelly soil. Aged for 18 months in 55% new French oak. Dense purple hue the nose is well integrated with coffee and dark fruit aromas. The palate seems more rustic and chewy than that of recent vintages. Will remain tight for a few years but the ample acidity and tannin should help it improve for an additional 10-15 years. Denis Dubourdieu consults.

This blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot possesses some elevated tannin, but also an impressively saturated dark ruby/plum color, notes of vanillin, black currants and forest floor, and a medium-bodied, well-endowed personality. Cellar it for several more years and enjoy it over the following 10-15 years. It will not make anyone forget La Lagune’s 2009 or 2010, but it is a solid effort for the vintage. - Robert M. Parker, Jr.