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.

The 2018 Lagrange St Julien is a Bordeaux blend hailing from the renowned St Julien sub-region in Bordeaux, France. This red wine, closed with a cork, boasts an alcohol content of 14.5%. The producer, Lagrange, has crafted a wine that has garnered high praise from several professional reviewers.

James Suckling from jamessuckling.com awarded this wine a score of 93, noting its "extremely perfumed" aromas of currant, blackberry, and flowers. He described it as medium to full-bodied with "firm, creamy tannins" and advised to try it after 2024.

Wine Enthusiast's Roger Voss gave it a higher score of 94, emphasizing the wine's smoky character and the presence of wood aging flavors. Voss highlighted the rich blackberry-fruit tannins and concentration, recommending consumption from 2026.

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate, represented by Lisa Perrotti-Brown, rated the wine at 95 points. Perrotti-Brown described the color as medium to deep garnet-purple and praised the wine's "bombastic notes of crème de cassis, chocolate-covered cherries, and baked red and black plums." She also commended its vibrant palate and finely grained texture, finishing with a lingering mineral note.

Jeff Leve from TheWineCellarInsider.com echoed this sentiment with another 95-point score. Leve highlighted the wine's deep color and vibrant red berries, cigar box, and tobacco leaf notes. He lauded it as "the finest vintage of Chateau Lagrange ever produced," predicting that it may score even higher as it ages.

Decanter also provided a score of 94, noting that the 2018 vintage rivals the 2016 one. Describing it as a serious wine with well-structured walls around the cassis fruit, Decanter suggested it might not reach the level of 2010 but still is noteworthy.

Vinous' Antonio Galloni gave it a 94, calling it "charming and gracious" with sweet, lifted aromatics and a mid-weight structure. He praised the wine's polished, silky tannins and persistent finish, suggesting it will be ready with minimal cellaring.

Jeb Dunnuck offered the highest praise with a score of 97, describing it as a "dense, backward, serious wine" with a promising bouquet of cassis, blackcurrants, and graphite. He advised patience, recommending to hide bottles for 7-8 years and enjoy over the following two decades.

Jane Anson from janeanson.com and Lisa Perrotti-Brown from The Wine Independent both rated it at 94 points, with Anson highlighting black chocolate, intense blackberry, and bilberry fruits, while Perrotti-Brown noted exuberant notes of baked black cherries, stewed plums, and creme de cassis.

Overall, the 2018 Lagrange St Julien is a highly acclaimed wine with a range of complex flavors and aromas, praised for its structure, elegance, and aging potential.