Chateau Lagrange (St. Julien) visit with GM - dinner and tasting

Matthieu Bordes of Ch. Lagrange visited our chapter of the Commanderie de Bordeaux (Triangle NC) to present his wine and enjoy a dinner with us. We had the great fortune to try two vintages of the second wine Fiefs de Lagrange and 8 vintages of Chateau Lagrange, and the white Arums de Lagrange. Matthieu has been at the Chateau since 2007 and has been fully in charge of the winemaking since 2009 I believe he said. He was very open about the Chateau and his approach to winemaking. A very enjoyable visit.

All wines - single flight

• 2019 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) Les Arums de Lagrange 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux

  Grapefruit and Meyer lemon, a hint of other citrus (tangerine), very slight pineapple and the finish shows some grassy and creamy notes. This was much more complex than I thought it might be. Very fresh with a great combination of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon each showing up. Good mid-palate breadth and finish length for the price point. Out of magnum.

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• 2015 Les Fiefs de Lagrange 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Red raspberry on the nose, quite open on the nose. Palate a bit more strict than the nose would have indicated. Well balanced structure and the tannins are very refined. Nothing outstanding, a very good wine, a luncheon wine with good food. Good value and can age a little and improve/open up.

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• 2018 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 90 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Melange of red fruit aromas and flavors, a dry earth note, and some leather. Med+ alcohol which detracts slightly from the overall experience. The balance is still good, the acidity, overall body, and tannin are in unison. A bigger vintage but remains under control.

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• 2015 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Cherry, raspberry, plum aromas and flavors. Very well balanced and nice concentration and length. Everything you would want in a solid St. Julien. Lately, this producer is very consistent. The tannins are very refined and already feel integrated. This is drinkable with a longish decant (few hours) and will age very well for many years.

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• 2010 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Black currant, black raspberry, cherry, cinnamon, orange peel. Silky, integrated tannin, well balanced, very, very good and will also still get better. 94 now, maybe 95-96 in 5-7 years.

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• 2016 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Bright ripe cherry. Nose a little closed at the moment. Big, rich palate, balanced and long. Bigger than other recent vintages. Great now, better in the future (92 heading to 94 in 10-15 years)

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• 2017 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 91 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Dense dark fruit, black cherry, black currant, hint of blueberry, black tea, some slightly green tones that distract a little from the good things going on. Lower acidity than other recent vintages but tannin in balance. This is a cool vintage wine, and it is pretty well done compared to other 2017's I have tried.

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• 2019 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 94 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Cherry, plum, blackberry on the nose and palate. Well concentrated, silky tannin, great length for a young wine. Not complex yet as expected but the balance on concentration are there and the lengthy finish indicates a very bright future for this one. Has many many years of evolution ahead.

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• 2016 Les Fiefs de Lagrange 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Raspberry, plum, light oak notes. Medium acidity, medium body, medium tannin. Bright red fruit on the palate, Open and generous already. Early drinking wine. A slight floral undertone on the medium length finish. Well made, enjoyable.

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• 2009 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  This is outstanding. Aromas and flavors of all the red and black fruits you can think of + slight cedar and dry earth notes on the finish. The concentration and definition are really impressive here. The broad mid-palate, silky tannins and impressive length just keep you coming back for more. This is the best Lagrange I have tasted. May not be a wine that lasts another 20 years but it sure is great right now. If you can get some you should try it. 95 now maybe 96 over the next 5 years and then will peak in my opinion. The 2010 is a very different wine but will live longer.

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• 2005 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  Very good wine. More plum, raspberry and sweet oak notes that I get in more right bank wines with Merlot (chocolate, sweet cigar tobacco) and starting to show some mushroom character which I think will increase as this ages. Confirmed this has about 50% merlot, and it shows. Good, well made, but not typical St. Julien. I prefer other vintages of this wine, later vintages, that are more Cab dominant. This is still good wine though, just a bit unexpected.

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My lasting impression of Chateau Lagrange is that the recent vintages are VERY consistent even in variable circumstances. These wines are not going to change your life but they are very great examples of well made, characterful left bank Bordeaux that is approachable now, has great aging potential, and is a great value. The improvements made over his tenure are impressive and you can taste them in the wine. This is a Chateau to watch and buy now.