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| | Vintage | 2003 |  Label 1 of 339 
 | | Type | Red | | Producer | Château Lagrange (St. Julien) (web) | | Variety | Red Bordeaux Blend | | Designation | n/a | | Vineyard | n/a | | Country | France | | Region | Bordeaux | | SubRegion | Médoc | | Appellation | St. Julien | | UPC Code(s) | 000000076227, 000007241055, 031259018652, 087000336667, 087000345638, 3258691217246, 3284395002178, 3303290072328, 3419466143492, 419466143492, 721713844780 |
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 91 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 489 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by maxima on 1/12/2024 flawed bottle: Réduite/déviante! (1206 views) | | | Tasted by djhammond on 11/2/2023 & rated 93 points: Tasted annually, this was one the best bottles so far. Whether this is down to variance, or the last 12 months has finally moved it to its peak. I suspect the latter. Everything is integrated and well balanced with secondary and early tertiary notes. My only barrier to a higher rating is the finish, which has become a little over tannic as the fruit has faded. 93+ (1477 views) | | | Tasted by Thomas123 on 10/12/2023 & rated 94 points: Super classic Bordeaux. Pencil shave and cigar box. No fruit but still vibrant and fresh. Plenty of life in this one still. Most underrated Bordeaux vintage ever? (1328 views) | | | Tasted by KVM on 7/22/2023: Very dark red. Graphite and black currant nose. Full bodied, black and red fruit, some fruit liqueur. Tannin is obvious but fine and attractive. Will live until its 30th birthday, no problem. (1891 views) | | | Tasted by bordeauxman777 on 7/6/2023: Fully matured now, will drink well for sometime. This is a classic SJ. Lovely (1687 views) | | | Tasted by Reynaldo Dabus Abucham on 6/20/2023: Atualizando adega (1555 views) | | | Tasted by eudora on 6/7/2023 & rated 93 points: Another stellar 2003 shining at age 20. These wines are excelling. (1378 views) | | | Tasted by KVM on 5/15/2023: Young, sturdy. (1517 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 5/7/2023 & rated 92 points: Bordeaux 2003 – 20 Years On – 33 Reds: All wines tasted blind, not decanted (some wines would have needed it). Observations: 1) 2003 is not a good vintage. The wines don’t have the depth and elegance of good years. But I was positively surprised, that while it’s clearly a hot year, there are less overripe, over-extracted and prematurely dying wines than in 09/10. Still, there is no comparison to how Chateauxs handle hot years today. 2) Compared to five other vintage retrospectives, the 2003 came in last place (lower average score than 2011), with just Chateau Margaux reaching a group score above 95pts. 3) Margaux wines showed best, with the typical immediate charm, while St. Estephe and Pauillac have potential but will need more time (and/or would have needed more air). 4) Right bank wines did not show as good with some alcohol showing and a few wines being on a downhill path. I would not chase 2003 right banks.
TN: Medium expressive nose circling around a ripe darker fruit core with a bit of minerality alongside. On the palate red berries, blue fruit, some seductive toasty notes. Not overly complex but well defined. The structure is good here with fine tannins and a good freshness. No excess weight. One of the positive surprises for but others liked it a bit less.
Decanting: A short decant should be sufficient.
Group average: 90.3 pts
Group rank: Shared 21st out of 29 reds (2528 views) | | | Tasted by SadEdjo on 4/22/2023 & rated 91 points: cassis & lots of tobacco. polished sweet tannins. Plenty of life left (1446 views) | | | Tasted by g-man on 4/2/2023 & rated 93 points: Im so glad I opened my last bottle, a mag, now thanks to everyones recent notes. Audozed it 2 hours prior to pouring. Gorgeous notes of dark cherry and spice on the back end. No evidence of the hot vintage and very well balanced along with smooth tanins. (1555 views) | | | Tasted by lozon on 3/25/2023 & rated 91 points: Auction bottle, impeccable storage. Fill almost to the cork! Double decanted and slo ox for 90 minutes. Capsule, cork,label intact. Deep garnet with minimal bricking. Moderate fruit driven nose belies the complexity of this wine when it hits the palate. The acidity and silky smooth tannins are balanced by the fruit but the wine loses some flavor and fruit over our 3 hour drinking period. Drink up. (1421 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 3/20/2023 & rated 88 points: Grand Bordeaux 2003 horizontal tasting (Fribourg): Bordeaux 2003 vintage horizontal hosted by a private collector and moderated by Jean-Marc Quarin. Main observations: 1/ Average quality is acceptable, but weighted down by various low-lights, esp. on the right bank. 2/ In general a tannic vintage, lacking balance. 3/ Top 3 wines were Lafite, Mouton and Margaux (all 95). See the tasting story for a complete overview and additional vintage comments.
Tasting note:
Red cherry and raspberry fruit, extracted but still fresh with herbs adding more freshness. Not overly expressive but with a certain plushness to it. The palate was a mix of unripe and cooked fruit with too much tannin. While the 2002 was a surprise winner in the vintage, Lagrance dropped down close to the bottom in 2003. (1813 views) | | | Tasted by KVM on 3/4/2023: Fresh berries, some vanilla. Still so fresh and young. Tannin is smooth. Hard to believe it was an unusually hot vintage. (1580 views) | | | Tasted by Janstan on 2/8/2023 & rated 89 points: A very nice older bourdeaux with cassis and dark fruit. Went well with beef and barley soup (1696 views) | | | Tasted by JCGuthrie on 1/20/2023: I was expecting a bolder wine given the vintage, but this was fairly light and elegant. A little reticent on the nose, very smooth dusty fruit on the palate. A nice wine, but a bit less expressive than I was hoping. (1646 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 12/27/2022 & rated 91 points: Beautiful and mature bouquet with dark and red berries and some autumn forest. Fully developed, also on the palate. Beautiful and fully mature wine. No real hurry, but don’t wait too long anymore. (1992 views) | | | Tasted by Otis Wine Lover on 12/26/2022 & rated 92 points: This wine continues to show its ability to maintain its reputation as a great Bordeaux red. Opened and decanted with an aerator. Held in decanter for three plus hours, tasting along the way. Initialy seemed to be hollow at midpalate, but after three hours, opened up nicely in the glass. Tasted along side a 92 point Napa cab, and all our guests preferred the Lagrange by a large margin. Glad I’ve got more in the cellar - this seems to be at a plateau, with no signs of decline. (1638 views) | | | Tasted by KVM on 12/13/2022: Medium red. Nose has graphite, dark red berry, kiss of vanilla. It is medium body with black currant and silky tannin. The mid-palate lacks some oomph. Nonetheless, its in fine form today. (1677 views) | | | Tasted by Metro1 on 11/16/2022: The tannins have mellowed. Great drinkable wine with a very smooth finish. Drink now and enjoy. (1612 views) | | | Tasted by Laz4wine on 11/15/2022: Not sure how I had another one but I did, and it was past prime. Uncertain if passive cellar conditions impacted aging but still difficult to imagine a 30+ year window for this bottle. (1482 views) | | | Tasted by empire80 on 10/2/2022 & rated 89 points: Hmmm. Not sure where this is heading. Quite harsh on opening and improves after some time in the decanter, but the fruit is fading and is still a bit dominated by the heat on the finish. (1739 views) | | | Tasted by stevenc.rees@gmail.com on 10/1/2022: Ready, but can hold a while yet (1658 views) | | | Tasted by dannyg on 9/30/2022 & rated 93 points: Hot year wine but much restrained from toast. Elegant wine made in a feminine style. Not aggressive tannins or acids. All tamed. It was opened 2-hours before a further 1-hour in decanter, went perfect with lamb chops. (1483 views) | | | Tasted by dbkitc on 8/16/2022 & rated 88 points: It’s come a long way over the past four years. No longer a tannic beast. Coffee notes mingle with the red fruit and slightly herbaceous elements. The dark ruby color is inviting. The palate is still a touch hollow but it’s solid Bordeaux to drink soon. The finish remains a bit harsh. (88) (1739 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Michael Godel
WineAlign (1/15/2024)
(Château Lagrange, Ac St Julien red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, A Century of Bordeaux: The Threes (Aug 2023) (8/1/2023)
(Lagrange (Saint-Julien) Lagrange Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, Lagrange 1959-2015 (Dec 2020) (12/1/2020)
(Lagrange (Saint-Julien) Lagrange Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/21/2013)
(Ch Lagrange St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, March 2013 (3/1/2013)
(Château Lagrange St Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/1/2010)
(Ch Lagrange St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By John Gilman
View From the Cellar, May/Jun 2008, Issue #15, Château Lagrange: Traditional Claret in the Heart of St. Julien
(Château Lagrange) Login and sign up and see review text. | The World of Fine Wine, December 2007, Issue #18
(Château Lagrange St. Julien) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, November 2006
(Chateau Lagrange St Julien) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, November 2006
(Château Lagrange St Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (11/3/2005)
(Ch Lagrange St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, October 2005
(Chateau Lagrange St Julien) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, October 2005
(Château Lagrange St Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2005, IWC Issue #120
(Chateau Lagrange Saint Julien) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (4/7/2005)
(Ch Lagrange St-Julien Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2004, IWC Issue #114
(Chateau Lagrange Saint Julien) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of WineAlign and Vinous and JancisRobinson.com and Winedoctor and View From the Cellar and The World of Fine Wine. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Lagrange (St. Julien) Producer website - Read more about Chateau LagrangeRed Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.St. Julien VdB
Read more detailed information on St. Julien and its wines The seventeenth century pioneers Traces are to be found of a Saint-Julien de Rintrac, perhaps Saint-Julien's earliest name, as from the thirteenth century. But we have to wait until the seventeenth century pioneers, urban and rural aristocrats, discover the exceptional merits of these terroirs.
Traces of this system still exist today in the structure of estates within the appellation: by the side of the two villages of Beychevelle and Saint-Julien, the large estates are heavily preponderant, representing more than four fifths of the total surface of vineyards.
The terrain is practically identical over all the commune. Only the proximity of the estuary, sometimes close, sometimes further away, can cause slight variations in climate. In fact, Saint-Julien-Beychevelle's layer of gravel takes the form of a huge rectangle over 3 miles long and 2 miles wide. And the alluvial deposits are particularly well fragmented into ridges of Garonne gravel of the early Quaternary. Accordingly, the vines are safeguarded from stagnant water.
The wines from the Saint-Julien appellation may be recognized by their unparalleled bouquet, particularly harmonious and mild. They have a fine deep colour and combine the finesse of their aromas and a solid constitution. They have body, are very rich in flavour and have a delicious and delicate bouquet.
Production conditions (Decree dated November 14, 1936)
In order to have the right to the Saint-Julien appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the commune of Saint-Julien and from precisely defined parcels in the communes of Cussac, and Saint-Laurent, "excluding the parcels situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions: grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare). |
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