Winemaker Notes
Dark and purple color, it has a very intense bouquet, with pure black cherry, crème de cassis and crushed violets. The palate has crisp acidity, quite tensile in the mouth and lively. One of the best success of Les Fiefs de Lagrange ever: a vibrant wine well balanced.
Blend: 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 41% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot
Professional Ratings
-
James Suckling
A beautiful St.-Julien that’s got everything you expect from this appellation, from the elegant, moderately dry tannins to the ripe red fruit and the lively acidity. Second wine of Château Lagrange. Drink or hold.
-
Decanter
This is the second wine from St-Julien third growth Château Lagrange, a blend of half Cabernet Sauvignon, with the remainder Merlot and (a small amount of) Petit Verdot. The 2016 vintage was very successful, producing some exceptional wines and this one has great appeal, quite soft in character but with seductively aromatic blackcurrant fruit and a floral scent. You also get the added interest that comes in a wine with some bottle age like this – without having to cellar it yourself.
-
Vinous
I pulled the trigger on this Deuxième Vin, thinking it might be ready to drink. I was wrong. It has an intense blackberry and blueberry nose that, despite decanting, remains quite closed. The palate is surprisingly structured and has real density. There is plenty of potential, but I advise keeping this in the cellar for another two or three years.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
An icon of balance and tradition, St. Julien boasts the highest proportion of classed growths in the Médoc. What it lacks in any first growths, it makes up in the rest: five amazing second growth chateaux, two superb third growths and four well-reputed fourth growths. While the actual class rankings set in 1855 (first, second, and so on the fifth) today do not necessarily indicate a score of quality, the classification system is important to understand in the context of Bordeaux history. Today rivalry among the classed chateaux only serves to elevate the appellation overall.
One of its best historically, the estate of Leoville, was the largest in the Médoc in the 18th century, before it was divided into the three second growths known today as Chateau Léoville-Las-Cases, Léoville-Poyferré and Léoville-Barton. Located in the north section, these are stone’s throw from Chateau Latour in Pauillac and share much in common with that well-esteemed estate.
The relatively homogeneous gravelly and rocky top soil on top of clay-limestone subsoil is broken only by a narrow strip of bank on either side of the “jalle,” or stream, that bisects the zone and flows into the Gironde.
St. Julien wines are for those wanting subtlety, balance and consistency in their Bordeaux. Rewarding and persistent, the best among these Bordeaux Blends are full of blueberry, blackberry, cassis, plum, tobacco and licorice. They are intense and complex and finish with fine, velvety tannins.