2022 Château Lagrange En Primeur
Released this morning for sale en primeur, 2022 Château Lagrange is likely to be limited in availability this year, a pity as the recent releases from here have seemed quite transformed to us in recent years, particularly so in this vintage. Tasting the 2022, we found a new level of precision to the fruit flavours. There is wide praise from the critics and The Wine Advocate's William Kelley calls it "brilliant, ranking alongside the 2020, 2019 and 2016 as one of this over-performing estate's finest recent vintages. 94-96+ points"
Bordeaux En Primeur, Landing in spring 2025.
Limited availability. To order, e-mail us at sales@richardkihl.ltd.uk
Producer Profile
Château Lagrange, St.-Julien
Château Lagrange is a Troisième Grand Cru Classé estate in St.-Julien.
Lagrange dates to the middle ages, but it became famous under the ownership of Count Dûchatel from 1842 to 1874. One of King Louis- Philippe's Ministers, Dûchatel improved the estate with new drainage and his reputation brought the wine to prominence.
Lagrange was purchased by the Suntory group in 1983, a Japanese wine and spirits firm. They invested heavily in the vineyard and vat room. More recently, a new management team of Matthieu Bordes and Keiichi Shiina have taken on the running of the estate.
The 118 heactares of vineyards are planted to 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot. The soils are mainly Gunzian gravel and are at some of the highest elevations in the commune. The second wine is Fief de Lagrange.
| RED | 2022 | Château Lagrange | 75cl | £237 per case of 6 | Château Lagrange 2022 / / 75cl £237 per case of 6 |
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Tasting Notes"The 2022 Château Lagrange is more mid-weight than I expected, yet it's nicely balanced and certainly elegant. Based on 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot pulled from just 40% of the total production, it has a pretty nose of cassis and black raspberry fruits as well as some floral and spicy nuances. Its oak is nicely integrated, it's medium to full-bodied, and it has fine tannins. The barrel review will seem low if this puts on weight over the course of its élevage. 91-94 points" Jebdunnuck.com------"The 2022 Lagrange is a bold, racy wine. Dried herbs, tobacco, cedar, mint and incense give the 2022 striking aromatic nuance and vibrancy to match its mid-weight personality. The Cabernet is especially evident in this savory and punchy Saint-Julien that is showing very well today. 92-94 points" Antonio Galloni, Vinous.com ------"Solid Lagrange with blueberry and blackberry character. Medium body and a tannin structure that unfolds at the finish. Very well done. 94-95 points" jamessuckling.com-----"A Lagrange with real depth and restaint, feels so pefectly Left Bank, really impresive, a wine that shows the true possibilities of the vintage. There is a build up of tannins through the palate, but also a juiciness and a gorgeous cassis, bilberry and fresh cherry pit seduction, with huge confidence and clear ageing potential. 96 points" janeanson.com------"The 2022 Lagrange is brilliant, ranking alongside the 2020, 2019 and 2016 as one of this over-performing estate's finest recent vintages. Revealing aromas of dark cherries, cassis, violets and pencil shavings, it's medium to full-bodied, velvety and layered, with a deep core of fruit, beautifully refined but youthfully assertive tannins and a long, mouthwatering finish. It's a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot and 2% Petit Verdot with a very healthy pH of 3.63. 94-96+ points" William Kelley, RobertParker.com------"The 2022 Lagrange was picked between 8 and 30 September, it ages in 60% new oak for a planned 21 months. It has an almost clinical bouquet, with very well defined blackberry and blueberry fruit, graphite and crushed stone. Quite a gap in quality between this and the Fiefs de Lagrange this year. The palate is extremely pure with cashmere tannins, black cherry fruit infused by blood orange, lightly spiced, hints of white pepper toward a very concentrated, fine-boned finish. This will require several years in bottle, but it will be worth waiting for. A serious and very able Lagrange that should not be under-estimated. 95-97 points" Neal Martin, Vinous.com |
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