Chateau Lagrange - Saint-Julien 2011

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

89 / 100

byIan D'Agatathe8/31/2014

Purple-tinged ruby.  Expressive aromas of redcurrant, black cherry, violet, graphite and spice.  Lovely texture and vinosity to the saline, soil-driven dark berry and mineral flavors.  Conveys a tactile impression of freshness and very precise extraction, finishing with good sappy intensity.  Although this Saint-Julien could use a little more fruit concentration, it really is a lovely, balanced wine.  A very good Lagrange in a difficult year.            

Wine Advocate

91 / 100

byNeal Martinthe8/11/2014

Tasted at the château for a 30-year vertical tasting. The 2011 is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot picked between 15 September and 5 October. It has a refined and understated nose at first, before unfolding in the glass to offer brambly black fruit, mint and cedar - one of those Lagrange wines mimicking Pauillac. The palate is medium-bodied with attractive supple tannins. It is very smooth and silky thanks to the vanillary new oak that needs to be subsumed with time. But it is a subtle, precise Lagrange that should give pleasure over the next 20 years. Drink 2015-2035. Tasted March 2014.

Wine Advocate

86 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe5/2/2014

Slightly pinched and compact, the 2011 Lagrange exhibits a healthy dark ruby/plum color as well as notes of vanillin, black cherries and red fruits, but it is somewhat one-dimensional and straightforward. Solidly made, but not as expressive as some of its peers, it will benefit from 1-3 years of bottle age, and should keep for 10-12 thereafter.

Jamessuckling.com

91 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe2/19/2014

A balanced, refined 2011 with very polished tannins and pretty fruit. Medium to full body with shaved-milk-chocolate and currant character. Give it three or four year to soften. Better in 2017.      

Wine Spectator

87 / 100

byJames Molesworththe2/11/2014

Slightly firm, with a plum pit edge to the red currant and blackberry fruit, backed by lightly chewy grip through the finish. Lacks some flesh and depth overall and is outpaced by the rest of the appellation. A step down from the barrel tasting. Drink now through 2019.

La Revue du Vin de France

16-16,5 / 20

the5/31/2012

Le cru a joué la carte de la délicatesse, ne cherchant pas à extraire trop de matière. Le résultat est convaincant avec une fruit préservé, des effluves de fruits rouges frais et des tanins présents mais intégrés.

Le Point

17 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/17/2012

Fruits noirs, bouche ronde, juteuse, assez fraîche, de la rondeur, serré, tendu, tanins bien présents mais sans dureté, joli fruit, assez savoureux. Bonne longueur. 13,2 degrés. O= 2018 G= 15 ans

Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar

88-91 / 100

byIan D'Agatathe5/12/2012

Ruby purple. Flinty blackberry, herbs and cocoa on the deep nose. Rich and juicy, with very lively black fruit, vanilla and sweet spice flavors carrying through to the long, polished finish. Solid juicy acidity noticeably extends the black fruit flavors at the back.

TAST

16,5-17 / 20

by Bettane & Desseauvethe4/30/2012

Finesse bien dégagée, au détriment peut-être de la richesse de texture, tanin harmonieux.

Wein Wisser

17 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe4/30/2012

Dunkles Granat, recht satt in der Mitte, rubinroter Rand. Verhaltenes, kirschiges Bouquet, ein feiner Touch Grenadine, ergänzt mit zartem Vanillin. Saftig, lang, aromatisch, rote Pflaumenschalen im Extrakt, schöne Rückaromatik. Ein recht feiner Lagrange mit Gastro-Spass-Potenzial. Wunderschön vinifiziert. Da liegen in 10 Jahren 18/20 drin! 2018-2036

Decanter.com

16,5 / 20

the4/30/2012

Good depth of blackcurrant fruit, quite open style, but will gain complexity. Drink 2015-2024.

Wine Advocate

85-87 / 100

byRobert Parkerthe4/30/2012

Extracted and oaky with dry, astringent tannins, the 2011 Lagrange is disjointed and not totally harmonious at present.

Wine Advocate

90-92 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/27/2012

The Chateau Lagrange 2011 is a blend of 62% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot and 6% Petit Verdot (the highest percentage of the latter since 2007.) In 2011, there were just four treatments in the vineyard compared to 12 in 2000. It has a deep purple colour. It has a very pure bouquet with blackberry, cassis, limestone and a touch of Margaux-like violets. It certainly has fine delineation. The palate is pure with silky smooth tannins, fine acidity and an almost Burgundy-like texture. This is a very accomplished Lagrange although I would like to see more personality. It shows good weight on the tensile finish however and is an accomplished Saint Julien. Tasted April 2012

The Wine Cellar Insider

89-91 / 100

byJeff Levethe4/27/2012

Cassis, cedar, earth and vanilla scents with medium body and round tannins. Soft ripe, cherries are found in finish. 89-91 Pts

Jancis Robinson

16,5 / 20

byJulia Harding MWthe4/18/2012

Drink 2018-2028
Gentle, dark, small-berried fruit, blackberry more than cassis. Hint of cedar. Much more cedary on the palate. Taut and firm but not dry. Embryonic rather than dry tannins. Long, fresh, juicy finish. (JH)

Wine Spectator

88-91 / 100

byJames Molesworththe4/10/2012

Supple, with a nice creamy feel to the plum, fig and blackberry flavors. A light stony edge lends some additional length and definition on the finish.—J.M.

Wine Enthusiast

93-95 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/4/2012

Smoky aromas and new-wood flavors mark this wine. It has weight, as well as a concentrated core of tannins; and it shows long-term aging potential. —R.V

Jamessuckling.com

88-89 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/1/2012

A wine with mineral and blueberry character with hints of sandalwood. Medium body, with firm tannins and a medium finish. Balanced for the vintage but needs a little more depth.