2009 La Lagune
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Tasting notes
Grilled oak on the nose, blackberry and cassis fruit in the mid palate shows a clearly ripe - heading to over-ripe - character with an attractive layering of cinnamon spice, fig and black pepper freshened up by botanicals and sage, but things get a little drying on the finish, with the tannins remaining fairly tight, and it's a disappointing signoff. 50% new oak for ageing.
Critic scores
Average Score
Decanter
Wine Spectator
More reviews and scores
The 2009 La Lagune is showing some brettanomyces on the nose, animally with saddle leather and maybe a little sweaty (picking up on the feral observation I made before). The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannin, slightly pinched black fruit with a touch bitter and hard finish. Hopefully bottle age will soften this wine. A previous bottle at the vertical showed better. Tasted blind at Farr Vintners’ 2009 Bordeaux tasting.
Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 la Lagune opens with a an earthy, Band-Aid and menthol-laced nose with a core of crème de cassis, plum preserves and Provence herbs plus a waft of tree bark. Medium to full-bodied, firm and chewy, with a pleasant earth-laced palate, it has appealing layers and harmony, if it tails off just a little rustic.
About the producer
A Third Growth, this Haut-Médoc estate has been owned by the Frey family since 2000. They’ve invested significantly in the vineyard, cellar and château itself, rapidly realising ambitious plans for the property.