2020 Lagrange St Julien
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Tasting Notes
This is scented and rich, with more delicate florals overlaying dried fruit aromas and fleshy, ripe red berry and blackcurrant fruit. Fresh and full, this is moreish, rich and full with a wave of vibrant blue/purple fruit on the palate. It feels plummy yet fresh, vibrant and lifted; the fruit here isn’t as crunchy as elsewhere, but sits at the perfect level of ripeness. The finish is savoury and long.
Critic Scores
Average Score
James Suckling
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
A perky, bright and enjoyable Lagrange, showing some angularity and austerity to the tannins but at the same time it is bright with clarity of direction, firm and concentrated fruits and juicy on the finish. A little subdued, but this is a quality Lagrange with extremely carefully placed fine tannins and fruit - it shows the essence of St-Julien balance, and one that will not need the full 10 years to come around. 50% less volume than usual. Tasted twice.
The 2020 Lagrange has a sensual, beautifully defined bouquet of mineral-infused black fruit, briar, touches of wild mint and crushed stone, conveying wonderful energy and precision. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, tensile and focused, delivering plenty of energy and an almost steely but persistent finish. This is a classy Lagrange from winemaker Matthieu Bordes and his team. I always feel this Saint-Julien is underrated, but it will challenge the best 2020s from the appellation.
Deep purple-black in color, the 2020 Lagrange leaps from the glass with vibrant notes of redcurrant jelly, ripe blackcurrants and minted blackberries, followed by nuances of dark chocolate, star anise and mossy tree bark. The medium-bodied palate is both super intense and super elegant, featuring exquisitely ripe, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness to frame the bright, crunchy black and red fruits, finishing long and mineral laced.
About the producer
Now with 118 hectares under vine, Ch. Lagrange is a Third Growth, owned by the Suntory group since 1983. Their investment in the property has paid off, today producing benchmark Saint-Julien.