Chateau Lagrange 3eme Cru Classe, Saint-Julien 2010

Loads of tension and form. It can be cellared for decades, but it’s balanced and beautiful already. Lots of blueberry, licorice and blackberry character. Try in 2018.

The 2010 Lagrange was picked from 29 September to 20 October. This is even better than the 2009 on the nose with beautifully defined brambly red fruit, crushed stone, violet and iris aromas, almost pixelated in detail. The palate is medium-bodied with very fine tannins, precise and focused with a silky mouthfeel. This fans out beautifully, certainly one of the more approachable 2010s but a wine full of class and immense breeding. Outstanding - a benchmark for the estate. Tasted at the Lagrange vertical at the estate.

Beautiful structure, sleek, powerful and finessed. A little subdued right now and needs another three to four years to fully open. Gunsmoke, campfire and grilled sandalwood arrive after a good half hour in the glass, and this has a ton of potential, showcasing the progress that was rapidly being made by Lagrange in these years - but I would still recommend the 2009 if you are opening any time soon. 60% new oak. Eric Boissenot consultant.

Bright ruby-red. Brooding aromas of blackberry, cassis and licorice. Backward and youthfully medicinal but already shows lovely floral lift--to to mention ripe framing acidity--to its dark berry, menthol and licorice flavors. A bit strict today and in need of several years of bottle aging, but the firm tannins are ultimately rather velvety.

Somewhat of a beast, this monolithic, oaky wine is full-bodied, highly extracted and difficult to evaluate. Some hints of roasted herbs, chocolate, black currant and coffee are present, but the oak dominates, as do the tannins. This wine seems much woodier, and more closed and foreboding than any other St. Julien I tasted. Forget it for 7-8 years and hope for the best.

(a 75/25 blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot) Bright ruby with purple highlights. Reticent nose offers delicate aromas of blackcurrant, violet and cedar. A pronounced minerality gives delicacy to the rather forward blackberry, gunflint and licorice flavors. Finishes long, but with a slight green edge to the building tannins. A nicely balanced, medium-bodied Lagrange: perhaps time in bottle will bring more volume and flesh.