2009 Château Lagrange (St. Julien)

Full bottle 1,312 g. Part of a special bottling of a series of vintages of Ch Lagrange in ancient oaks. This wine was matured in oak from the Morat trees in the famous Colbert section of the Tronçais forest that dates from 1656 during the reign of Louis XIV. Blackish garnet. Aromatic, still quite marked tannins and acidity; I would not have guessed this was from the ripe 2009 vintage. Neat and fresh but far from the opulent. Would need decanting if served in the early part of the decade of 2010s. Quite a delicate texture. Not heavy or concentrated at all. (JR)

Creamy blackberry and raspberry fruits set with liquorice root, smoked caramel, silky tannins and touches of spice. Great depth of expression from what is clearly a ripe year, this has an effortless ease from the very beginning despite its concentrated tannins. High Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend, and the highest percentage of first wine (47%) since the creation of Les Fiefs de Lagrange on the arrival of Suntory. Chiselled and a leap forward in style, reflecting the advances in the cellar, which also included optical sorting from this vintage. 42hl/h yield, 60% new oak. Eric Boissenot consultant.