History
Chateau Lagrange was known in the Middle Ages as the Maison Noble de lagrange Monteil. A history of the different owners goes back to 1631. In 1824 the production was 120 tonneaux (12,000 cases).In 1842 the former Minister of the interior of King louis-philippe. Count Duchatel left his mark on both the property and the Medoc by initiating the drainage of the vineyard. The count increased the production to 300 tonneaux. This was the golden age of Lagrange. During which it was attributed the position of third growth in the classification of 1855.The beginning of the 20th century was not as glorious due to worsening economic condition. Despite several changes in ownership yield were low and of poor quality .A division of the estate was necessary as a result of the decline in business: from 280 hectares in 1840. The domain had been reduced to 157 hectares when the Japanese group suntory. Purchased it in December 1983 form the cendoya family owners of the property since1925.Familiar with the world of wine and drinks leader in Japan. Suntory, driven by the motivation of President Keizo Saji and Vice-president Shin Torii, brought the necessary capital for the spectacular renovation of the domain. Marcel Ducasse, recruited with this aim in mind, successfully directs the estate, guiding the efforts to completely restructure the domain.
Nowadays’ owner: Keizo Saji(Suntory)
Technique Information
Location: Chateau Lagrange is located in the Saint Julien commune in the Bordeaux region of France.
Appellation: Appellation Saint Julien Controlee
Neighboring Chateau: Chateau Gruaud-Larose(2nd Growth 1855 Medoc)
Acreage: 157 hectares, Area under vine: 115 hectares, of which 4 are for the white wine
Soil: two gunzian gravel rises
Grape Varieties: Red varieties: cabernet sauvignon 65%, Merlot 28%, Petit verdot 7%
White varieties: Sauvignon 60%, Semillon 30%, Muscadelle 10%
Average age of vines: approximately 30 years old
Cultivation density: 7500 to 8500 vines per hectare
Viticulture: Viticultural practices uphold the objective of perfection and correspond to an essential idea: “quality does not necessarily rhyme with quantity.” For this reason clones and rootstocks are chosen according to the soil at lagrange and to the various work done in the vineyard, which combine to maintain the most consistent production possible. High density of plantation, short pruning crop thinning in July and traditional soil cultivation contribute to reaching the goal of producing rich concentrated grapes. Traditional manual harvesting allows the grapes to be selected and to eliminate those that are defective, green or rotten.
Winemaking: Traditional Bordeaux vinification takes place in stainless steel vats equipped with temperature control. The total capacity of the vats is about 10,000hectoliters. The 56 vats range in capacity from 60 to 220 hectoliters. The vatting time can vary from 15 to 25 days .depending on the tannic development of the wines as determined by tasting. In order to respect the fruit and the finesse to the maximum, the fermentation temperature never goes above 28/30℃. Pumpovers are limited and are moderately intense. The press wines are selected “vat by vat”, which enables a greater choice of wines to be tasted for the blend.
Yield: 50 hl per hectare
Brand: Chateau Lagrange(First Label)(A.O.C.Saint-Julien)
Les Fiefs de Lagrange(Second Label)(A.O.C.Saint-Julien)
Les Arums de Lagrange(Third Label)(A.O.C.Saint-Julien)
Annually production: Chateau Lagrange (First Label) - 23000 cases
Les Fiefs de Lagrange (Second Label) -31000 cases
Les Arums de Lagrange (Third Label)-less than 3% of total production
Character:
The rejuvenated Chateau Lagrange has a classic Medoc style that is continuing to evolve as the vines mature. The wines are full and rich with a strong tannic structure and accents of cherry, black currants and cedar. The wines are accessible in their youth but the influence of the oak barrels may seem a bit heavy until the wines have a few years of age. Depending on the vintage, you are best advised to wait from 8 to 15 years before consuming these wines (assuming proper storage).
Best vintages: 2000, 2005, 2006
Awards: Chateau Lagrange classified as Third Cru Class in 1855.
Website: www.chateau-lagrange.com
Serving Suggestion
Cellar Humidity and Temperature: 75-85%, 15 ℃
Serving Temperature: 17-19 °C
Optimum Drinking and Ageing Potential: 8-15 years; 10-25 years
Food match:
It can be enjoyed with rich, savory dishes (meats or cheeses, if they're not too strong).
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