Periodically I share information about Bordeaux wine we’ve enjoyed. Recently we had dinner with another couple at a favorite French restaurant and enjoyed a wine which then led us to a couple of other Bordeaux winners.
The wine with dinner was a 2010 Les Fiefs de Lagrange from St. Julien. The wine list at this restaurant naturally tilts heavily to France and that’s often an issue since Gabriele’s tastes run more New World. In this case the ladies were having bubbly so we took a chance on this bottle since 2010 was a good year for Bordeaux and I tend to like St. Julien wines.
I did not take notes but we enjoyed the wine very much. After researching online, it retails for around $40. Les Fiefs de Lagrange is a second label, which made us wonder how good the chateau bottling of the same year would be. We picked up a bottle at our local Total Wine store. It is expensive at $70 retail, but Total often offers discounts and the wine was still less than the Les Fiefs at the restaurant.
The Chateau Lagrange is 75 percent Cabernet, 25 percent Merlot. We decanted it for 45 minutes prior to tasting, and probably should have done it earlier. There was a lot of wood, smoke and alcohol on the nose. Lots of dark fruit with cherry dominant and blueberry second, some graphite and a tannic pucker on the finish. The texture was lighter than the bouquet indicated, and there was leather and cassis as well. We then aerated the wine, which made it smoother on the palate and introduced some definite pepper. It’s a serious Bordeaux and one that will likely please that friend of yours who only likes bigger Cabernets.
In my opinion the Chateau Lagrange is well worth the expense. But before I did an updated Bordeaux winners post I wanted to find another quality Bordeaux at a lower price point. We found it in the Chateau La Tour de Mons 2015 Margaux.
This Bordeaux had a beautiful nose of full of cherry, yet the dominant fruit on the palate for us was plum. This is a softer, silky wine with understated tannins and some minerality on a long pleasant finish. Definitely more accessible than the Lagrange, and I’d say a better value at $30, especially if you can take advantage of the frequent 15 or 20 percent discounts from Total Wine.
I hope these three Bordeaux winners come in handy next time you’re looking for a bottle from this famous but often challenging wine region.
Dear Chris Parente,
I would like to thank you for your comments and the feedback of the tasting of Les Fiefs de Lagrange 2010 which is nowadays more approchable compare to Château Lagrange 2010.
At the estate we don’t open at that time the 2010 vintage Chateau Lagrange regarding the powerfull body of this wine. It is to my mind too early and will be more approchable and well intagrated in 2 or 3 years.
If wine lovers want to discover a great vintage of Lagrange now the 2009 is perfect to taste (73% Cabernet Sauvignon 27% Merlot) cause this vintage was less classical than 2010 and more smooth and silky since the beguining (soften tanins with a little bit less acidity). 2005 present also very well!
Enjoy your future tastings!
best regards
Matthieu BORDES
General Manager – Winemaker
You’re very welcome Matthieu, and thank you for the informative comment!