Château Lagrange - Saint-Julien 2020

Château Lagrange’s prestigious history dates back to the 14th century. It is ranked as Troisième Cru, or 3rd Growth, in the 1855 Classification of Bordeaux. However, by the middle of the 20th century, Lagrange had fallen on hard times. In 1983, Suntory — one of the largest beverage companies in Japan — purchased the Château and invested millions of dollars to completely revamp the entire operation, from the vineyards to the cellar. Today, the wines are now among the finest in Saint-Julien.

Lagrange's vineyard is perched on two Gunzian gravel slopes, one of which boasts the highest point in the appellation. Stretching over 118 hectares in a single block, there are more than a hundred individual plots with 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 5% Petit-Verdot. There are also 11 hectares dedicated to white grape varieties with 80% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Sauvignon Gris and 10% Sémillon. Their vines are on average 40 years old, the oldest dating back to 1952. All grapes are hand-picked and fermented in 92 different temperature-controlled steel tanks for anywhere between 16-28 days. The wines are blended just a few months after harvest, and then aged in French oak barrels — 60% of which are new — for 20 months.