Château Lagrange - Heritage Collection 2023 - Magnum
Château Lagrange, a Grand Cru Classé of Saint Julien, has stood out for several decades through a quest for precision and fidelity to its deep gravel terroir. The modern history of the estate is anchored in 1983 with the arrival of Suntory, whose human and technical commitment marked a decisive turning point in the vineyard's revival. Over forty years, this transformation has resulted in a meticulous restructuring of the soils, a fine understanding of the parcel layout, and continuous improvement of the winemaking tools. The Heritage Collection follows the line of limited series that punctuate this creative dynamic, after the Remarkable Collection dedicated to the dialogue between wine and wood, then the Parcel Collection devoted to the intimate reading of cabernet sauvignon on gravel. This cuvée pays tribute to the heritage received in 1983, while carrying a vision oriented towards the future and the responsibility to pass on a living vineyard. The 2023 vintage, here offered in magnum, thus becomes the synthesis of four decades of achievements, innovations, and respect for the estate's history.
The Heritage Collection 2023 draws its personality from an unprecedented blend, originating from the estate's original parcels as they existed before the major restructuring of the Suntory era. At that time, merlot held a more important place than today, before the gradual rise of cabernet sauvignon initiated to respond to climatic changes and to enhance the late ripening of the latter. While the 2023 Grand Vin is built on a modern blend dominated by 84% cabernet sauvignon, the Heritage Collection offers a historical reinterpretation with 54% cabernet sauvignon and 46% merlot. This balance of the past is finely reinterpreted to create a vibrant, generous wine, nourished by the particularly ripe merlots of the vintage and supported by the density and uprightness of the cabernets. The magnum format, ideal for preserving freshness, precision, and aging potential, reinforces the contemplative and heritage dimension of this cuvée. Thus, Heritage 2023 becomes a possible vision of what Château Lagrange could have been forty years ago, revisited with today's technical mastery.
On tasting, Château Lagrange Heritage Collection 2023 Magnum reveals a deep ruby robe with violet reflections, radiant with youth. The nose opens on a basket of seductive red fruits, cherry, raspberry, and wild strawberry, enriched with darker notes of blackcurrant, sweet spices, and violet. On the palate, the attack is ample and bright, carried by the generosity of the merlots which offer a velvety and pulpy texture. The structure develops with the concentration of the cabernet sauvignons, bringing uprightness, density, and a depth that stretches the wine with elegance. The whole is lively, harmonious, perfectly balanced between indulgence and tension, with a long and persistent finish marked by fruit and a delicately woody touch. At the table, this cuvée pairs ideally with a roasted rib of beef, a rack of lamb, Bresse poultry, or a matured cheese, and reveals all its personality after a short aeration in the glass.
Grape varieties: 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 46% Merlot.
