2012 Château Lagrange
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The 2012 Lagrange offers blackberry, raspberry, hoisin and leather aromas, nicely defined though not overly complex. The palate is medium-bodied with ripe and fleshy tannins, but it just takes its foot off the accelerator towards the finish where I am seeking more tension and backbone. Easy and gentle, I would drink this now and over the next five to eight years. Tasted blind at the Southwold Ten-Year On tasting.
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Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
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Full bottle 1,327 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 360-year-old Aberdeen oak, in the Réno-Valdieu forest in the Perche that was part of the Série Artistique de Gautrie of ancient trees created in 1933. The latest harvest ever at Ch Lagrange. Deep, dark crimson. Less aromatically expressive than the 2011 but with fine, concentrated fruit on the palate and – still – quite high in tannins but with good balance for future development. Ambitious. Decanting needed! (JR)
Tasted blind. Mid crimson. Suggestion of somewhat plump fruit on the nose. Solid representative of the appellation. Unapologetically youthful but all the elements are there. Quite long. (JR)
Blackberry, chocolate, tobacco, black truffle, relaxed tannins. As it opens the sweet black fruits maintain their form through the mid palate, gathering up smoked cedar notes and lighter saffron spice. You will find longer-ageing 2012s in the appellation so I throughly recommend enjoying this delicous wine from now and over the next decade. Harvest October 8 to 21, 35% 1st wine, 60% new oak. Eric Boissenot consultant.