1989 Château Lagrange
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Tasting notes
The 1989 Lagrange was picked from 6 to 28 September - the earliest ever. It has an attractive bouquet that needs some coaxing from the glass, scents of blackberry, pressed flowers, rooibos and bay leaf gradually unfurling. The palate is medium-bodied with grainy tannins. This is firmly into its secondary stage with ferrous-tinged red fruit, sage and thyme. It is quite a savoury Saint-Julien with good intensity and vigour on the finish. This has lasted very well over 30 years and should continue to give pleasure. Tasted at the Lagrange vertical at the estate.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Deep crimson, with gentle evolution at the rim. Very gentle evolved nose with some animal notes and a rich, almost putrid finish. Not the most refreshing wine – much richer and sweeter and heavier than most Lagranges. A slightly baked quality. Fades a bit on the finish. Suntory bought the property in 1984 and may well have used quite young vines for this. (JR)
Good ruby-red. Low-pitched aromas of smoky black raspberry, mocha and roasted herbs; slightly porty. Fat, sweet and full, with strong minty and herbal notes that are not completely integrated with the wine's berry fruit. Finishes with lush but slightly drying tannins. The harvest began on September 6, "our earliest year ever, even earlier than 2003. " Ducasse attributes the wine's green notes to the very quick ripening that mostly occurred in the days leading up to the harvest. The fruit needed to be picked, he told me, because the warm nights were having the effect of cooking the tannins.