Wine Words & Video Tape

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Château La Lagune

051

Address: 33290 Ludon-Médoc

Telephone: +33 (0)5 57 88 82 77

E-mail: contact@chateau-lalagune.com

Website: www.chateau-lalagune.com

Ranked a third growth in 1855, on the basis of recent vintages [2005, 2009 & 2010] Château La Lagune is certainly the finest of the Haut-Médoc classed growths. However the quality has been a little spotty over the years and, for me, some of the extremely fine other older vintages highly rated by others have for me been disappointments. Maybe it’s been a question of badly stored bottles. That said the 2005 is an incredibly sexy and exotic wine that is a splendid drink already. Also 2011 and 2012 are successful here in what should be considered ‘tricky’ vintages. Chateau La Lagune’s second wine is Moulin La Lagune.

Vineyard/Terrior: 80 hectares in total with 60 hectares in a single block. Gravel soil on a clay and fossil limestone subsoil.  Vineyards comprise 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot. Hand picked.

Winemaking/Elevage: Gravity fed winery, temperature controlled stainless steel fermenters. Aged for fifteen months in barrel, 50% of which are new each year.

Tasting notes:

  • 2015 Deep and saturated; glossy colour and purple at edge; concentrated nose; pretty intense and inky; cassis and dark chocolate notes; glossy palate with plenty of depth; beautifully voluptuous style; seemingly fresher than Cantemerle. Lovely caressing wine. [60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 50% new oak, 14.25% alc]. Drink 2022-2035. Tasted UGCB 5/4/16. 93-95+
  • 2014 Mid depth; lighter in the core; red at edge; mid depth; stalk, brambly fruit; attractive blackcurrant tones; some spices; nice fruit; delicacy; nice entry to the palate; supple acidity and freshness; nice blackcurrant and black fruits; will gain weight. Nevertheless lacks a bit of concentration at this stage. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot. 13% alc. Drink 2019-2030. Tasted UGC 31 March, 2015. 89-91
  • 2012 Deep and saturated colour; some fruit pastels and boiled sweet notes; red fruits too; palate ripe and real elegance here; lacks a bit of stuffing maybe but fresh, elegant and pretty pure. Should fill out too. 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot. UGC Tuesday April 9, 2012 89-91+ Drink 2018-2028
  • 2011 Deep looking; fresh stalky Cabernet nose; pure; good entry on the palate; plenty of fruit; nice structure and purity; nicely balanced – will be good; clean and sappy finish. Nice chew and sap. Good effort. Reflects the vintage but well handled. Drink 2015-2028. 90+ UGC Oct ’13 [Earlier note] Mid depth, vibrant edge; plummy Burgundian note; quite vibrant with some minerality; fresh accent and blackcurrants and violet perfume on aeration; sweet, attractive blackcurrant and cassis; nicely measured; depth on the palate with some density but generally very round and polished. Nice finish, no astringency to the tannins, supple. Excellent effort. Best Haut-Médoc by a long way and head and shoulders above most of the Margaux appellation grand crus in this vintage. Could be a very good buy if priced right. Tasted UGC. 90-92+ Drink 2018-2030
  • 2010 Deep and saturated; close to rim; lots of density too to the nose; plums, black fruits and spice; rich palate with lots of depth; layered with tannin and extract. Longer term than ’09 but lots of ripe, plummy fruit here with structure and grip. 92+/100 [Earlier] Very saturated in colour, deep and dense; very succulent nose, ripe, rich and deep with real ripe notes like molasses and fig; sweet entry, chewy and intense but also again with succulence. Will meld together well. Good length and a grippy finish. 88-90/100 Tasted 5 April 2011 at UGC. [Second tasting] Thick and black in the glass; legs; polished nose, nice layers here; some cassis and perfume; feels deep; ripe and perfumed palate; dense, but with focus. Pretty good effort. Ripe and very good. 90-92/100 Tasted 7April 2011 at UGC 2015-2035+
  • 2009 Rich and saturated looking; ripe aromas; spices, plums and blackcurrants; plummy and full; fresh blackcurrants on the palate; very ripe and lovely extract and chew with mocha and chocolate tones on the end. A lot of blackcurrant and plum tones alongside some genuine freshness make this already delicious and forward but in three to five years it will be in top form and last the distance. Lovely harmony here. A real treat! 2016-2030 95+ MW Institute Nov ’13 [Earlier note] Deepish; some oak resin, red/black fruits; feels a bit ‘super Tuscan’ on the nose; tobacco, red fruits on the palate; maybe a little subdued and bottle shocked. Expected a better showing. It will show better later I imagine. Score reflects this likelihood.  91-92/100 [Earlier] Deep and dark, tight to rim; ripe fruit notes; really ripe; maybe lacking a little complexity; lots and lots of ripe fruit with new oak tannins; supple palate with lots of ripeness but also concentration so the style doesn’t at all feel loose; tannin at end. Very good. 92+/100 Tasted 30th March 2009 UGC Primeur tastings. 2015-2030+
  • 2008 Quite deep colour; up to edge, earthy purple at rim; quite sturdy, red fruits on the nose; some chocolate; palate feels fresh and bright with grip and tannin but has the extract and fruit to cover the tannin. Chewy. Good effort. 88+/100 Drink 2014-2025
  • 2007 Deep colour; some reductive, feral tones to start; blew off towards the tobacco and lifted notes; some satin here but also some eggy notes too – this needs decanting. Palate initially has a sweet entry but the fruit feels a bit angular with a sour edge; comes away feeling a little mean. Will it come together? 84-86?/100  [Earlier] Mid red; some stalky fruit with strawberry notes; good layers and extract on the palate. Tannins not over done. Good in context of the vintage. 88/100 Oct ’09 UGC London tastings. Drink now-2020
  • 2006 Quite deep looking; initially dumb and inky [both samples the same], quite closed; some earth and ink; some red fruits on the palate [strawberry] but then the tannins! Hard palate, very dry and tannic palate – not at all as flattering and sexy as the 2005 here. Not sure what to say 84-87?/100 Drink 2015-2025?
  • 2005 Deep black, red purple at edge, legs; plummy, luxuriant nose, as decadent as a top Pomerol; ripe cherries, blackcurrants here too; palate very soft and open; lots of extract and layers yet like a feather quilt ; extract at the back with length, feels quite low acid but this is decadent, voluptuous stuff. Actually you don’t tire so there is freshness here too; coffee and mocha on the finish. Really yummy, this is astonishingly drinkable stuff already. 94+/100 Tasted June ‘10 Drink now-2030+
  • 1988 Mid red/black; soft and southern Rhone like on the nose; some herbs quite chunky palate; bit chunky, dusty with dry tannins. OK but not great. 84/100 Apr ‘08 Drink now
  • 1978 Deep red; closed nose to start with; slight metallic edge; stewed cherries; bit one dimensional; later nose opened; palate lacks fruit; very dry austere tannins; fruit gone. Rather closed [was decanted]. 80-82/100 Sept ‘94 Probably too old. 
  • 1970 Brick red, chunky, beefy wine with good extract; a little short but not bad. 86+/100 June ’04 Probably still OK if from a cold cellar.

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