The plot thickens
Château Lagrange ‘Les Fiefs de Lagrange’ 2016
GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Bottle
Bordeaux isn’t a wine region I typically gravitate towards, though this decade-old bottling from Château Lagrange had me completely rethinking my avoidance. One of the best things about wine is its ability to change your mind and prove you wrong, which is exactly what happened upon popping the cork on this bottle.
Château Lagrange is a Third Growth (Troisièmes Cru) estate in Saint-Julien, the smallest of the Médoc’s four appellations. The property’s rich viticultural heritage dates back to the 16th century, though its recent history is where things get interesting. Since 2006, Matthieu Bordes has been at the helm of the estate, bringing great advances to its viticulture and vinification. All 118 hectares of the property are HVE (high environmental value) Level 3 certified, and biodynamic principles have been implemented on a small section of the property since 2008. In the cellar, Bordes favors a plot-by-plot method of vinification, meaning 103 areas are harvested and fermented separately so as to adapt to the needs of each parcel.
On a recent night at home, craving something with a bit more oomph than my regular rotation pinot noirs and nebbiolos, I pulled the cork on this bottle. The wine was everything I was looking for: smooth and fruit-forward, while showing initial signs of complexity after 10 years in bottle. Above all, the wine reminded me of the immense value found in secondary bottlings from top estates, and moreover, that the occasional push past one’s comfort zone generally yields rewarding surprises. I’ll be restocking a few bottles in my wine fridge to check in on over the next few years. –Vicki Denig
→ Shop: Château Lagrange ‘Les Fiefs de Lagrange’ 2016, $38.