Description
NOTE Chateau La Lagune is sold En-Primeur. Stock due to arrive mid-late 2018. See the En-Primeur here.
Having been lucky enough to drink a lot of old wines from La Lagune, I am rather fond of this estate. La Lagune is owned by the Frey family who also out Jaboulet in the Rhone and a big share of Billecart Salmon Champagne. The have 90 hectare to work with. Consisting of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Petit Verdot. The wines have lovely perfume with a fairly bold and structured palate. Definitely these are wines to keep.
Haut Medoc
A catch all appellation that is about 60km long on the left bank of Bordeaux. There are few classified vineyards in this generic appellation and no discernible regional style. There are however, a handful of wonderful wines that are often overlooked, are great value and ultimately are great Bordeaux.
Cabernet Sauvignon
The main grape of Bordeaux’s left bank. Cabernet is late ripening and full of acid and tannin. The great wines are structured but finessed with beautiful cassis, violets and it also transmits the flavours of the soil it is grown in really well. Cabernet isn’t a drink now variety, it really needs 10 or more years to show its best. But when you get there, WOW! Often blended with Merlot, Cabernet Franc or in Australia Shiraz to fill out its mid-palate referred to as the ‘Cabernet doughnut’.
Merlot
It gets a tough time most of the places it is grown. But in Pomerol and Saint-Emilion Merlot not only dominates but makes some of the best wines in the world. Perfume, silky and plush. Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon season the wines with structure and acid but in some places, like Petrus they are almost not needed.
Petit Verdot
Often the fifth wine on the depth chart of Bordeaux’s magical quintet. In the great years it is an amazing variety to work with, but often in the great years it is not needed. It can add body, structure and acidity but lacks some charm for a single variety wine. But in the hands of a skillful blender it can really lift a wine or in some cases, a particular site can make Petit Verdot sing a song like no other.
2015
Great Bordeaux is still very much dependant on the vintage. The weather conditions in Bordeaux for the most part were agreeable albiet everything happened quite early. All the quality factors were there and the wines at the en-primeur tastings brought on a lot of excitement with some people comparing it to the 1998, 2005, 2009 and 2010 vintages for quality. The pricing is fair for these wines compared to quality.
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