TN: 2000 Château Lagrange St. Julien (France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien)

[JimHow]

• 2000 Château Lagrange St. Julien - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (2/10/2009)
  Ah, this is why I love Bordeaux. I don't think I've had this wine since shortly after it first hit the shelves upon release. This is from a .375, it is clearly a bit further along than the impenetrable 2000 Pichon Baron and 2000 Pape Clement that I had the other night-- at a similar stage of development, I would guess, as the 2000 Branaire Ducru I had recently. It has a long way to go but, like the Brainaire, is starting to display some classic St. Julien secondary nuances. When I last had this wine it was an infant, extremely sweet and sappy with tremendous potential. Now, nearly nine years old, this delicious, well-crafted St. Julien is starting to realize its potential, an evolution that will continue for more than two decades more. (93 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

[William P]

I had this a few months ago and it was evolving into a legendary Lagrange. When we are much older, I am confident we will say - for all the hyped vintages between 2000 and 2005, the real winner was 2000.

Billd

[JimHow]

No dispute here, Bill, I would bet on 2000 over 2005. Time will tell!

[Blanquito]

Is the 2000 better than the 1996?

The 1996 blew me away at our NYC get-together last April, Jim. Given my 14 bottles of the 2000 Lagrange, I am giddy thinking it will suprass the 1996 (which is still a baby).

FWIW, Parker agrees with you guys:
2000 93 pts
1996 92 pts
2005 91? pts
2003 91 pts
2001 90 pts
2004 89+ pts
2002 89 pts

Thanks for the note.

[JimHow]

Yes, Patrick, time will tell, but I think 2000 will beat that great '96 we had in NYC last year. By the way, I like the '05 as well, but I'm swirling the last of the 2000 Lagrange right now in a large Riedel sommelier glass, the oak is integrating beautifully, it is all about strength and balance, what we look for in great Bordeaux.

[Chasse-Spleen]

I had the 1990 Lagrange once, and it was quite a stunner. Pretty exotic perhaps, less classic. I had the '96 several times and it's excellent. I might put the '90 slightly ahead, if I could really say. Never had the '00, sad to say...
-Chasse

[JimHow]

The Lagrange has ended with an impressive minute-long finish.

[PappaDoc]

Jim,
What was the white wine in the photo?

Chris,
I also love the 90 Lagrange, It was readily available two years ago for $75.00 now its $85-$120, still not bad for an excellent 18 year old Bordeaux with plenty of years left.

[PappaDoc]

The 96 Lagrange can be found in three NYC stores for $66 and less. The 2000 sells for $75 in at least four stores. All in all Lagrange has always been fairly priced since its' revival in 1985.

[JimHow]

That was the 2005 Jadot Meursault, John, a pleasant little surprise in its restraint and subtlety. Nothing mind-boggling, mind you, but a solid effort, and better than the last time I had it, probably last fall, when it seemed a bit more tart.

[Chasse-Spleen]

Maybe the Jadot Meursault will continue to improve. I wouldn't be surprised. If you didn't get any of the trademark nuttiness from the appellation yet, I'd think there are more fireworks yet to come...

BTW, great picture!!

[JimHow]

I don't know much about these white Burgs, chris, I'm assuming wines like these should be consumed in the first year or two after they're released?

[Rieslingfan]

Jim,

You have more than a couple of years to follow the Jadot. Unless the premox beasties get it I would drink with confidence until 2015.

[JimHow]

Thanks rieslingfan, i've got about a dozen more bottles, I'll monitor their development over the next five or six years.

[PappaDoc]

I too like DavidG may have had a reply vanish into cyber-space.

I had poasted that for me in general, most 05 White Burgs are reticent and I believe they'll need two to three more years in btl to really open up. I went to a trade tasting in the fall 0f 07 when a lot of 05s were released. I was with two others in the business and we all noted the similarity of most of the wines being shown that day. White pepper in the nose with a very sweet impression for the fruit. Of course some producers use of lots of new oak separated them from those that were judicious or Spartan ( Matrot) in the use of new oak.

I bought two+ mixed cases of my favorite 05 White Burgs and my experience is that they need lots of air to reveal their intrinsic qualities.Most were better on the second day.

The 04 vintage was very transparent, lithe, with good minerality. making it easier to recognize the difference between vineyards in the same commune. I'm drinking and enjoying them now. The 05s are very rich and the 06 Whites are full with strong mineral component. I think the 06s I've tried are drinking better then their 05 counterparts at this stage.

The 07s I've tasted are magnificent. I tasted with Jeanne-Marie De Champs, Paul Pernots distributor last fall and they were the best I've ever had from him. Our Burgundy Buyer, Ned Benedict tasted many 07s at the Chateaus last fall and was full of praise across the board. They will get most of my "Wine Money" as they arrive this year.

[SteveH]

All of the 2000 St. Julien's I've sampled in the past year are winners; Ducru, Branaire, Leo. Barton, as well as the abovementioned Lagrange. Haven't checked in recently on the Pichons, LLC or Talbot.
Time will bring them all to greatness. This commune was priced well below the Pauillacs, but the wines are no less appealing.

[DavidG]

I am delinquent, not a single bottle of Lagrange in my cellar. I think I've only had them at BWE conventions. I liked them well enough, but somehow never managed to buy any. I may have to go back and try to pick up an '00 or '05...

[Claret]

I do not have any Lagrange post 96, but have 9 bottles of the 1996 that I picked up for a tidy $18.99 each.

I did not go deep in 2000, but splurged on Rauzan Segla at $50. I am still hold backing on pulling 1986's. When, oh when, will it ever become a well developed mature bottle? Some time during my reirement I'll bet.

[stefan]

No Lagrange at all, David? You should have listened to Setab when he extolled the virtues of this underrated estate. At that time I had no Lagrange; now I have cases of '96, 2000, '02, and '03. I still buy the wonderful 1990 when the price dips below $90.

stefan

[JimHow]

Well done, stefan. I still say that '02 Lagrange is an underrated wine.