2015 La Lagune vs. 2020 La Lagune

[William P]

Last week I drank two La Lagunes both from hot vintages.
With 2015 LL I found the weight to be a medium plus but not fruit dominated. It was balanced with firm tannins and sufficient acidity. It was complex with many years before it reaches its peak. It has the typical characteristics of a young bordeaux, wood spice, fruit, and minerality.
The 2020 on the other hand was extremely fruit forward. While it was balanced the fruit dominates. Will it evolve? I don't know. While the wine is well made and the fruit is pretty, it reminds me of a well made modern California Cab instead of a Bordeaux. For this bottle I found it to exhibited a lack of complexity. I've had a few 2020 and those I've had all have this fruit forward profile, though, I admit I had too few to be statistically relevant.

Your palate may differ.

Bill

[JimHow]

Nice Bill. I found that fruit forward profile with the 2020 Sociando and to a lesser extent the 2020 Langoa. I really like the 2020 La Lagune.

[Nicklasss]

La Lagune being not far from Margaux, i thought the 2015 is a very solid wine.

Did not had the 2020, but the only 2020 i had was very fruity too, it was the Le Gay at the 2021 UGC inMontréal. Itvwas a mistake and Le Gay presented it 2020 to the tasters, instead of the 2021.

[greatbxfreak]

California Cab??

Imho, 2020 La Lagune is as typical Bordeaux as it can be.

[JimHow]

If you have to pick one or an asteroid is going to destroy the earth, GBF, which do you like better, the 2019 or the 2020 La Lagune?

[greatbxfreak]

Difficult to say.

2020 and 2018. All supervised by young cellarmaster, Maylis de Laborderie who left La Lagune in January 2021.

[JimHow]

2020 La Lagune for me was brilliant, my La Lagune epiphany, seriously, after 24 years, it finally dawned on me what the mighty stefan sees in this, the property that shall otherwise remain nameless.

[Claudius2]

Guys
I tried nearly 100 2020s at a big Union tasting last year and I loved them. Now I also have a high opinion of 2019 which is more a classic Bordeaux vintage.

The 2020s are at the moment fruit forward BUT so we’re the 19s and then they noticeably shut down last year. I’ve done several tastings of 2019s and the change was clear over a few years.

Now the 1982s were fruit forward when first released and I was glad I bought them EP (my first ever) before the prices rose. My point is that the 2020s are more than fruit bombs and the left bank wines have good ripe tannins and acidity rather than over-ripe jammy fruit.

The 20’s will almost certainly close down soon and the makers and sellers were adamant that these wines will age for a long time.

I think that 2020 is like a theoretic combination of 2015 and 2016 and with time will arguably more like the latter. By the way I do like 15 but prefer 16.

Cheers
Mark

[JimHow]

Wow, sounds like we can't go wrong with 2019/2020, and the prices seem good too.

[Claudius2]

Jim
The wine world is facing a lot of problems with falling consumer demand despite increased production. Even in my old country, wine consumption fell last year and this is more apparent in most European nations.

Of course the famous estates in Bordeaux, Burgundy, Rhône and Champagne will continue to sell for high prices but even then, prices of the best Burgundy estates fell last year for the first time for years,

Wine demand in China and HK has crashed and that is bad news for France in particular. Every day I’m getting offers on new world wines plus wine from Italy and Spain at huge discounts as markets in China and HK have disappeared.

I get a lot of data from the AWRI and it is worrying as even in well known regions, many growers and estates are on their knees. Bordeaux isn’t much better as beyond the Grands Crus and other famous estates, it is a hard sell. Same in Spain and Italy.

Expect Champagne to have issues as the houses don’t want to discount despite softer demand and overloaded cellars. No wonder I can find them cheaply. A long story.

The industry internationally will have to change and I just hope that Bordeaux isn’t forced to make more open, commercial style wines in future.

In the meantime you can expect that you will be able to help yourself to lots of Bordeaux at fair prices and let’s hope that the style of wines continues to be true to the region. Having said that, quality is now so good that I’m hopeful though the industry must improve marketing and particularly to younger consumers who seem to be more interested in alco-pops and the like.

Cheers
Mark

[JimHow]

I'm telling you, 2019 Cantemerle at $28 is about as good a deal as you'll find out there. It's a property whose style I love at a very nice price.

[William P]

For what it's worth, I prefer the 2019 to 2020. Again, I have limited experiences with 2020.

[William P]

California Cab??

Imho, 2020 La Lagune is as typical Bordeaux as it can be.

I stand by my observation. Was it bottle variation? Don't know but I know what I experienced.

[RPCV]

I'm telling you, 2019 Cantemerle at $28 is about as good a deal as you'll find out there. It's a property whose style I love at a very nice price.

Just snuggled mine in the cellar. Plan to open one this weekend so I'll report out, but it is always a favorite of mine. Jim's palete aligns well with mine so I imagine I'll be ordering another dozen.