94pts Decanter

This is a good Lagrange, showing well now with no need to wait too long. It perhaps doesn't have the concentration and precision of today's Lagrange, but it's a good 2009 with lots to enjoy. It has a firm cassis and blackberry purée character, with spiced herbs through the mid-palate, and firm but pliable tannins, all leading to a finish with good lift. Effortless and with St Julien elegance.

94pts Vinous

The 2009 Lagrange has a very fine bouquet, one of the more complex offering from the appellation, with blackberry, loam, truffle and leather aromas. I love the cohesion here. The palate is very well balanced with plenty of freshness, a killer line of acidity and wonderful precision towards the finish. I have liked this Lagrange from day one and now at 10 years it remains perhaps the most underrated cru within Saint-Julien. This is possibly the best bottle that I have encountered.

94pts Wine Enthusiast

Ripe wine, with soft tannins allied to great density. Weight and lovely, juicy, final fruit flavors meld together easily. This is solid, dense, impressive and for long-term aging.

93pts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

Medium to deep garnet colored, the 2009 Lagrange rolls out of the glass with beautiful redcurrant jelly, warm blackcurrants and blueberry preserves notions plus hints of fallen leaves, camphor and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with red and black fruit preserves and lively herbal sparks, with a firm grainy backbone and great freshness on the finish.

93pts James Suckling

Lovely ripe cassis character, fullish body and elegant tannins make this an easy 2009 to enjoy in spite of the wine's ample structure.

92pts Jeb Dunnuck

One of the more backward, tight wines in this retrospective, the 2009 Château Lagrange needs lots of air to show at its best, yet still holds things close to its vest. A youthful ruby color is followed by beautiful and classic Bordeaux notes of crème de cassis, cedar pencil, unsmoked tobacco, and a touch of earth. It's not massive by any means, yet it's beautifully balanced, with ripe, polished tannins and a great finish. With a Château Lafite-like elegance and seamlessness, it will be loved by the Claret lovers out there and is certainly a beautiful wine. 

92pts International Wine Cellar

Saturated medium ruby. Sexy aromas of cassis, licorice, menthol and cedar. Tightly wound, classic and intense, with sharply delineated flavors of dark berries, violet and minerals complemented by well-integrated oak. Dense, suave Saint-Julien wine with a very fresh, slightly austere finish. With its solid structure and excellent length, this will require at least five or six years of cellaring. A superb vintage for this property.

91pts Wine Spectator

This has a solid core of juicy plum, red currant and blackberry fruit that sits in reserve, while mouthwatering briar and toasty spice notes move along the edges. Grippy and focused through the finish, with well-embedded acidity. Best from 2013 through 2024.

91pts Wine & Spirits

Saturated with the warm ripeness of the 2009 vintage, this is well upholstered rather than hyperripe. Its plump blueberry and currant flavors feel concentrated, completely integrating the oak so that the tannins are cushioned rather than extracted. Its vintage character shows in caramelized notes at the end of the wine, in spice that builds out of the warmth. Enjoyable now with roast duck, this will gain complexity as it ages.

Tasting Notes

Lots of blackberry, blackcurrant and liquorice on the nose, powerful and racy tannins like we are expecting at Saint­Julien. Magnificent richness of
texture, harmonious with cedar and truffles, a perfect balance for this wine which has one of the largest window of tasting ever!

Winemaker Notes

As in the last two vintages, Château Lagrange 2009 is highly marked by Cabernet Sauvignon. The blend for Château Lagrange is made from 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot. The blend is very similar to the vintage 2000 (CS: 76% ; M: 24%). We no longer need the tannins brought by the Petit-Verdot. These can be less elegant, and consequently reduce the expression of finesse in the wine, a typical quality of a great Saint-Julien.

Blend: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot

Vintage Notes

Surprisingly, 2009 is not a very hot year (nowhere near the heat­wave of 2003), nor is it a very dry one such as 2002 or 2005. However, the arrival of rainfall and warmth corresponded perfectly to the vine’s needs during its growth cycle. Very good climatic conditions during the months of August, September and October. The last 10 days of September and the first of October were even the best of the year.

Vineyard Notes

Completely situated in the village of Saint­-Julien, the vineyard of Chateau Lagrange represents 118 hectares in red vines, spread over two hills with the slopes directed towards the North and the South, in one block. The subsoil is of clay and limestone and the topsoil is of pebbles and gravel. The climate is temperate and oceanic.