Head for the largest property in Saint-Julien, where the arrival on the castle will leave no one indifferent.
History with a capital H
We must go back to 1607 to find the first trace of the Seigneury of Lagrange. At that time the property belonged to Jean de Vivien, squire by profession. The castle will be kept in the family fold for nearly two centuries allowing to cross the vintages with great consistency.
As the castle Lagrange saw its fame increase, and it was in 1842 that everything changed. Count Tanneguy Duchâtel, then Minister of the Interior during the reign of Louis Philippe 1st, will acquire the property. For 33 years he and his wife will continue to develop the castle.
First, in 1845, he built a Tuscan tower by the famous French architect Louis Visconti. This tower, attached to the vat room, will make the identity of the castle very singular, making a lot of talk at the same time.
His wife was fond of art and horticulture, she will also erect a greenhouse to cultivate the flowers she sent from around the world (sign of lust for the time). Lagrange becomes the place to be.
As a reward for their constant commitment to the development of the property, the castle will be elevated to the rank of third cru within the classification of wines of the Médoc in 1855. The area of the estate was 118 hectares of vines. Unfortunately in 1867 Count Duchâtel died, it is then that the property will face many crises and will thus agonize little by little, seeing its area increase from 118 to 56 hectares.
The revival came in 1983 when Suntory, Japan’s oldest alcoholic beverage manufacturing and marketing company, bought the castle. From the outset, major investments will be made, starting with the replanting of the vineyard in order to return to the historic 118 hectares. New renovation works will be undertaken, this time, they will concern the vat room and the cellar. The objective is to restore a production tool that meets their requirements.
Since then, new investments have been made in the optimization of energy within technical facilities (water, electricity, etc.). A constant quest for excellence, which is perfectly illustrated by Suntory’s motto to the property: "uncompromising excellence".
Today the property is managed by Matthieu Bordes, accompanied by his teams. Everyone has a say, here it is the human first. An organization of the most modern whose well-being of employees is a priority.
The 2023 vintage therefore celebrates the 40th vintage since the purchase of the castle by Suntory.
The vineyard and its terroir
The vineyard covers an area of 118 hectares, in one piece. Such an expanse of vineyards makes Château Lagrange the largest property in Saint-Julien.
Like its neighbours, the terroir is ideal for the production of wines capable of passing through the decades. Its soil is composed of gravel on clay-sandy subsoil. The vines are divided into 103 plots, located on the highest point of the appellation. Being quite far from the estuary, the area is slightly more sensitive to spring frosts, without having a real impact given the attention that is paid to it each year.
The vineyard is composed of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 5% Petit Verdot. If in the 2000s the share of Cabernet represented only 50% of the blend on average, nowadays it has been greatly revised upwards constituting about 86%. This tendency to enhance the presence of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend is explained by the fact that the teams of the castle are particularly fond of this grape for its finesse of tannin and its freshness.
Namely, 11 hectares are devoted to the production of white wine. The grape varieties are 80% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Sauvignon Gris and 10% Sémillon.
A vineyard work in harmony with nature
Avant-garde from its first years, the various owners of the estate have constantly changed mentalities by imposing their visions of viticulture. Since the arrival of Suntory, Château Lagrange has been able to obtain several certifications proving the daily commitment they have to respect their vineyard and its terroir.
First certification in 2005 with Terra Vitis, advocating responsible viticulture. Second certification in 2017 with the achievement of HVE3 (High Environmental Value level 3), continuing this increasingly committed approach.
An approach guided by their desire to live and work in harmony with the biodiversity of the vineyard, while adapting their cultivation methods and minimizing the use of chemicals and other phytosanitary treatments. In addition, repairs to the vat room and cellar are undertaken in order to optimize, and therefore reduce, the use of water, electricity, but also the amount of waste from the vineyard and bottling. Finally, everything is set up for employees so that the quality of life at work is ideal (training, remuneration, etc.).
A vat room in full renovation
Unlike its neighbors, Château Lagrange did not undertake any work to build a new winery but rather began major renovations. As explained in the section above, the goal is to rethink and reduce the use of energy such as electricity or water.
The vat room consists of 102 thermo-regulated stainless steel tanks, ironically the vineyard is divided into 103 plots of vines. Unfortunately there was not enough room for a 103th tank. Moreover, in order to optimize the place as much as possible, the tanks are spread over two floors which is quite curious at first but more than practical on a daily basis.
Work in the cellar
At the end of summer comes the fateful harvest period when it is finally time to harvest the long-awaited fruit. About two weeks during which everyone goes there with his pruning shears in order to bring the grapes as quickly as possible in vats.
Once the grape is harvested, it heads towards the sorters in small crates. The aim is to preserve the freshness and aromatic power of the grapes.
For this, the teams are divided into two lines. Manual sorting, destemming and optical sorting, only the best grapes will be put in vats. A selection of the most demanding so that each vintage is the best expression of its terroir.
In terms of winemaking technique, the castle uses the principle of co-inoculation, that is, they start malolactic fermentation during alcoholic fermentation. The interest of this technique lies in the mastery that we will have on the development of possible bacteria during fermentation. In addition, the fact that each plot has its own tank allows a micro-vinification, which will allow to bring even more precision during the final assembly.
The château employs 5 oenologists full-time and calls on Éric Boissenot as a consulting oenologist.
The aging will take place for 18 to 21 months in oak barrels from, on average, six coopers. The great wine 60% will be aged in new barrels and 40% in barrels of a wine, the second will be aged in new oak barrels for 20% the rest being in barrels of one and two wines.
When the barrels reach their end of life at the castle, they are recovered by Suntory to give them a second life, in particular by using them for the production of whisky and other spirits.
The assembly will be decided in January, a few months before the famous Primeurs week. The bottling is done at the castle, where each year about 500,000 to 700,000 bottles are produced, including 200,000 to 250,000 just for great wine.
Avant-garde since its early hours, the Château Lagrange continues to be talked about. A property where the well-being of its employees is at the heart of concerns, can only produce wines in its image. Elegance, delicacy, aromatic power, the wines have such a singular character that makes Lagrange one of the greatest of its appellation. The vineyard, 40 years old on average, perfectly expresses the splendour of its terroir.
