TN: 2003 Chateau Lagrange St. Julien (France, Bordeaux, Medoc, St. Julien)

PH,

Thanks for the updated TN. I loved the 2003 LaGrange when I had it at the Union Des Grands Crus prerelease tasting back in January 2006. My TN is at this link (94 points).

VM

No prob. Didnt' see your note. Tried to post this to Bella's original TN, but the thread had been locked. Sounds like we saw it similarly. It's good stuff, and I'm glad to have more.

PH

I wouldn't expect you to post it to the thread I linked since my TN is part of a group of 45 TN's on 2003 Bordeaux. I just posted the link for your info.

Bella's original thread was interesting wasn't it?

VM

Interesting? Perhaps in the context of the proverbial Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times."

Those times were interesting, but I'm glad they're over.

PH

Thanks for your TN, PH. I have 3 bottles of the 03 and purchased 3 more in the 05 vintage. I've never had one before but your notes remind me other St-Juliens I've had before. I'm beginning to really like St-Julien wines so I look forward to opening this one in the near future.

quote:

Originally posted by Vino Me:
I wouldn't expect you to post it to the thread I linked since my TN is part of a group of 45 TN's on 2003 Bordeaux. I just posted the link for your info.

Bella's original thread was interesting wasn't it?

VM

Looking back...I should have never opened that bottle last year. I'm kind of Board-Oing Bordeauxs...give them ALL atleast 5 years. I have one or two of these 2003s LaGrange that I will be opening in a year or so.

Thanks for the tasting note DRAB...I mean PH

Drinking an 03 LaGrange as I type this ....

Dark red, opaque, no bricking at this point in time.

Wonderful expressive nose of cassis, dark cherry, some green coffee (as a secondary) and also that adhesive smell (like from a disposible diaper) that is so prevelant in the 2003 Bordeaux's. This will never be a Sociando Mallet, a Saint Pierre or a Leoville Barton but a great QPR none the less. Moderate tannins up front which will settle down more over time. About a 10 - 15 second finish on the palate.

Revisit in approx. 2 years.

I haven't tried many of the '03s yet, but of the ones I have, the Gruaud Larose has been hands down my favorite. I can't wait to try it 10-15 years from now, but for the price I paid they are pretty darn good right now. The Sociando Mallet on the other hand....did absolutely nothing for me; not even close to the 94 points Parker gave it.

quote:

Originally posted by Foghorn:
I haven't tried many of the '03s yet, but of the ones I have, the Gruaud Larose has been hands down my favorite. I can't wait to try it 10-15 years from now, but for the price I paid they are pretty darn good right now. The Sociando Mallet on the other hand....did absolutely nothing for me; not even close to the 94 points Parker gave it.

Interesting you say that about the Sociando. Of note I have tried Lagrange, St Pierre, Duhart, Poyferre, and Beycheville. I liked all, some more than others, and I find that most are drinking pretty well young, although I'm sure they'll benefit from a decade in the bottle. I tried the Sociando and I hope it was an off bottle but even after 12 hours of double decanting it never showed a thing and had this awful chemical smell. I'm tempted to waste another just to see, but if it is as bad as the first I won't know what to do with my other 10.

quote:

Originally posted by grossie:
I'm tempted to waste another just to see, but if it is as bad as the first I won't know what to do with my other 10.

Ya, I'm sitting in the same boat. If you have the GL, try one. The bottles are gone before we finish dinner. I have to pack some of these deep in the cellar.

quote:

Originally posted by grossie:

quote:

Originally posted by Foghorn:
I haven't tried many of the '03s yet, but of the ones I have, the Gruaud Larose has been hands down my favorite. I can't wait to try it 10-15 years from now, but for the price I paid they are pretty darn good right now. The Sociando Mallet on the other hand....did absolutely nothing for me; not even close to the 94 points Parker gave it.

Interesting you say that about the Sociando. Of note I have tried Lagrange, St Pierre, Duhart, Poyferre, and Beycheville. I liked all, some more than others, and I find that most are drinking pretty well young, although I'm sure they'll benefit from a decade in the bottle. I tried the Sociando and I hope it was an off bottle but even after 12 hours of double decanting it never showed a thing and had this awful chemical smell. I'm tempted to waste another just to see, but if it is as bad as the first I won't know what to do with my other 10.

Grossie,

The Sociando is closing down and was much better 8 months ago. The Saint Pierre is still wide open for business.

No, this wasn't closed, it was flawed (it may have been closed and flawed though). I just hope that it was a single bottle thing and has nothing to do with the rest of my case.

I agree about the St Pierre. I have a case of that and I think I've drunk 2 or 3 just because they are so pleasurable now.

• 2003 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (1/11/2013)
  Outstanding.
  
  This is in a very nice place. Opened it and poured off a glass, but did not decant. It did not throw any sediment. Early on quite minty but this dissipated over time. Blackberry fruit, and perhaps some red berry, slightly ripe. After awhile evolved into a bit of fresh tobacco then more of the classic cigar box nose. Crisp acidity. Dusty tannins. Longish finish.

Posted from CellarTracker

2003 Château Lagrange - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (1/16/2013)

This was the first of my 6 bottles although I had this once before in 2006 at the UGC tasting. This was part of a 4 bottle 2003 Bordeaux retrospective dinner. Not decanted but opened 5 hours before dinner. This wine opened up the most during the course of the dinner. Muted at first but much deeper when I revisited it. Reddish purple color. Herbal nose with some forest floor. Notes of roasted coffee beans, and plum. Medium body. Thought this wine was better than the 1995 and 2001 vintages but inferior to the 2005 and 2009 vintages. Moderately closed now and not showing as much character as when it was first released. 91-92+ points.

VM

Thanks for bringing this, VM. Apparently I've had this before, but I had no memory of it!

This bottle was quite enjoyable, and I agree that it changed greatly over the course of 2 hours. Forest floor, nice medium plummy fruit, fine grained tannins. A nice drink, could use another few years. I agree with 91-92 points.

Solid claret. Well-proportioned but quite obviously in an adolescent stage. Sinewy and raw, with plenty of earthy roasted plum notes. Needs time. 91P

Decanted for about an hour, then drank over the course of 4 hours. Aroma is dark cherry and plum, along with some leather and cedar. Taste is red cherry, with a moderate level of acidity. Also a bit of tobacco on the palate. This is OK, but doesn't do have anything too exciting going on. 88 points.