Château Lagrange 2010

Notes of singed alder, graphite and charcoal wrap around the core of intense blackberry paste, warm plum sauce and currant preserves. Turns sleek and racy on the well-knit finish despite the notable grip. Best from 2015 through 2030.

92-94 Dark, dry wine initially with austerity. Then the bright berry fruits come from behind the severe façade to give a structured, still luscious wine.

Flowers, leather, sweet spice and vanilla. Lively and focused, detailed and nuanced – in high definition. Gorgeous blackcurrant and black cherry elements. Fruity, but the balance is equally split between freshness and fun, and complexity and seriousness. Not the most demonstrative, but for purity, tension, terroir signature and drinkability this is excellent. Very enjoyable.

Loads of tension and form. It can be cellared for decades, but it’s balanced and beautiful already. Lots of blueberry, licorice and blackberry character. Try in 2018.

Juicy, refreshing, plenty of fruit upfront, but it doesn't offer great complexity on the finish. Impressively smooth and sculpted – just not massively engaging. (RH)

Fresh, crisp, bright, and chewy, the red fruits offer purity, refinement, and lift, with energy, and length. Still youthful, its best days are in the future. So, hands off for a few years. Drink from 2025-2050.

Deep purple. Lots of black cherries with a hint of blackcurrant in the background. Velvet-textured palate, showing fine suppleness. Top value!

Deep purple, saturated at the core, with a garnet sheen at the rim. Black cherries, blackberries, tobacco and a hint of candied notes in an already well-integrated, interwoven nose. On the palate, refined, with good substance; balanced astringency with a subtly roughening touch; it tapers off pleasantly with medium intensity. Can still gain. Tasted three times. (17/20). 12: Quite dark purple-ruby, with a lightening rim. The bouquet shows plenty of freshly picked red berries, ranging from blackcurrant to raspberry, with cherries behind and a slightly milky contour. On the palate again these red berry skins, a little coffee and plum notes on the finish. I had already scored it at the en primeur tasting at a rather tight 17/20, which is below expectations for this vintage/Château.

A peppery, discreet, classic bouquet: cedar, Cabernet spice, coffee beans, blue and black berries. A closed, austere palate with medium fruit, good tannin and restrained aromatics; dry finish. 17/20 2018 - 2030

Beautiful structure, sleek, powerful and finessed. A little subdued right now and needs another three to four years to fully open. Gunsmoke, campfire and grilled sandalwood arrive after a good half hour in the glass, and this has a ton of potential, showcasing the progress that was rapidly being made by Lagrange in these years - but I would still recommend the 2009 if you are opening any time soon. 60% new oak. Eric Boissenot consultant.

The 2010 Lagrange, 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Merlot, is deep garnet in color. It opens with pronounced notes of fruitcake, stewed black plums, and dried blackberries plus suggestions of smoked meats, fried herbs, and truffles plus a hint of iron ore. The medium to full-bodied palate is densely laden with black fruit preserves and earthy layers supported by firm, grainy tannins and amazing tension, finishing long and minerally.

Fine, balanced tannins that round off a solidly built wine with poise—very classic in style and with great ageing potential.

Supple attack, fresh mid-palate, slight dryness.

Bad bottle Dark, intense colour, lively, bluish and youthful. Medium-intensity nose that is surprising in its cool character. A lactic touch. Juicy on the attack, flavourful on the mid-palate, floral yet dense, the wine turns austere on the finish. Average length. A disappointing showing given the scores it had previously received. I suspected a bad bottle.