Extended WTN: Lagrange St.-Julien 1990

Château Lagrange St.-Julien 1990 13% abv 75€

I've often said that I am not usually enamoured by warm vintages. 1990 is a case in point, as so many I have found over-ripe to my tastes. But as in all generalisatons, there will be exceptions. I am happy to say that this bottle of Lagrange 1990 is one of those.

I first tried this wine about 5 years ago, when I noted that it was a bit raisiny, but otherwise it was lovely and typical St-Julien to me. Then I had a small sip of it 1 year ago, when I noted that the raisinyness had almost disappeared and it had gained freshness and even elegance! I then had the opportunity to buy one bottle of it at what I think is a fair price (75€) and so I did as I was impressed.

I promised to open the bottle with a certain friend of mine, whom I saw today for an early dinner. I know that lamb is what should be eaten with left-bank Bordeaux, but for some reason I tend to prefer a bloody chunk of good quality filet of beef instead (though I'll never turn down lamb if offered ). So filet of beef in a red wine sauce with false morels that I dried early this summer was the food - and though I say it myself, it was pretty decent!

The colour is still a dark red and shows little signs of 16 years age.

The nose upon opening and decanting (it had quite a bit of sediment - which made a lovely sauce for the beef!) was open despite still being a little too cold. It didn't change much once it had warmed up and had been aired: herbal, leafy, yet with lovely and ripe Cabernet fruit and obviously from a warm vintage. It was even a bit earthy and mineral - both notes that I love in wines. It had all the typical suspects of Cassis, cigar and lead. The previous times I have tried this wine, I noted that the fruit was rather darker toned than I would hope in Bordeaux, but this time there is some red berries bringing freshness to the darker tones. This is a delightfully complex and complete wine.

The palate, though expressive, isn't quite so integratedly mature as the nose. The fruit is lovely and expressive and there is adequate acidity which brings freshness and poise to the wine, yet the tannins are still rather prominent. But the tannins didn't matter with the food we were having as the tannins were ripe and the food was such that it needs tannins. The aftertaste is lovely, long and fresh. This is a memorable and an exceptionally lovely wine. It is always a sign of a good wine, that when two people are drinking a bottle, a magnum would have been needed!

-Otto-

Otto,
I know you do not like big fruit wines and nor do I but don't throw the baby out with the wash. 1990 was a hot year but not a "spoofified" (think that is your term) vintage. Many 1990s are drinking great now while you wait on most 1989 wines. I buy Lagrange in many years and have several of this wine in my cellar waiting for a good opportunity. A OZ Shiraz or valley California cab my be over-the-top but with the exception of the garage wines and a few point chasing Bordeaux, most Bordeaux has not gone to the dark side and offer great 20 year wines. I plan on drinking '86, '89, '94 Bordeaux over the next 15 years and hope to live long enough for the '01s I just purchased.
Walt

It sounds delicious, Otto. Earth, herb, tobacco. Yum! And, fairly priced. I might check on K&L Wine Cellars and see if they have any bottles!

Yep. They have the 2003. That would mean putting it away for awhile, but still...

We are big Lagrange fans too, including both first and second (Les Fiefs) bottlings. However, Otto, we need to know what a "false morel" is and how do you tell it from a real one.

Otto, here in Michigan, false morels are considered toxic to many people, and no one would put them on a steak - except maybe me because I discovered they were OK for me before I discovered they were not the real things. But I'd never serve them up to a guest. So I am thinking what is a "false morel" in Finland is probably not a false morel in Michigan. Ours are sometimes called brainies, sometimes beefsteak mushroom, and they look like rusty brain matter. They are open at the stem, asymetrical, hollow, and, by the way, just delicious. Yours?

Picked up a bottle of the 96 Lagrange last week.... any experience with that one???

Otto,
I know you do not like big fruit wines and nor do I but don't throw the baby out with the wash. [...] ...most Bordeaux has not gone to the dark side and offer great 20 year wines. I plan on drinking '86, '89, '94 Bordeaux over the next 15 years and hope to live long enough for the '01s I just purchased.
Walt

Walt, I agree that '90 isn't as bad for my tastes as '00 or '03, but I do disagree a little bit. While many have been drinkable for me, too many have been on the border between being too ripe and ripe. I don't like that, so I'll stick to my generalisation that they largely aren't to my taste. I seem to be getting into this argument very often, so I wonder am I using the word "generalisation" correctly? I understand that a generalisation is not a rule, it is only a tendency and as such there will always be exceptions. I want to keep my world simple and say things like I don't tend (see: a tendency not a rule) to like '90 Bx, but I did like this one bottle very much! I don't understand how this is throwing the baby out with the bathwater as I allow the exceptions in such a statement. Is my English really so incomprehensible that whenever I make such a statement I'm misunderstood? If so, how can I rephrase that so that it will allow for all the exceptions yet show that a large amount hasn't been to my taste?

Now, I also admit that I haven't tasted many 90's in the recent past, so if all have developed like this one, I'm going to have to completely revise what I thought about the vintage.

However, Otto, we need to know what a "false morel" is and how do you tell it from a real one.

It's a mushroom that is also known as brain mushroom or poisonous brain mushroom (lat. gyrometra esculenta). Wikipedia has a good article on them. Though the two look a bit similar, they are actually easily distinguished from each other. Here is another site on how to prepare the mushrooms so they're safe.

Oliver, sounds like a similar mushroom. But if you didn't parboil it and you're still alive, they obviously aren't the same mushroom. The gyrometra esculenta is lethal to everyone if not parboiled twice.

James, I had the '96 about two years back. It was tight and a bit closed, but showed superb promise. I think it is about on the same level as the '90. I'd give it time, though.

-Otto-

They must not be the same, Otto. We simply sauteed them in butter and seasoned them a bit. And I am happy to say that I am still on the up side of the grass.

Otto,
I know you do not like big fruit wines and nor do I but don't throw the baby out with the wash. [...] ...most Bordeaux has not gone to the dark side and offer great 20 year wines. I plan on drinking '86, '89, '94 Bordeaux over the next 15 years and hope to live long enough for the '01s I just purchased.
Walt

Walt, I agree that '90 isn't as bad for my tastes as '00 or '03, but I do disagree a little bit. While many have been drinkable for me, too many have been on the border between being too ripe and ripe. I don't like that, so I'll stick to my generalisation that they largely aren't to my taste. I seem to be getting into this argument very often, so I wonder am I using the word "generalisation" correctly? I understand that a generalisation is not a rule, it is only a tendency and as such there will always be exceptions. I want to keep my world simple and say things like I don't tend (see: a tendency not a rule) to like '90 Bx, but I did like this one bottle very much! I don't understand how this is throwing the baby out with the bathwater as I allow the exceptions in such a statement. -Otto-

Otto,
First of all, I am a fan and major user of generalizations, so I understand what you are saying. Also, like you, with the exception of 12 bottles I skipped '00 and bought no '03 Bordeaux, too fruit driven. My comment relates to '90. Yes, they are fruitier than many vintages but IMO well within the variances of good Bordeaux. You may be the only person I know that dislikes in-your-face fruit more than I do. I just haven't seen this problem with '90 Bordeaux, just earlier drinking and more approachable. If you now tell me you hate oak we could end up with identical cellars.
Walt

A couple of years ago I tasted the 1990 Lagrange together with the 1990 Haut Brion, and the two wines were far closer in quality than I would have thought. I loved the Lagrange, definitely great QPR for such quality (especially compared to the Haut Brion!). Good to hear it's still singing...