WTN: Wines we love - St. Julien!

[David M. Bueker]

• 2000 Château Lagrange (St. Julien) - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien (2/12/2025)
  After a badly corked bottle several weeks ago, this was a godsend. What a fantastic bottle of Bordeaux. It's by no means fully mature, but it's in a fantastic drinking spot now, with touches of cedar and earth accenting the still robust, dark fruit, and that coffee note that always says Lagrange to me. Tannins are in perfect balance, so with the strength of the fruit I think this can go at least 10-20 more years before even starting to decline.

[Jenise]

Impressive. I didn't buy enough 2000's.

[David M. Bueker]

Impressive. I didn't buy enough 2000's.

Neither did I, and I bought a lot!

Lagrange was the first classé Bordeaux I ever bought for myself, if memory serves. I couldn’t tell you what vintage; I was a young grad student trying to figure out European wine after growing up in California, and had no frame of reference for it. But it convinced me that I LOVED St.-Julien, which to this day remains the best-represented Bordeaux AOC in my cellar. Wish I’d bought Lagrange in 2000!

[David M. Bueker]

The first cru classe I ever bought was a Lynch Bages. To this day I am not really a Lynch Bages fan.

St. Julien became my go-to after a blind tasting that included ‘85 Leoville Poyferre and Leoville Baron. I was smitten.