2022 Chateau Fiefs de Lagrange - St. Julien HALF BOTTLE (375ml)

Château Lagrange is one of the defining names of the Saint-Julien appellation, with a history that stretches back to Gallo-Roman times, when the site was home to a Roman villa. The Knights Templar later established the estate's winegrowing tradition, and the property flourished through the 18th century before being classified as a Third Growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. In 1983, the Japanese beverage group Suntory, under chairman Keizo Saji, purchased the estate and invested heavily in its vineyards and cellars, helping Lagrange rise back among the top names of the Médoc.

Les Fiefs de Lagrange, created the same year Suntory took ownership, is the estate's second wine, drawn from younger vines averaging around thirty years old. The 2022 blend leans on Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, rounded out with Petit Verdot, grown on fine gravel suited to the Cabernet and clay-rich plots favored for the Merlot. Each parcel is vinified separately in temperature-controlled stainless steel before blending, a method that lets the estate fine-tune the final wine parcel by parcel.

The wine shows a deep garnet-purple color, with aromas of red currant, black raspberry, cardamom, and rose petal. The palate is medium bodied, bright, and refreshing, with soft, well-integrated tannins. It pairs nicely with roast chicken, grilled lamb skewers, or a young Comté.