"Acknowledging that 2019 is already a heralded vintage, the salient question is whether it represents the summit of the 2018, 2019 and 2020 triumvirate. 'Yes' is the answer. I have always felt that is the case." - Neal Martin, Vinous
Of course, you may or may not agree with Martin in terms of 2019 place in the "trifecta," but it's undeniable that is a truly spectacular Bordeaux vintage that has more than lived up to its day-one hype since the wine's have hit the market, hit collector's cellars, and found their way into the glasses of impatient enthusiasts. Best of all, pricing has always been highly favorable compared to 2018 and 2020 (to say nothing of 2022), so the 2019s have also been some of the sharpest collectible buys on the market from the get-go and remain so today.
We've just landed a must-see treasure trove from this heralded campaign at ... you guessed it ... razor-sharp pricing cross the board, with superb performers in every classification and price tier.
Inky, glass-staining in colour, this is richly textured and intense, easily rivalling the best ever vintages at the property. Filled with creamy damson and cassis fruit, with a sense of precision and restraint to the frame, held in by fine but plentiful tannins. 30% 1st wine, highest ever Cabenet Sauvignon, 50% new oak for ageing. An exceptional wine, marking 125 years since the founding of Suntory in Japan. Eric Boissenot consultant.
96 points, Jane Anson (Mar 2022)
The 2019 Lagrange has turned out beautifully in bottle, wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, blackberries and cassis mingled with hints of loamy soil, pencil shavings and bay leaf. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with an ample core of lively fruit, powdery tannins and succulent acids, it's suave and seamless, concluding with a long, expansive finish. The result of an extremely rigorous selection, and incorporating fully 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, this is the finest wine this château has produced in the modern era. Remarkably, it was released at the same price en primeur as the 2005!
95 points, William Kelley, Wine Advocate (Apr 2022)
While I don't think the 2019 Château Lagrange matches the 2018, it's not far off, with a more elegant yet still concentrated style. Beautiful crème de cassis, spicy oak, tobacco, chocolate, and new saddle leather notes all emerge on the nose, and it stays tight, compact, and focused on the palate, with plenty of firm tannins. It opens up beautifully with time in the glass but merits 4-6 years of bottle age, and it should evolve for 20-25 years or more.
95 points, Jeb Dunnuck (Apr 2022)
The 2019 Lagrange, which was picked over the longest period ever, has a compelling bouquet of beautifully defined black fruit laced with cedar and light graphite notes. The palate is smooth, fresh and vibrant, with great depth, perfectly judged acidity and a brilliantly focused finish. Winemaker Mathieu Bordes has crafted the best Lagrange in recent years, a benchmark for the estate.
95 points, Neal Martin, Vinous (Feb 2022)
Aromas of blackcurrants, sandalwood and rose petals. Medium-to full-bodied with linear tannins that are racy and refined, yet forceful. Fine tannins at the end. Best after 2024.
94 points, James Suckling (Feb 2022)
Juicy and flush, with steeped red and black currant and plum fruit flavors, this has a generous edge from start to finish. Features notes of tobacco, singed cedar, warm earth and iron throughout, with a seductive hint of incense curling around the tail end of the finish. This has a generosity that makes it approachable, but there's no rush at all to drink this one. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2023 through 2036. 16,000 cases made, 700 cases imported.
93 points, James Molesworth, Wine Spectator (Mar 2022)