Cellar Favorite:
1949 Lagrange (Saint-Julien)

BY NEAL
MARTIN | OCTOBER 27, 2025

What is
the most important factor that determines the quality of a mature claret, or
indeed, any bottle that has witnessed a lengthy passage of time? Producer?
Vintage? Vineyard? Bottle size?

Based
on empirical evidence, none of the above. The answer is provenance. Storage
condition is the most important determinant underlying quality. I would rather
drink an impeccably cellared Cru Bourgeois than a First Growth of doubtful
provenance.

This
brings me to a magnum of 1949 Château Lagrange recently served blind by
winemaker Mathieu Bordes at the estate in Saint-Julien. Vintages preceding the
Château’s acquisition by Suntory in 1983 are as rare as hens’ teeth. Bottles
were almost entirely consumed in their youth because, unlike Lagrange’s
Saint-Julien peers, the wines of this era were not esteemed like they are today.
Like so many, the vineyard had withered during the economic malaise of the
1930s. Owner Manuel Cendoya was unable to manage a large estate, prone to
releasing the wine under secondary marques that besmirched its reputation.
Quite simply, Lagrange struggled until it fell under Japanese ownership.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1761319042351-CF_Oct272025.jpg">Nevertheless,
it is a privilege to visit this era of one of the Left Bank’s most significant
Grand Cru Classés. This magnum was one of eight that had spent its entire life
in the private reserve of the “Pope of French gastronomy,” the late Paul Bocuse.
This provenance elevated what I suspect was a fairly mediocre wine upon release
into something quite delicious. Showing modest bricking on the rim, the 1949
Lagrange is clear in colour. There are faint touches of swimming pool on the
nose, a signature of the 1961 vintage, though this feels older. Vestiges of
black fruit commingle with Japanese nori and black olive tapenade, exhibiting
the coolness often found with 1949 and not, say, the sweeter 1947s. The palate
is not terribly complex, but nevertheless it is balanced and full of freshness
and charm. Light in terms of grip with moderate length, this has clearly faded
over the last few years, but as I mentioned, provenance has upheld vitality and
cohesion. If anything, the wine actually improves in the glass. (Bordes
reported that the remaining contents were shared with the winemaking team the
following day, and it had not deteriorated). Whilst not amongst the highest
echelon of 1949 Bordeaux that I have encountered, this represents everything I
love about mature claret, proving once again the importance of sourcing and
storage. 90/Drink 2025-2035.© 2025, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or redistributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.&nbsp;

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