1977 Chateau La Lagune, Haut-Medoc

Description

1977 Chateau La Lagune, Haut-Medoc

Chteau La Lagune is a wine estate in the Haut-Mdoc region, just north of Bordeaux city and ranked as a third growth in the 1855 Bordeaux Classification. The highest-ranked estate bearing the Haut-Mdoc title, its grand vin is made predominantly from Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller amounts of Merlot and Petit Verdot.

The wine is generally elegant and aromatic, in a similar vein to the wines of Margaux some 10km (six miles) north of the estate. Most vintages can be approached at a relatively youthful age.

The organically farmed vineyard covers 80 hectares (200 acres) on a south-facing gravel hill of well-drained, white pebbles which reflect the sun back onto the fruit an aid to ripening. The estate is planted to 65 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, with 30 percent Merlot and 5 percent Petit Verdot.

A second wine, Moulin de La Lagune, is produced from younger vines that do not make the grade for the grand vin.

Since 2004, a third wine, Mademoiselle L, has been made from another 30-hectare (74-acre) plot further down the La Lagune slope. It is a 50-50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot and is intended to be drunk young.

In the gravity-fed winery, the grapes pass along three separate sorting tables for strict selection before being dropped into one of 72 thermo-regulated stainless steel vats, which vary in size between 2200 and 20,000 liters to cater to different vineyard plots. The grand vin is blended before being placed for 18 months in French oak barrels (55 percent of which are new).