Château Lagrange’s Collection Héritage adds modern flair to its impactful legacy.
“The quest for excellence without compromise” is a philosophy that has driven Château Lagrange over the years, and it is exactly this philosophy that makes it one of the most extraordinary wineries to offer premium collections.
A major impetus behind the Collection Héritage is Château Lagrange’s desire to celebrate its heritage while anticipating the demands of the future. With the new Collection Héritage, the winery honours its legacy — the historical treasure that Suntory acquired in 1983 — while being mindful of its duty to preserve and develop this legacy for generations to come.
The collection draws inspiration from those that preceded it, including the Collection Parcellaire, which showcases the distinctive characteristics of the gravelly terroir and its renowned Cabernet Sauvignon grape variety, and the Collection Remarquable, which highlights the unique relationship between the wine and the exceptional barrels it is aged in, crafted from remarkable three- hundred-year-old oak trees.
This collection also reflects the success the Château has garnered in the past four decades and the technical advancements it has made since 1983, combined with the cumulative knowledge of its oenologists, the soil studies done in 2009 that led to the division of its vineyard into 103 individual plots or “parcellaires,” and the proficiency of people who have contributed to making Château Lagrange a pioneer in the industry.
“Our Heritage Collection takes its place in a series of limited editions created by the property over recent years,” says Matthieu Bordes, Château Lagrange’s general director.
The intermingling of the past with the present is a noteworthy aspect of the collection’s look as well: both its label and typeface reference those used for the vintage from 1983, which was the year Suntory acquired the estate from the Cendoya family. The label also incorporates images of the Château and two Spanish conquistadors to honour the Cendoyas’ Basque and Spanish ancestry.
This is complemented by the modern design of the collection’s simple, clean presentation case, which displays only essential information and is secured by three leather straps and a delicate oak stick. The 100% wooden case is made in Médoc by Adam, a company adhering to an eco-friendly approach for its products. Its design also serves as a tribute to the great Japanese art of wabi-sabi, which is based on a traditional philosophy that emphasizes the beauty of simplicity, imperfection, authenticity and natural materials.
Bordes explains, “This creation embodies the desire to bring together yesterday’s legacy and today’s values in a single case.”
Today’s Collection Héritage is the realization of the potential that Château Lagrange could only have dreamed of 40 years ago.
