The history of Château Lalande-Borie is relatively recent. It began in 1970 when Jean-Eugène Borie founded the estate on a plot of about thirty hectares located on the western plateau of Saint-Julien. The vineyard of Château Lalande-Borie is based on a deep sandy gravelly soil on which are planted the three typical grape varieties of the appellation: mainly Cabernet Sauvignon supplemented with Merlot and Cabernet Franc. The vines are treated in sustainable viticulture with a policy of controlled yields.
The harvest is manual with a rigorous sorting of the grapes in the vineyard. The grapes are then vinified in stainless steel vats and aged in Bordeaux oak barrels (of which 20 to 30% are new barrels depending on the needs of the vintage). Produced from a blend dominated by Merlot (66%) and supplemented by Cabernet Sauvignon (34%), Château Lalande-Borie 2017 shows a beautiful garnet/purple colour with ruby reflections.
The nose opens with a floral and fruity bouquet. Notes of red and black berries mingle with fragrances of rose petals accompanied by subtle touches of cinnamon and other warm spices. On the palate, Château Lalande-Borie 2017 offers a moderately full-bodied attack. The solidly structured mid-palate supports ripe, juicy fruit aromas, leading to a deliciously long, lingering finish. The 2017 vintage of Château Lalande-Borie is a great success for the estate!
An excellent St-Julien in terms of value for money, and the Borie team have done a good job again in 2017, although it is far from the brilliance of the 2016. This has a clear muscular frame and lovely salinity on the finish. 40% new oak. Fairly closed right now, lacks some generosity, a mark of the vintage but appealingly dark with well-extracted fruit that clearly made it to full ripeness. Early drinking, is one to look out for. 50% frost, as these vines are a little further back from the river.