Château Lagrange’s prestigious history dates back to the 14th century. It is ranked as Troisième Cru, or 3rd Growth, in the 1855 Classification of Bordeaux. However, by the middle of the 20th century, Lagrange had fallen on hard times. In 1983, Suntory — one of the largest beverage companies in Japan — purchased the Château and invested millions of dollars to completely revamp the entire operation, from the vineyards to the cellar. Today, the wines are now among the finest in Saint-Julien.

Lagrange's vineyard is perched on two Gunzian gravel slopes, one of which boasts the highest point in the appellation. Stretching over 118 hectares in a single block, there are more than a hundred individual plots with 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 5% Petit-Verdot. There are also 11 hectares dedicated to white grape varieties with 80% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Sauvignon Gris and 10% Sémillon. Their vines are on average 40 years old, the oldest dating back to 1952. All grapes are hand-picked and fermented in 92 different temperature-controlled steel tanks for anywhere between 16-28 days. The wines are blended just a few months after harvest, and then aged in French oak barrels — 60% of which are new — for 20 months.

Les Arums de Lagrange, created in 1996, is one of the very first white wines in the Médoc to be vinified in barrel. Named for the calla lilies that grow around the chateau, Arums is also a play on words: the name sounds like arome — the French word for aroma. This beautiful blanc sits in the glass a resplendent pale gold, There is a hypnotic melange of citrus and tropical fruit aromas that build mouthwatering anticipation. Flavors of lemon and grapefruit meld with white peach, kiwi and chamomile. Les Arums is braced by a taut acidity that carries those aforementioned fruit flavors to a invigorating and refreshing finish marked with incredible complexity. This Bordeaux blanc has outstanding aging potential and deserves a place in any cellar. Enjoy with Greek-style chicken, salt-baked salmon fillets or porchetta.