The spring is marked by important rainfall and cooler temperatures than usual. The morning frost of April 7th caused some flower shatter on some plots. The month of July is hot and dry, but never over-hot. Cool temperatures and rainfall come back again in August.
The Bordeaux miracle happened again from september 15th onwards. the hot days allowed thus ripening, drying the bunches and avoiding botrytis or sunburn. The nights were cool, finishing off the ripening of the polyphenols.The exceptional sunshine destroyed any molecules potentially responsible for a vegetal taste in the wine.
Despite forecasts of low yields, about 25 hectares were thinned out in July. Thanks to all this painstaking work, the vines were all evened out and the grapes could ripen beautifully for the harvest.
The harvest dates were probably the lattest chateau lagrange ever experienced: from October 6th to the 22nd . There was a deliberate new choice to wait for the optimum picking date. The investment in new vats allows a separate vinification of certain plots whose potential was not hitherto exploited to the full , through lack of small capacity vats.The estate has continued the technique of co –inoculation allowing to conduct the alcoholic and malolactic fermentations simultaneously. This offers the advantage of economizing considerable amounts of heating energy and reducing the risk of Brettanomyces in the wine.
The blending: 2008 is a vintage where the Cabernet Sauvignon dominates mostly to the detriment of the Petit Verdot . Global warming, thinning out and vine-care techniques are few of the numerous and complex reasons for this. The blending consists of 72% CS, 26% merlot and 2% Petit Verdot.