Chateau Lynch Bages

Our own Pauillac comes from the cellars of Jean-Charles Cazes (of Ch. Lynch Bages fame) and shows great typicity of both terroir and vintage. Ch. Lynch Bages, a Cinquième Cru Classé, is one of the best-known Médoc estates and has always had a particularly strong following on this side of the English Channel.

Deeply coloured, the wine has an intense nose of leafy blackcurrant fruit, with notes of savoury cedar and oak. Strikingly pure cassis on the palate, with lovely freshness and energy on
the finish; this elegant, stylish Claret would go perfectly with lamb and beef.
It can be drunk now, or cellared for a year or two.

Since the inspired 2006 Lynch-Bages broke the mould there has been no looking back for this great estate. Don’t get me wrong, it was wonderful before, and if you have been lucky enough to have tried awesome vintages such as 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1996 and 2000 you will know what I mean, but since the unveiling of the 2006 there are extra elements and dimensions lurking at the bottom of a glass of Lynch-Bages. 2011 is absolutely no exception.

Fabulous intensity and concentration. Glorious grip. Super fine tannins dance around the palate and rest elegantly upon the layers of multi-coloured red and black fruit. This is a very serious wine, not as in it’s stern and broody, and too thoughtful and ponderous for its own good, far from it. I mean this would be a great 2009 or 2010 in virtually every châteaux in Bordeaux. Powerful, complex, decadent and compelling. It’s rock 'n roll wine making and Lynch-Bages is playing like Led Zeppelin in 1971.

If they ever re-classified Bordeaux again, Lynch-Bages would fly up the charts quicker than any other château. Outstanding!
Simon Staples, Asia Fine Wine Director

Ch. Lynch Bages, a Cinquième Cru Classé, is one of the best-known Médoc estates and has always had a particularly strong following on this side of the English Channel. The wine can be surprisingly soft and approachable when young; however, when fully mature, it develops a succulent richness and a heavenly bouquet of minty blackcurrants and cigar boxes. As Oz Clarke says, “Lynch Bages is impressive at five years, beautiful at 10 years and irresistible at 20.”

This is a remarkable 2006: voluptuous and sexy, its massive tannins are cloaked by the hugely concentrated, ripe, cedar-y, brambly fruit, while the sweet, rich, toasty aromas add an extra je ne sais quoi. The purity of fruit on the finish is sensational too. Certainly we cannot recall Lynch having been so far up the Bordeaux quality ladder in any previous year.

Following on from successes in 2005, 2006 and 2007, Ch. Lynch Bages has yet again proved itself to be equivalent to Second Growth quality in 2008. Aromas of lovely, warm red and black bramble fruits immediately greet the nose and are followed by a creamy textured, rich yet beautifully balanced palate. This is a serious wine but the tannins are incredibly elegant and the gorgeous, crunchy fruit finish goes on and on. Certainly the addition work in the vineyard and low yields have paid off for Jean-Charles Cazes in 2008. This is a stunner.

The 1996 exhibits a dark plum/ruby/purple color that is just beginning to lighten at the edge, surprisingly velvety tannins and a classic Pauillac bouquet of lead pencil shavings, cedarwood, black currants, sweet cherries and spice box. This medium to full-bodied, elegant, savory, broad wine is still five years away from full maturity. It should continue to drink well for another 10-15 years.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate, 2011

Once past the herbal, dill pickle, and green pepper-scented nose, this dense ruby/purple-colored wine offers good structure, medium body, and soft, ripe, alluring flavors possessing fat, glycerin, and fruit. Hopefully, the herbal aromas will develop a more cedary character with another 1-2 years of bottle age. There is plenty of blackcurrant, jammy fruit in the wine's flavor profile. 
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate, February 1997

Bright, medium intense garnet red with crimson tints and a clean tightly bounded nose of cassis, minerals, and wild herbs. Full-bodied on the palate with well-integrated black fruits and new oak. Just entering its plateau of maturity and with another 10-15 years life ahead of it.

'This dense ruby/purple-colored 1999 is a modern day clone of this estate's wonderful 1962. The 1999 reveals forward, open-knit notes of creme de cassis and earth. It is fleshy, medium to full-bodied, and succulent, with supple tannin, excellent balance, as well as a long, pure, ripe finish. This seductive effort will drink well for 12-15 years, possibly longer!' Drink 2002 -2017.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate, Apr. 2002

A good, slightly smoky, Cabernet Pauillac nose. Good tannins and acidity on the palate with good ripe fruit. A very good example with finesse. (Serena Sutcliffe - Decanter)

"This austere, medium-weight Lynch Bages reveals notes of new saddle leather, tobacco, olives, and black fruits. Although not a big, concentrated Pauillac, it is graceful, elegant, with character and style. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2016."
(Robert Parker)

The 1995 Ch. Lynch-Bages exhibits medium intense garnet colour,  a rich cedary nose leading on to a palate with abundant quantities of earthy, smoke and tobacco-tinged, black currant fruit, rich, concentrated, medium to full-bodied flavours, and supple tannin in the long finish.

I have drunk many bottles of this wine in many different locations, including bottles from my own cellar, and I continue to be amazed by how remarkably consistent it is. One of my favorite Lynch Bages, the 1990 is a more forward, fleshier, and sexier version of the brilliant 1989, and represents a poster bottle of what Lynch Bages is all about. A dense ruby/purple color is followed by a sumptuously sweet bouquet of roasted meats, herbs, sweet creme de cassis fruit, a massive level of glycerin, and silky ripe tannins. It is a hedonistic as well as intellectual turn-on. There is not a hard edge to be found in this delicious 1990, which should last for another 15-20 years in a cold cellar. I would rank the 1990 and 1989 as the two greatest Lynch Bages made in the last 30 years.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - June 2009

With its dramatic nose of such intense black, black fruit, this is a Cabernet cluster bomb! With super-fine, seamless tannins, and a rich, sumptuous mouth, this is concentrated without being pushed, and makes you feel like you are in super second territory this year. Vastly superior to its 2005 and even surpassing its heavenly 2006, 2009 is a cellar must-have.
Simon Staples, BBR Sales & Marketing Director

The Second Wine of Ch. Lynch Bages, Echo was previous known as Ch. Haut-Bages Averous. A change of name (Echo was suggested by Jean-Michel Cazes) has brought new vigour to this wine which was seriously impressive with a kick of sweet cassis fruit beautifully cloaking the grippy but extremely ripe tannins. The name may sound delicate but this is a wine whose power will echo over the next decade at least.

Very dark ruby with some evolution. Toasty and appetising. Very appealing subtlety and complexity on the nose though on the palate it is clearly not as ripe as some. Maybe higher yields? An attractive drink but far from intense.
Jancis Robinson - jancisrobinson.com, 23 Mar 2010

Very juicy, yet very structured, the 2009 Echo is succulent and pure with dark cassis fruit and some earthy complexity. Very fresh, this is still hiding its power, suggesting it will need a few years to truly shine. As ever though, the attention to detail of the team at Lynch Bages is clear; this is a wine of quality.