Chateau Lynch-Bages
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Chateau Lynch-Bages,
Ready, but will keep,
Our own Pauillac has long come from the JM Cazes family, the owners of Ch. Lynch-Bages, and the 2016 vintage is arguably the finest we’ve tasted. From its dark, glossy colour to the gorgeously intense nose of ripe blackcurrant, this shows all the hallmarks of Cabernet-driven Claret. A touch of creamy oak encases a core of rich, cassis fruit, but the key to this vintage is its balance, which shows on the long, elegant finish. Gorgeous now, this will cellar impeccably for a couple of years. It’s a classic match for salt marsh lamb, but cottage pie would do just as nicely.
Max Lalondrelle, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Max Lalondrelle, Wine Buyer, Berry Bros. & Rudd
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
Ready, but will keep,
This the pure essence of Pauillac: profound, ripe cassis aromas flow from the glass and herald a palate of cool, spicy, incredibly concentrated blackcurrants, and cream, vanilla and bitter dark chocolate all tightly woven together in a precise core. Lynch-Bages has again performed as well as many of the super-Second Growths.
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
For laying down,
When I dive into a glass of wine and try to analyse it, I really try to judge it as almost an oenological graphic equaliser, replacing treble, bass and tone with tannins, acidity, fruit and alcohol. For the mighty stadium-rocking 2010 Lynch Bages you need to turn your amp up to 11 to fully appreciate this staggering wine. It’s an all singing, all dancing, high octane but perfectly balanced beauty - a race car driving just on the edge!
Masculine and for the reasonably long haul, it’s a powerhouse of sweet, ripe cool Cabernet fruit with an intoxicating minerality and literally a five minute finish. Perfection in liquidity. Brilliant.
(79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot)
Simon Staples, Fine Wine Director
Masculine and for the reasonably long haul, it’s a powerhouse of sweet, ripe cool Cabernet fruit with an intoxicating minerality and literally a five minute finish. Perfection in liquidity. Brilliant.
(79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot)
Simon Staples, Fine Wine Director
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
Ready, but will keep,
This exceptional château continues to make a mockery of its 5th Growth status, and in 2003 has re-emphasised just how good the Left Bank wines are. Huge wafts of muscular, minty, cassis-laden Cabernet Sauvignon on the nose introduce a powerful structured palate with savoury hints of liquorice. This is unquestionably Lynch-Bages, and a great one at that. Displaying even more elegance than other recent vintages, this Cabernet-dominated wine (83%) will gain even more weight in barrel and looks likely to prove absolutely stunning with a bit of patience. Drink 2012-2030.
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
Ready, but will improve,
The wine is usually really classy and 2015 is certainly no exception. It's really refreshing, but wears its acidity so well: lemon, pear, apple and all the zestiness you can hope for, alongside tasty baked fruit and hints of the exotic.
The wine is ever so persistent, there is volume here and really pretty aromatics. It is so floral. Enticing and rewarding, it has such a glorious mouth-watering acidity on the finish.
Blend: 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 33% Semillon, 17% Muscadelle
The wine is ever so persistent, there is volume here and really pretty aromatics. It is so floral. Enticing and rewarding, it has such a glorious mouth-watering acidity on the finish.
Blend: 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 33% Semillon, 17% Muscadelle
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
For laying down,
Ch. Lynch-Bages shines out like a beacon this year; it is definitely one of our favourite wines of the vintage. It has a very generous nose of toasty oak and dark fruits which are immediately appealing.
The powerfully structured palate has savoury hints of liquorice and ripe black juicy fruit which all combine in a dense, brooding, almost muscular mouth-feel. Displaying some elegance too, this Cabernet-dominated wine will surely gain even more weight in barrel and it could be tremendously stunning with a bit if patience. This estate now effortlessly outperforms its designated 1855 classification.
Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
The powerfully structured palate has savoury hints of liquorice and ripe black juicy fruit which all combine in a dense, brooding, almost muscular mouth-feel. Displaying some elegance too, this Cabernet-dominated wine will surely gain even more weight in barrel and it could be tremendously stunning with a bit if patience. This estate now effortlessly outperforms its designated 1855 classification.
Blend: 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
For laying down,
This is seriously impressive, with a kick of sweet cassis fruit beautifully cloaking the grippy but extremely ripe tannins. It is a fine introduction to the wines of the great Ch. Lynch-Bages estate and really well proportioned. It is so cool, so refreshing, yet wonderfully ripe and opulent.
There is lovely creamy blackcurrant and strawberry fruit, all kept together by a fine persistence. A delicate, harmonious red fruit nose leads onto a silky, feminine palate and a beautifully balanced finish. This is an excellent (and very good-value) glimpse at the wonders of the estate, but is also a very good wine in its own right.
Blend: 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot
There is lovely creamy blackcurrant and strawberry fruit, all kept together by a fine persistence. A delicate, harmonious red fruit nose leads onto a silky, feminine palate and a beautifully balanced finish. This is an excellent (and very good-value) glimpse at the wonders of the estate, but is also a very good wine in its own right.
Blend: 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 34% Merlot
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
Ready, but will improve,
"What we do in life echoes in eternity" as the magnificent Maximus Decimus Meridius once related. I'm not sure it will last quite that long but all hail to Jean-Charles Cazes and the Lynch Bages team for creating a truly inspirational offering this year. It is dense and rich but seductive, with a terrific finish. A real thumbs up! It should be well within in the ‘fill your sandals’ price range too.
(58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc. 13.8% abv)
Simon Staples, Fine Wine Director
(58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc. 13.8% abv)
Simon Staples, Fine Wine Director
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
Ready, but will keep,
“Best one yet”! was my on the ground note for the superb second wine. A real joy. There is a similarity here between Ch. Palmer and Alter Ego and Lynch Bages and Echo. Like Alter Ego, Echo doesn’t take itself too seriously. It too is approachable, soft, succulent, moreish and probably, a little worryingly, too quaffable. (I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it!) Phenomenally enjoyable, hope the price tag will merit my gushings!
(Simon Staples, Berrys’ Fine Wine Director)
(Simon Staples, Berrys’ Fine Wine Director)
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
For laying down,
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.
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
For laying down,
A sublime masculine heavyweight Lynch. It is Pauillac personified with an impenetrable but incredibly ripe nose bursting with pure, minerally cassis. Mouthfilling creamy black cherry and blackcurrant fruit is phenomenally smooth and boasts great structure with hints of tobacco, coffee, leather and mint. The tannins are rich and silky with a rare freshness. The wine is aged in 80% new oak which is the most they have ever used, feeling it necessary to cloak the exceptional fruit and powerful tannins. This is set to be a legendary Lynch so don't miss out.
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
Ready, but will keep,
Since the early 1980s Ch. Lynch Bages, under the charismatic guidance of Jean-Michel Cazes, has consistently performed far above its designated 1855 classification. The 2001 is no exception. Tasting a line up of 2001 Pauillacs at the Union des Grands Crus tasting, Lynch-Bages shone out like a beacon. A very generous, powerful nose of ripe blackcurrants, liquorice, cedar and toasted new oak is complemented by a dense, brooding, muscular palate with ripe black fruits, minerals and a gloriously long finish. This quintessential Pauillac should be a definite for any serious cellar. This is as good as the their magnificent 1996.
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
Ready, but will keep,
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.
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
For laying down,
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
Simon Staples, BBR Sales & Marketing Director
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
Ready, but will keep,
Few people realise that this is the second wine of Ch. Lynch-Bages, and it certainly doesn't taste like it here! Gentle cedar hints enhance the rich summer pudding flavours while roasted coffee and firm tannins and acidity add a serious edge. The pure yet beguiling nose of spicy raspberries tops things off beautifully. You can argue about how good the Grand Vin is till the cows come home but there is no doubt that this wonderful wine is the best Haut-Bages Averous ever.
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
Ready, but will keep,
Lemon zest, pear, apple and grapefruit all compete on the nose here, which is enticing and rewarding. White floral aromas emerge too. The palate is a touch more exotic, with grapefruit in the ascendency and just the merest touch of citrus. Baked fruits are really tasty here. The juice is fresh, dry and multi-layered. There is a very pleasing length, completed by mouth-watering acidity. This is one of our favourite whites of the vintage: really classy white Bordeaux.
52% Sauvignon Blanc, 28% Sémillon, 20% Muscadelle
52% Sauvignon Blanc, 28% Sémillon, 20% Muscadelle
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
Ready, but will improve,
One of my favourite Echo de Lynch Bages for many years, this wine is now very much the baby brother of the Grand Vin itself. Twenty-seven percent of the harvest was used to create the wine this year. Well proportioned, fresh, energetic and cooling, it is ripe and opulent in 2014. Soft, succulent, moreish and brimming with dark damson fruit, this is wonderfully quaffable. It is a fine introduction to the wines of the great Ch. Lynch Bages estate and really well proportioned.
73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot
73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
For laying down,
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
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
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
Ready, but will keep,
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.
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
For laying down,
One of our all-time favourite properties, Ch. Lynch-Bages has not only has been playing out of its skin since 2006, but when you are lucky enough to actually drink a fully mature vintage, it makes you purr like a kitten. The 2012, is certainly not a kitten though, more of a brooding lioness showing real volume, weight and substance that few can match. The nose has dark fruits, cassis and licorice whilst the palate exudes rich, silky and sublime density, sweetness and glycerol. The expression and volume build in the mouth with freshness, focus and texture followed by a bright and lifting finish. Unquestionably one of the weightier wines of the week, it is continually expressive onto the finish where an explosion of flavours takes over as if roaring to all in the Savannah!
Simon Staples, Asia Director
Simon Staples, Asia Director
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
For laying down,
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.
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.
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
Drink now,
A classic offering posessing the weight of the 1999... this structured, tannic 2002 offers a dense ruby/purple color, medium to full body, and the tell-tale Lynch Bages black currant and earthy nose. There is good power on the attack, mid-palate and finish. It will need 2-3 years of cellaring, and should age nicely for 12-15 years. If more texture and length develop with bottle age (and they should), this wine will merit an outstanding score. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2020.
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - Oct 2003
Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - Oct 2003
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
Ready, but will keep,
Almost as good as their awe-inspiring 2005. Since winemaker Nicolas Labenne joined Lynch-Bages from Calon-Ségur the wines here have been better than ever; no longer the `poor man's Mouton' but increasingly almost as good! Impressive, aethereal aromatics and some serious minerally cassis set the tone for this rich, silky-textured Pauillac with oodles of sweet black cherry and blackberry essence and coffee hints. With George Clooney-like charm, a ripe but substantial tannic structure, and an intense, mouthwatering long finish this respects the vintage but definitely outperforms it.
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
Ready, but will improve,
Few wines in 2013 provide power through weight of fruit and fine structure. Following one of Simon Staples’ previous analogies, this year’s Lynch Bages is again gladiatorial, muscular, defined, powerful and it certainly will entertain. A core of beautifully defined, luscious, cassis and blackcurrant fruit provides weight and a light touch of sweetness whilst the long finish has a gentle, stylish and graceful uplift. This is not in the same league as the 2010, 2009 or 2000 but it is closer than you’d think and with it being 25% cheaper than the current market price of the 2007, there is every reason to buy this very fine 2013.
Jake Dean - Fine Wine Sales Director
(Cabernet Sauvignon 72%, Merlot 20%, Cabernet Franc 6%, Petit Verdot 2%) 64% of the harvest was used in the Grand Vin. Black fruits, violets and pepper compete on the nose of this 2013. There is plenty of fruit on offer and a backbone of silky tannins and carefully judged acidity.
Jake Dean - Fine Wine Sales Director
(Cabernet Sauvignon 72%, Merlot 20%, Cabernet Franc 6%, Petit Verdot 2%) 64% of the harvest was used in the Grand Vin. Black fruits, violets and pepper compete on the nose of this 2013. There is plenty of fruit on offer and a backbone of silky tannins and carefully judged acidity.
Chateau Lynch-Bages,
Ready, but will keep,
There is a generous helping of dark forest fruits on the nose here and a very nice integration of spicy oak characters on the palate, followed by a pleasing acidity. Sweet cassis fruit also presents itself on the relatively long finish. The Second Wine of Ch. Lynch Bages, Echo was previous known as Ch. Haut-Bages Averous. Cabernet Sauvignon 70%, Merlot 30%
Château Lynch Bages, a 5ème 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. Since 1973 it has been owned by the enigmatic Jean-Michel Cazes and is now run by his son, Jean-Charles.
Lynch Bages's vineyards are superbly sited on a plateau west of Pauillac town, in the small village of Bages. The 90 hectares of vineyards (Red: Cabernet Sauvignon 75%, Merlot 15%, Cabernet Franc 10%) lie on deep gravel beds over limestone. For the reds, fermentation is temperature-controlled with extensive 'remontage' to ensure concentration and depth of colour. A special system of pipes transfers the wine from the cuves to the oak barriques (60% new) where it matures for 15 months.
Lynch Bages 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 ten years and irresistible at twenty."