Lynch Bages 375ml

Outstandingly consistent quality… The estate’s reputation as a top quality wine producer took off in 1945 after a series of exceptional vintages. Over the years, the wines have gained finesse and complexity. Château Lynch-Bages is defined by its outstandingly consistent quality. Vintage after vintage, the wine has acquired greater accuracy, adding distinction to the hedonistic that made its reputation. The wine’s distinctive character has earned it a place amongst Pauillac’s greatest. Generous right from its youth, it develops structure, finesse and elegance as it matures.

2014

Wine Advocate 95: The 2014 Lynch-Bages is full of promise, offering up a classic bouquet of rich but vibrant blackcurrant fruit mingled with with hints of loamy soil, cedar and vanilla pod. Full-bodied, deep and layered, with an abundance of ripe but youthfully assertive tannin, lively acids and a long, resonant finish, it will hit its stride in 10 to 15 years. This is an excellent Lynch-Bages that represents especially good value in the contemporary marketplace

James Suckling 96: Aromas of currants, blackberries and blackcurrants with hints of chocolate and spices. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Juicy and muscular wine. Needs three or four years to open. Beautiful.

Vinous 92: The 2014 Lynch-Bages has a wonderful, precise, focused bouquet that exudes class. The oak is beautifully assimilated with superb mineralité. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a dash of white pepper and sage, gaining depth towards the harmonious and almost Saint-Julien-inspired finish. Probably ready now, but can drink over the next 15 to 20 years. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.

2016

Wine Advocate 97+: Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Lynch Bages comes charging out of the gate with pronounced cassis, chocolate-covered cherries, mulberries and menthol notions, backed up by scents of garrigue, tilled soil and a waft of tapenade. Medium to full-bodied, rich and fantastically concentrated, the generous fruit is superbly framed by firm, ripe, grainy tannins with tons of pepper, cinnamon and cloves layers coming through on the finish. Truly, a legendary Lynch Bages!

James Suckling 97: Very rich and exotic with blackberry, black-tea, graphite and lead-pencil aromas. Full-bodied, dense and structured with lots of ripe tannins and a long, flavorful finish of currants and forest floor, combined with fresh mushrooms and bark. Needs four to five years to show its true potential. Try after 2024.

Vinous 97: The 2016 Lynch-Bages is primal but concentrated on the nose with blueberry and crushed violet scents. This is powerful, sensual and utterly glorious. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, assertive and structured yet retaining ample freshness. There is a subtle marine note that comes through on the finish. One of the most profound releases from the estate in recent years....maybe ever? Tasted at the Lynch-Bages vertical at the château.