A monumental Lynch Bages
29 May 2019

Anyone who has visited the village of Bages in the last couple of years would be forgiven for thinking that the Cazes family was in the construction business. There have been a lot of cranes rising from Lynch Bages and now the most enormous edifice has emerged on top of the gravel croups. This impressive structure will be a state-of-the-art wine-making facility, which will ensure and bolster Lynch’s already exceptional reputation as one of the leading lights in Pauillac. The 2018 is itself a monument, a towering example of precision winemaking and great gravel terroir. This is such a wonderful expression of the vintage. There is deep, brooding, gravelly cassis in abundance, huge tannic power and staggering length, yet it is all controlled and beautifully shaped. It pushes the limits, but it isn’t excessive; there’s a fluency, tautness and energy that makes this vivacious and lithe. However, we would not recommend this to anyone looking to pull a cork as soon as it’s in bottle; this will require considerable patience. It’s a hugely impressive Lynch Bages, which matches and even surpasses their wonderful 2009, 2010 and 2016. The only adverse news is the yields. Like so many Chateaux in 2018, berries were tiny, so the crop came in at a less than bountiful 37 hl/ha. As a result, there is 25% less wine on the market.    Read More

“The 2018 Lynch Bages is made up of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot aging in 75% new barriques. Very deep purple-black in color, the nose is quite coy and restrained to begin, fanning out to offer pure, ripe blackcurrants, black cherries and preserved plums with wafts of red roses, cigar box, incense, cardamom and fenugreek with savory touches of black olives, Marmite toast and smoked meats. Full-bodied, the palate is built like a brick house, with a solid foundation of very firm, very ripe, grainy tannins and superb freshness supporting the generous black fruit layers, finishing long with provocative ferrous suggestions. 96-98/100”. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, The Wine Advocate

“This is incredibly powerful and structured with so much tannin backbone and length, yet it’s cool and fresh with a compact palate and great length. Muscular. 97-98/100”. - James Suckling, jamessuckling.com