| Region | |
|---|---|
| Subregion | France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > Pauillac |
| Colour | Red |
| Type | Still |
Lynch Bages is one of the most popular and reliable châteaux of Bordeaux. Release prices of this archetypal and significant Pauillac (100 hectares) are usually modest compared to those that consumers are happy to pay for mature vintages. This much-loved château, owned by the Cazes family for nearly a century, consistently makes one of our most demanded and biggest selling wines. Jean-Michel Cazes' son, Jean-Charles, is now in charge and recent vintages have been amongst the best ever. A new state of the art winery was completed in 2020. The second wine is now labelled "Echo de Lynch", replacing Haut Bages Averous. The Cazes family recently added near neighbour Haut Batailley to their portfolio but this will be kept separate from Lynch Bages.
The great Jean Michel Cazes says that this is the best Lynch Bages that he has ever tasted, so who are we to argue? It is a huge, strapping, black-fruited wine with 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Jean-Charles believes that it has the opulence of the 2009, the power of the 2010 and it is like a denser version of the 2019.
The 2022 Lynch-Bages was picked 12 September, around 15 days earlier than usual until 24 September at around 35hL/ha. Aged for 18 months in 75% new oak, it has a backward nose that demands a lot of encouragement. This is not as immediate as the 2016 or 2019 at the same stage. Powerful blackberry and boysenberry fruit, cedar and light tobacco notes, this feels like an edifice of aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, beautifully balanced, very harmonious yet there is an enormous backbone here that (again) is reminiscent of Mouton. Extremely long on the finish, this will need its barrel maturation to fully knit together and it is going to be a Pauillac for the long haul. 2032-2075
One of the vintage's most powerful, muscular wines is the 2022 Lynch-Bages, a full-bodied, broad-shouldered Pauillac that unfurls in the glass with aromas of cassis, cherries, mint, pencil shavings and petroleum jelly, framed by nicely integrated new oak. Liberally extracted, its deep core of fruit is underpinned by an imposing chassis of rich, powdery tannin and lively acids. Always rather forbidding from barrel, Lynch Bages always seems to come together in bottle, and the 2022 has the makings of another success for this address.
Undoubtedly one of the most structured wines of the vintage, this is a classic, broad-shouldered vin de garde from Lynch Bages. Opaque purple in colour, the nose is effusive of pipe tobacco, cassis, hot coals and a little cherry coulis. The palate is stony, with a hit of chewy tannins that persists and coats the mouth. This structure would overwhelm many wines, but here it only serves to balance the dense, explosive black fruit at the core. High purity of black fruit bursts through the tannins, bolstered by smoky clove and incense. This blockbuster will need more than a decade in bottle before it hits its stride, but once in full flow it will prove to be one of the best Cabernet-led wines in this vintage.
Wow. Blackcurrants, blueberries, blackberries and flowers. Full-bodied with beautifully integrated tannins that melt into the wine. Persistent and precise. A fantastic wine for the cellar. 66% cabernet sauvignon, 28% merlot, 3% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot.
The 2022 Lynch-Bages is composed of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little closed to start, soon revealing evocative creme de cassis, blueberry pie, and chocolate-covered cherries notes with suggestions of cast-iron pan, black truffles, and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is taut with muscular black fruit and loads of mineral sparks, framed by very firm, grainy tannins and a refreshing line, finishing long and earthy. pH 3.71, TPI 95.
Full on inky purple in colour, this is sculpted and full of character. Intense, not just a reflection of the vintage but in the increasing concentration found in Lynch Bages over the past decade. Delivers so much character, wtih charcoal, soot, campfire, liquorice, slate, bilberry, cassis. Hugely impressive and complex, will age for decades. As it opens and those fierce tannins loosen their grip a little, the floral character of the Cabernet Sauvignon becomes more clear. It's austere right now, with shoulders and muscles, but I am fully on board. One to wait for. 75% new oak. Harvest September 12 to 24.
66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. Cask sample.
Aromatically spicy and exuberant, the fruit generous and full. Layers of fruit on the palate backed by an impressive tannic frame. Real power and persistence. Harmonious as well. Long life ahead. (JL)
Drink 2032– 2055
