| 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 world of wine lost one of its greats when Jean-Michel Cazes died in the Summer of 2023. He was a wonderful man and a fantastic ambassador for Bordeaux, Pauillac and Lynch Bages. He leaves behind a legacy of fabulous wines and a Chateau performing at the top of its game. The 2023 vintage is 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. Maturation in 75% new oak. 13.7% alcohol. Yield 47 hl/ha.
As usual one of the chunkier, broader-shouldered wines of the Médoc, the 2023 Lynch-Bages exhibits aromas of dark berries and cassis mingled with pencil shavings, licorice and pipe tobacco, framed by creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, rich and layered, it's deep, concentrated and generously extracted, with plenty of youthfully chewy tannin to carry it along in the cellar. The 2023 is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot.
The 2023 Lynch-Bages takes some time to really settle, so I gave it 5-10 minutes in the glass. On the nose, glossy black fruit mixes with touches of cassis, graphite, violets and blood orange, perhaps demonstrating more horsepower than I anticipated. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, saturated tannins. There is a lovely symmetry to this Pauillac (not unlike Latour), armed with a cashmere texture and plenty of backbone on the finish, even though I would not describe it as a "grippy" Lynch-Bages. There’s plenty of graphite character on the aftertaste. Excellent.
A Lynch Bages that speaks more to the property's style than it does the vintage, this is a deep, shiny purple in the glass and has a powerful, black-fruit laden nose. Hints of nutmeg and liquorice come through, but the purity of cassis here is very impressive. Broad-shouldered on the palate, this is a dense, chewy vin de garde that will need at least a decade in bottle before approaching. Powerful, ripe yet never overblown, this is the essence of Pauillac, vertical, spicy and impressive. A wine with a real sense of place, this is a brilliant example of this château's unique style. Superb.
Blackberry, black cherry, crushed stone and graphite. Lead pencil, too. It’s full-bodied with juicy, chewy tannins. Vertical and layered with lovely length. Quite plush. Chewy tannins at the end. Cabernet sauvignon driven. Showing excellent potential.
Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Lynch-Bages prances out with vibrant notes of crushed blackcurrants and black raspberries plus fragrant hints of violets, iron ore, bay leaves, and fragrant soil with a touch of graphite. The medium-bodied palate delivers impressive tension, with a sturdy backbone of grainy tannins and an earthy finish. The blend is 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, with pH 3.75 and TPI 95.
Concentrated, intense and muscular, not a word that I have used very often in 2023 Bordeaux. You get a deeply-rooted tannic grip, with soot, squid ink, cassis, blackberry, bilberry, liqourice root, slate scrap, pummice stone and mint. Lynch Bages seems to be wrought from a different place than it was a decade ago, impressive, powerful Pauillac, with an eye on long ageing. 75% new oak, Jean-Charles Cazes owner, Nicolas Labenne technical director.
The 2023 Lynch-Bages is a dark, brooding wine. In so many vintages, Lynch-Bages is a wine of sensuality, but in 2023, it is quite the powerhouse. Formidable tannins wrap around a core of black fruit, spice, menthol, licorice and gravel. This is a somber, introspective Lynch-Bages with a ton of Cabernet Sauvignon character. I can't wait to taste this from bottle. 2033-2073
71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Cask sample.
Restrained nose but depth, energy and power. Layered fruit on the palate. Builds steadily, the tannins powerful but refined. Very long. Definite ageing potential. (JL) 13.7%
Drink 2032 – 2050
