Château Lynch Bages 1993
Review of the Estate
Château Lynch-Bages is a winery in the Pauillac appellation of the Bordeaux region of France. Château Lynch-Bages is also the name of the red wine produced by this property. The wine produced here was classified as one of eighteen Cinquièmes Crus in the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855.
The 90 hectares (220 acres) of Château Lynch Bages are located just outside of the town of Pauillac. The vineyard occupies a gravel ridge looking down over the Gironde estuary. The well-drained soil consists mainly of deep gravel beds over a limestone sub-strata, and it is planted predominantly with red wine grape varieties There is also a small approximately 4.5 hectare (11 acres) plot planted with white varieties (40% Semillon, 40% Sauvignon blanc and 20% Muscadelle) Château Lynch Bages is primarily known for its eponymous red wine. The malolactic fermentation takes place mainly in large stainless steel tanks, and the wine then spends about 15 months in oak barrels (of which some 50-60% are new) before bottling.
As of 2008, the second label of Château Lynch Bages will be called, "Echo de Lynch-Bages". A third wine has now been added, called "Pauillac de Lynch-Bages".
Vineyard
Surface area: 222 acres
Grape Varieties: 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot
Average age of vines: 30 years
Density of plantation: 9,000 vines per hectare
Average yields: 50 hectoliters per hectare
Average cases produced: 35,000 per year
Plateau of maturity: 6-25 years
Château Lynch Bages 1993 Reviews / Tasting Notes
Robert Parker - The Wine Advocate
Point Score: 86
Once past the herbal, dill pickle, and green pepper-scented nose, this dense ruby/purple-colored wine offers good structure, medium body, and soft, ripe, alluring flavors possessing fat, glycerin, and fruit. Hopefully, the herbal aromas will develop a more cedary character with another 1-2 years of bottle age. There is plenty of blackcurrant, jammy fruit in the wine's flavor profile. Anticipated maturity: now-2008.
Wine Spectator
Point Score: 87
Not big, but a lovely, harmonious Lynch-Bages featuring blackberry, cherry and vanilla aromas and flavors, medium body, fine tannins and fresh finish. Better in 1998. 35,000 cases made.
Stephen Tanzer
Point Score: 90
Enticing aromas of blackcurrant, coffee liqueur, minerals and ink. Sweet, rich and ripe on the palate, with dark berry, plum and cedar flavors. Finishes clean and quite persistent, with lovely saline and dark berry nuances. Not a blockbuster but very classic Bordeaux with a refined mouthfeel and sneaky concentration. Well done, especially in light of the unmemorable vintage.