Château Lynch Bages 2019
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 2019 Reviews / Tasting Notes
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate
Point Score: 97-99+
A true classic from this estate, the 2019 Lynch-Bages has turned out brilliantly, unwinding in the glass with aromas of cassis and sweet blackberry fruit mingled with licorice, mint, cigar wrapper and loamy soil. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, it's a deep, multidimensional wine built around a chassis of rich, powdery tannins and succulent balancing acids. The last vintage produced in Lynch-Bages old winery, it will be interesting to compare this benchmark wine with subsequent vintages over the coming years.
Side Note:
Lynch-Bages' recently unveiled new winery is an imposing construction and will certainly permit precision winemaking, with smaller tanks permitting parcel-by-parcel selection. And given that Lynch-Bages comprehends more or less 250 different parcels, recently the subject of an in-depth soil study, that will be a real advantage. The same studies, incidentally, are informing work in the vineyards, with parcels cultivated differently depending on their properties; and organic trials are underway in holdings near dwellings. Yet the old winery has delivered a compelling swan-song vintage in the form of the 2019 Lynch-Bages, a superb wine that merits comparison with the likes of the 2010 and 2000 in quality (and which is closer to the latter than the former in style). It's a terrific effort from the Cazes family and their technical team.
Decanter
Point Score: 97
Intense, deep and dark aromatics - such wonderful Cabernet notes on the nose. This is incredibly impactful from the very first taste, it grips the mouth and courses with power but in a well balanced, harmonious way. Mouthwatering fruit juice is backed by tannins that, although fill the mouth entirely, come across as quite ripe and soft with a backbone of menthol cooling freshness that goes from start to finish. A Pauillac with such an enticing dark profile, concentrated and direct but also so much to give. Still not near it's potential yet.
James Suckling
Point Score: 96-97
A tight and very focused young red with redcurrant, tile and blackberry undertones. Lead pencil, too. It's full-bodied with very polished, creamy tannins and lots of intense dark fruit. Compact fruit and tannins. Structured.