Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac 2020 - 5ème Grand Cru Classé

World-renowned for its opulence and consistency, this Pauillac Fifth Growth has been owned by the Cazes family since the 1930s and has gained widespread acclaim since Jean-Michel Cazes took over its management in 1973. Following the successful handover from Jean-Michel to his son Jean-Charles, the estate has maintained all its vigor and vitality in recent vintages, retaining its depth while gaining precision in its tannins. The château produces an increasingly stylish dry white Bordeaux, though we are still awaiting a more precise wine for its second label, Écho. A new wine-making facility is under construction, and it promises to be monumental—after all, the estate must hold its own in a highly competitive market!

One of my favorite wines from this vintage is a wonderful example of high-definition winemaking, still offering plenty of Pauillac’s bold character. The nose is dark and slightly salty, full of black fruit and toasty aromas. The palate is bright and lively, with clarity and precision in the berries, along with juicy, enticing acidity—there’s so much energy in the glass. Chalky, graphite-like tannins fill the mouth, providing structure and clear expressions of the terroir, with a lingering minerality on the finish. Perfectly balanced, with incredible delightfulness and drinkability. Persistent with a long finish. A superb wine. 2027–2058

The name of this wine combines that of the Irish merchants who owned it in the 18th century with that of a hamlet located just south of Pauillac. Since the 1930s, its success has stemmed from the ongoing efforts of three generations of the Cazes family: Jean-Charles, André, and Jean-Michel. The contribution of Jean-Michel, who has since handed the reins to his son Jean-Charles, has been essential. His success is linked to the quality of the wines, produced from a vast 100-hectare vineyard, as well as to a sound development strategy that includes wine trading and tourism infrastructure (hotel-restaurant, shops).

 

The first vintage produced in the new fermentation tank is no mere trial run. The wine is spectacular, driven by brilliant fruit and notes of spices and white pepper. The finish is as savory as one could hope for.

It is now up to Jean-Charles Cazes to steer this prestigious Pauillac estate. His father, Jean-Michel—an exceptional figure in the Médoc, a tireless ambassador for Bordeaux wines, and the architect of this Fifth Growth’s reputation—is, however, never far away. The magnificent family estate, superbly situated on the Bages plateau, has produced an impressive series of wines without a single weak link since the early 1970s, establishing its rich, seductive, and immediately approachable style, while also aging with grace. Now equipped with a spectacular, brand-new, state-of-the-art winery, the estate is more on track than ever, and its popularity among many wine enthusiasts is simply a well-deserved reward.

A beautifully layered red wine with notes of blackcurrant, hazelnut, and graphite, and fine, velvety tannins. It is full-bodied and reserved. It’s like a ball of polished, well-integrated tannins with a cashmere-like texture. Very long and impressive. It needs time to develop. A superb Lynch. Best after 2027.

This is the first vintage produced in the new Lynch-Bages winery. The pursuit of precision has thus been optimized thanks to tools that enable more effective winemaking. The result lives up to expectations—or rather, projections—since the family’s ambitions were already well established beforehand! The wine has density, vibrancy, and tannins of rare precision. It is this last point that likely best highlights the Cazes family’s ambitions. The wine is deep, linear, compact, and possesses a tannic structure that will carry it far. Such serenity and quiet strength in Lynch-Bages! A great success! 2028–2050

The nose is fresh and fruity, offering concentration, a fine texture, elegance, a subtle structure, and complexity. It features notes of bright, fresh small black berries, morello cherry, violet, and, more subtly, wild strawberries, combined with hints of ripe wild red berries and blueberries, as well as subtle hints of cardamom, black tea, cherry blossoms, graphite, subtle hints of dark chocolate and toasted notes, and an imperceptible hint of cumin. On the palate, it is fruity, fresh, and balanced, with precision, offering juiciness, minerality, lovely definition, a certain depth, as well as richness, beautiful energy, a subtly tight structure, aromatic purity, fullness and harmony, lovely complexity, a multi-layered character, and energy. On the palate, this wine expresses notes of pulpy, juicy blackcurrant, vibrant boysenberry, and, more subtly, wild strawberry, combined with hints of violet, juicy blueberry,fresh blueberries, vibrant purple plums, refined minerality (almost subtly iodine-like), blueberries, star anise, and zan, as well as subtle hints of tobacco, cardamom, and black licorice stick. The tannins are elegant, precise, substantial yet delicate and velvety. A very nice/good bitterness on the finish/aftertaste. Notes of chocolate and a hint of caramelization/brown sugar in the background/aftertaste. This is a wine rich in freshness, full of subtlety and harmony.

The first vintage produced in their brand-new, state-of-the-art cellars stands out with its striking display of peppery spices, mint, cigar box, blackcurrant, blackberries, cedar, and crème de cassis. The wine is full-bodied, fresh, long, deep, intense, powerful, and velvety, leaving you with an ocean of sweet, ripe, and pure blackcurrant to savor. This refined Lynch-Bages vintage will age for decades. Best enjoyed between 2027 and 2060.