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

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

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, preserving its depth while gaining greater tannic precision. The château produces an increasingly stylish dry white Bordeaux, though we are still awaiting a more precise wine for the 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 world!

Decanter

About the wine:

One of my favorite wines from this vintage, it’s a wonderful example of high-definition winemaking, while still showcasing the bold character of Pauillac. 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 fruit, 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

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

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 stems from the quality of the wines—produced from a vast 100-hectare vineyard—as well as from a well-thought-out development strategy that includes wine trading and tourism infrastructure (hotel-restaurant, shops).

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the estate:

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

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 spice and white pepper. The finish is delightfully savory.

About the estate:

It is now up to Jean-Charles Cazes to lead 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 still being capable of aging gracefully. 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.

James Suckling

About the wine:

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 tremendous Lynch. Best after 2027.

Yves Beck

About the wine:

This is the first vintage produced in Lynch-Bages’ new 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

Vert de Vin

About the wine:

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, 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 discreetly 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, racy minerality (almost subtly iodine-like), blueberries, star anise, and zan, as well as subtle hints of tobacco, cardamom, and black licorice. The tannins are elegant, precise, robust 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 Wine Cellar Insider - Jeff Leve

About the wine:

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.