Chateau Lynch Bages 2021

WINE ENTHUSIAST: "A high percentage (75%) of new wood has given this wine a very fine polished character. Along with the structure, it has brought out impressive aromas of black fruits, cinnamon spice and power. The wine is has a fresh black-fruit aftertaste. Drink from 2028."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Lovely depth to the nose of this young Bordeaux with black currant, ink and walnut aromas that follow through to a medium to full body with a solid core of polished and integrated tannins. This will drink beautifully in 2026 and onwards."

WEINWISSER: "Satte, dunkle Farbe, leuchtend frisch. Distinguiert und tiefgründig präsentiert sich der Lynch-Bages 2021 im Geruch mit reifer, konzentrierter Frucht, ganz klar und packend, mit liköriger Kopfnote und mittlerer Intensität. Im Mund ist er saftig, schmelzig, rund und klar, mit sehr straffen und geschliffenen Gerbstoffen und einem festen, inneren Kern. Ganz frisch und druckvoll auf der Zunge mit viel Extrakt und beeindruckender Intensität im Nachhall. Schokolade, Rosinen, mit viel Saft und Fülle."

DECANTER: "Sweet blackcurrant fruit on the nose, softly jammy and expressive. You can really feel the ripeness here, grapes got full maturity and this is plush, mouthfilling and plump with chewy tannins - more opulent and perfumed than others also with more power and body. Tannins are mouthfilling and you get the stone minerality and the Cabernet freshness that really takes over giving this a sense of tension and grip. A really characterful and expressive Pauillac where the tannins and acidity perfectly compliment each other with the muscular and concentrated fruit also giving a multi-faceted dimension. 3% Cabernet Sauvignon completes the blend. 3.72pH. Ageing 75% new barrels."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Deep ruby. Black fruit, liquorice and a touch of black pepper on the nose – this is a brooding wine for the vintage. Chewy, mouth-coating tannins dominate the palate, this is a big, bold and atypical wine for the vintage. Richer structure and more density than most. This is laced with the property’s individual character and is impressive. The acid profile of the vintage remains, but this is a very good effort. One that can be laid down in this vintage."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "Smoke, cedar, cigar box, cassis, spearmint, and spice nuances set the perfume where it needs to be. The palate, with its layers of vibrant, sweet, fresh, energetic, chewy fruits leaves a lasting impression. There is concentration, depth of flavor, chewiness, and length here that would make this a serious wine in a top vintage. But, with 2021, this is a tremendous success that exceeds the vintage. The wine blends 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. The yields were low at 34 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2027-2050."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Displays a nice mix of almost caressing black cherry and black currant paste flavors, with warm cast iron, sweet tobacco and chestnut notes, showing just a nip of the vintage's austerity. Rock solid for the vintage, this offers a lively, savory edge that adds cut and energy. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2040. 24,000 cases made."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 2021 Lynch-Bages is one of the vintage's bigger, broader-shouldered wines, offering up aromas of crème de cassis, plums and spices, framed by a generous application of creamy new oak. Medium to full-bodied, dense and chunky, with a velvety attack that segues into a layered core of fruit framed by generously extracted tannins, it concludes with a long, lusty finish. Fully 40 hectares of this estate is now cultivated organically, principally those parcels that adjoin the houses of Pauillac. As is almost invariably the case with this estate, it will repay a bit of patience."

JEB DUNNUCK: "One of the most concentrated wines in the vintage, the inky hued 2021 Château Lynch-Bages is based on 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, raised in 75% new oak. It offers ample smoked black fruits, graphite, leather, and an undeniable sense of minerality. It has the firmer tannins of the vantage yet brings beautiful mid-palate depth, has medium-bodied richness, perfectly integrated oak, and terrific overall balance. This is one of the few 2021s where the cellar is going to really be required, which shouldn't surprise any long-term fans of this château. Hide bottles for 5-7 years and enjoy over the following two decades. The 2021 hit 13.14% alcohol, has a pH of 3.72, and a massive IPT (the amount of tannins) of 90."

FALSTAFF: "Tiefdunkles Rubingranat, opaker Kern, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Feines Edelholz, ein Hauch von dunklem Nougat, schwarze Herzkirschen, zarte Nuancen von Lakritze. Komplex, saftig, zart nach Cassis, tragende Tannine, gute Länge und Frische, sicheres Reifepotenzial."

LISA PERROTTI-BROWN: "A blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2021 Lynch-Bages has a deep garnet-purple color. It bursts with bold notions of wild blueberries, kirsch, and blackcurrants, giving way to underlying hints of lilacs, aniseed, and tar. The light to medium-bodied palate is tightly wound, with a lively line and chewy tannins, featuring bright black fruit and minerally layers, finishing with a floral lift."