The best vintage of Lynch Bages ever? No. No, it's not, neither is it the best Bordeaux vintage either, but this is still Lynch Bages and their team only make outstanding and delicious wines.
This is an expressive and approachable style of Lynch Bages and is ready for drinking from 2020 onward. Not as light as the 2002 (or as dull as some others in between then and now...), this is charming and lush, with clove, black fruits, dried flowers and sage. Importantly for this vintage, which was short and very small because of vineyard rot, the wine is not over-extracted and is therefore elegant, precise and more linear than usual. 72% Cabernet Sauvignon.
"The 2013 Lynch-Bages is unusual but also quite pretty. In this vintage the flavors are quite dark, with distinct dark red/purplish overtones. Dried flowers, cloves and sage are some of the notes that develop with time in the glass. The 2013 finishes with lovely length and precision. The blend is 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot." 93 Antonio Galloni
"A pretty and tangy Lynch with lemon and orange peel with hints of red fruits and hints of iron. Full to medium body, with firm tannins. Bright finish. Chewy. Lively finish." 92 James Suckling
Chateau Lynch Bages nearly sells itself. Seriously good and immensely long-living, this is one of the finest red Bordeaux properties of the last four decades and with only one or two vintages that could ever be considered to be anything other than excellent, they have a serious pedigree to back up their reputation.
Classified by the awful hand of fate as only a fifth growth in the 1855 classification, they have consistently proven their wine to be of much higher worth and it is widely agreed that if any reclassification were ever to be done again (it won't), Lynch Bages would be very much the beneficiary of it.
2012 was the smallest vintage in size since 1991, which was particularly difficult for most Bordeaux Chateaux. As ever, the Cazes' patience was properly rewarded. It is a powerful, complex, elegant and classically structured Lynch Bages that is reminiscent of the excellent 2006.
Region: Bordeaux
Country: France
Grape(s): Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc
Style: Svelte, Structured, Smooth, Silky, Rich, Powerful, Iconic, Full, Elegant, Dark, Complex, Broad, Balanced
Best food matches: Venison, Veal, Steak, Red Meats, Mature Cheeses, Lamb, Fine Dining, Charcuterie, Beef
Alcohol: 14%
