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| | Vintage | 2008 |  Label 180 of 2262 
(NOTE: Label borrowed from 2009 vintage.)
 | | Type | Red | | Producer | Château Lynch-Bages (web) | | Variety | Red Bordeaux Blend | | Designation | n/a | | Vineyard | n/a | | Country | France | | Region | Bordeaux | | SubRegion | Médoc | | Appellation | Pauillac | | UPC Code(s) | 000008738028, 014100076629, 0400005643774, 078742374604, 3364420076920, 3760020132750, 3760020133436, 3760020133931, 3760020133979, 400002298236, 607921013715, 639737592009, 649185961968, 830293006270 |
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.9 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 145 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by spillwine on 3/8/2024 & rated 93 points: Pas un grand millésime pour ce Château. Quelques herbes et une belle fraîcheur quand même. (939 views) | | | Tasted by JW0083 on 2/27/2024 & rated 90 points: More on the salty and savoury side, only on D2 expressed a bit fruit, earthy lasting is always in the tone. The wine is so serious and not expressive, not what I expect and a bit disappointed. (1014 views) | | | Tasted by kkleg on 12/25/2023 & rated 92 points: Note taken after 4+ hours in the decanter. Fragrant graphite on the nose. The palate shows notes of cherry and cedar. Even in an off vintage, Lynch-Bages makes a nice wine. Not a blockbuster by any means, but really nice. (1550 views) | | | Tasted by dbkitc on 12/14/2023 & rated 93 points: The 2008 Bordeaux that I have drunk recently have without exception exceeded expectations. I was a bit nervous about this one yet should not have worried. It’s stern and classic - black fruited with fresh tobacco leaf. Lightly herbal. Dark color. A bit youthful still on the nose. Medium bodied. Correct with good acidity. Nicely balanced. Not as seductive as the best vintages of LB, but a very serious, tobacco steeped Pauillac that went beautifully with a birthday cut of prime rib. (93) (1708 views) | | | Tasted by JBL19 on 8/19/2023 & rated 91 points: Troké, kyselé, moc nám nechutnalo. (2457 views) | | | Tasted by JBL19 on 8/19/2023 & rated 92 points: Stále má kyselinu. (1899 views) | | | Tasted by gtilley on 8/1/2023: Consistent with previous notes - structured and with lots of pyrazine notes. Classical, cool claret, a excellent match with a haunch of venison on this occasion. (2086 views) | | | Tasted by Nico P. on 1/23/2023: 13%. PnP. Tobacco, graphite, blueberries and black currants. Very primary. Firmly structured - grippy tannins and noticeably tart, but with a promise of rounded / fat texture. Stored temperature controlled since en primeur delivery. (3297 views) | | | Tasted by Yagil on 6/7/2022 & rated 93 points: Premium Mature Bordeaux Blend (at my home): Excellent. (Almost) at peak. (5750 views) | | | Tasted by Macdog on 6/7/2022: I liked this but it was a bit underwhelming (/I expected more from this famous name). I suspect because of the vintage and the fact it is young. It was quite simple. Dark cool fruit with some subtle coffee notes. Not much in the nose. Weighted toward a sweet dark fruit. Acidity brought nice freshness but wasn’t as well balanced as I expected. Don’t get me wrong, a good claret and enjoyable to drink, but by no means great. (4503 views) | | | Tasted by mclanew on 4/16/2022 & rated 89 points: Slow ox for one hour. I must say a bit disappointing. Maybe I didn’t decant it enough. It starts well with a attractive, classic bordeaux nose but the palate feels a tad austere and drying. Not sure if this was specific to this bottle or a more general issue with this cuvee. (5144 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 3/22/2022 & rated 89 points: 20 Vintages of Lynch Bages (1986-2017): All wines tasted blind. Not decanted. A few conclusions: 1) The overall quality of the wines surpassed my (and the groups) expectations slightly. There were good wines in all decades. 2) The style is very Cabernet, very Pauillac, quite classic, with a good grip, pleasantly high acidity and a good, not too ripe fruit core. 3) Most vintages don‘t have the depth of its neighbours and, until more recently, there are some quite angular tannins. 4) Lynch these days doesn’t reach the same elegance and complexity as both Pichons but plays in the same league as Pontet Canet, which, is less classically built. 5) Highest rating of 95 pts for 3 crowd favorites: of course for the 1990 and 2016, but rather surprising also for the 2017.
TN: Not very expressive nose. On the palate this shows a superb coffee note along with ripe dark fruit. Some additional hints of herbs and minerality. Quite well defined. Sadly the structure can‘t keep up with coarse tannins and a not well integrated acidity. In fact it’s quite acidic and gets more and more acidic the longer it sit in the glass. The texture is quite creamy and nice but that can‘t safe the wine. 88/89 pts.
Decanting: No extensive decanting needed. (6527 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 3/14/2022 & rated 91 points: Lynch Bages vertical (1986-2017): Lynch Bages vertical spanning 20 vintage (1986-2017) hosted by a private collector. My key observations were: 1/ The “twin peaks” of 1989 and 1990 continue to perform well, 3/ among the younger vintages 2017 and 2016 stood out, 3/ mid- to late-90ies were unimpressive as a group, rustic with harsh tannins, 4/ 2000-2008 showed extracted fruit profiles, but with juicier palates, 5/ After 2009 the fruit turned brighter and more red in nature, less extracted and fruit-forward palates. Note the wines were not decanted and served blind in flights of 4.
Tasting note:
Nice and ripe fruit profile of dark cherry, plum and bramble berry. Rather dark with an animal, almost meaty layer and cold black coffee. Palate was heavy with plenty of weight to it and starts off with decent harmony in the attack, but tannin and acidity diverge into the finish. (4480 views) | | | Tasted by Aesculapian Connoisseur on 2/3/2022 & rated 93 points: Very well aged borderax with deep ruby color.
Nose show numerous secondary character, after decanting of 2 hours, more tobacco and chocolate note
Palate is strong and sweet, showcase of liquorice, tobacco, sweet spice and ripe plum note with a minty and long sweet tannin finished
Suprising for a weeker vintage (3035 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 1/28/2022 & rated 92 points: An easy afternoon with close friends (@ My place): Beautiful wine with dark berries, vanilla, sweet spices and some barnyard. On the palate dark berries, chocolate, graphite, bell pepper, chocolate and stable impressions. A lot of good acidity and firm tannin. Needs some more time in the bottle. Probably better around 2025 and later. 91 – 92+ (3107 views) | | | Tasted by javierbb on 7/18/2021 & rated 94 points: Beber o guardar..... se nota la añada, falta contundecia y mucha acidez. Buen vino en una añada floja..... (4471 views) | | | Tasted by mclanew on 4/16/2021 & rated 92 points: Two hour decant. This has a nice nose with black currants, underbrush and tobaccos. Fairly powerful and structured, this still has reasonable tannin, but on the other hand there is a fair amount of oak influence as well and the wine feels a bit of four squared. Maybe with time this will get better. (4478 views) | | | Tasted by luHar1423 on 3/21/2021 & rated 92 points: The occassion to open this bottle was a graduation. Usually, a 12-13 year old quality Bordeaux is drinkable and so was this one - HOWEVER, I strongly recommend to keep it another 7 odd years in the cellar. The wine was very closed at the beginning and it took more than 4 hours after decanting that it showed its potential. Once releasing the nuances of blackberry, cassis and cherry, with some toasty to the nose and enjoying additional tastes of butterscotch, vanilla, raisin and mushroomy on the palate, the enjoyment started. This will be a fantastic wine in a couple of years - in my view a totally underrated 2008 Lynch Bages. Nice garnet colored, slow legs and hardly any sediments shows the quality of the vinification. Medium-to-full bodied and satin-like texture let you enjoy this wine today, if you are patient, very patient because the wine will return a fruity and tasty long finish with signs of developing tertiary notes.
I - though - will wait another couple of years. (4720 views) | | | Tasted by Decanting Queen on 1/30/2021 & rated 91 points: Tasted blind but unmistakeably Pauillac. This vintage a bit more austere than other LB but hoping it will sort itself out in the cellar because I have a few bottles I had never tried. Still quite enjoyable but I think it will improve. (6044 views) | | | Tasted by boreddoughboy on 1/17/2021 & rated 90 points: Needed 45 minutes to open. Nice dark Lynch. Typical pauillac with nose of deep dark fruit and violet. Tannins still a bit tight. Leather and pencil lead mixed with deep fruit. Has a dark chocalate finish which lasts 20 seconds. (4534 views) | | | Tasted by Mario17 on 1/15/2021 & rated 93 points: Très rive gauche au nez, cassis, cèdre, graphite, de la violette aussi et réglisse. Une bouche riche et généreuse, puissante et élégante, beaucoup de classe et un équilibre exemplaire avec une excellente finale, très beau 2008. 93-94
Dark fruit, blackcurrant, blackberries, licorice, some cedar and a touch of graphite, very typical left bank aromas to go with a lush and velvety palate, rich and elegant, structured and balanced, good length, really good 2008 LB. 93-94 (3710 views) | | | Tasted by gsomers on 12/28/2020 & rated 92 points: Our first Lynch-Bages. Opened four hours followed by a two hour decant. The wine was fragrant and flavorful with a nice finish, yet it was as others have described restrained and structured. It was enjoyed by all. (3064 views) | | | Tasted by Sean Tay on 11/10/2020 & rated 88 points: Pencil shaving, vanilla, spices, tobacco, cedar. Feel that the fruits notes are still closed. Should store and revisit 5 years later, the only concern is that it will be left with more tertiary notes than fruit notes. (3420 views) | | | Tasted by tigerstws on 10/26/2020: Great wine must buy again. Best year (3216 views) | | | Tasted by spillwine on 10/4/2020 & rated 92 points: Un peu réticent. Classique. (3318 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Neal Martin
Vinous, Passing the Baton: Lynch-Bages 1945-2018 (Jul 2023) (7/1/2023)
(Lynch-Bages Lynch-Bages Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, 2008 Bordeaux - Now at age 10 (2/28/2019)
(Chateau Lynch-Bages Red) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (3/2/2018)
(Ch Lynch-Bages Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, 2008 Bordeaux: A Day In A Life (Feb 2018) (2/18/2018)
(Lynch Bages Lynch Bages Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Hemming, MW
JancisRobinson.com (2/1/2018)
(Ch Lynch-Bages Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, February 2018 (2/1/2018)
(Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jane Anson
Decanter, 2008 Bordeaux 10 Years on (1/1/2018)
(Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (6/16/2016)
(Château Lynch Bages Pauillac, France) Subscribe to see review text. | The World of Fine Wine, December 2012, Issue #38
(Château Lynch-bages 5ème Cru) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, November 2012 (11/1/2012)
(Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Gary Walsh
The WINEFRONT (3/21/2012)
(Chateau Lynch-Bages) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (1/19/2012)
(Ch Lynch Bages Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, July/August 2011, IWC Issue #157
(Chateau Lynch Bages Pauillac (Pre-Arrival)) Subscribe to see review text. | By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/19/2010)
(Ch Lynch Bages Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, October 2010
(Chateau Lynch-Bages (Pauillac)) Subscribe to see review text. | The World of Fine Wine, June 2009, Issue #24
(Château Lynch-Bages 5ème Cru) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (5/4/2009)
(Ch Lynch Bages Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Ian D'Agata
Vinous, May/June 2009, IWC Issue #144
(Chateau Lynch Bages Pauillac) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, April 2009
(Chateau Lynch-Bages Pauillac) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, April 2009
(Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (1/21/2011)
(Château Lynch-Bages) Very dark red violet color; cedar, tart currant, black fruit nose; tight, cedar, tart currant palate, needs 3-plus years; medium-plus finish 91+ pts. (75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc) 91 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and JebDunnuck.com and JancisRobinson.com and Winedoctor and Decanter and JamesSuckling.com and The World of Fine Wine and The WINEFRONT and RJonWine.com. (manage subscription channels) |
| Château Lynch-Bages Producer website - Read more about Chateau Lynch Bages
Vineyard map
BACKGROUND: The wine of Château Lynch-Bages is part of the lineage of the great Pauillac wines. Blended mostly from Cabernet Sauvignon, it combines structure and finesse, elegance and longevity. It is further distinguished by its opulence. Generous right from its youth, it develops more flavours and greater complexity as it matures.
The affirmation of the Lynch-Bages style came with the arrival of Jean-Charles Cazes to head the estate in 1934. An innovative winemaker, emblematic of a new generation of owners willing to break with tradition and taking risks to ensure truly ripe harvests, he was known for often being the last to harvest in Pauillac. From 1945 onwards, the fame of the château emerged thanks to a series of great vintages. Some, despite being considered difficult to grow in Bordeaux, are particularly successful at Lynch-Bages. His wines are characterized by their deep colour, their tannic structure, their controlled concentration and elegant sensuality. The vintages vinified by André Cazes, and after him Jean-Michel Cazes, confirm this trend.
The style of the wines has refined over the years, gaining suppleness and softness, whilst their consistency has been established over time. Then as now, Château Lynch-Bages has been characterised by its extraordinary qualitative homogeneity. Powerful, elegant and open, vintage after vintage, the wine has acquired greater accuracy, adding distinction to the hedonistic character that made its reputation.Red Bordeaux BlendRed Bordeaux is generally made from a blend of grapes. Permitted grapes are Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec and rarely Carménère.Today Carménère is rarely used, with Château Clerc Milon, a fifth growth Bordeaux, being one of the few to still retain Carménère vines. As of July 2019, Bordeaux wineries authorized the use of four new red grapes to combat temperature increases in Bordeaux. These newly approved grapes are Marselan, Touriga Nacional, Castets, and Arinarnoa.
Wineries all over the world aspire to making wines in a Bordeaux style. In 1988, a group of American vintners formed The Meritage Association to identify wines made in this way. Although most Meritage wines come from California, there are members of the Meritage Association in 18 states and five other countries, including Argentina, Australia, Canada, Israel, and Mexico.France Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)
Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings
2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.comBordeaux Bordeaux Wine Guide
Vins Bordeaux (Conseil Interprofessionnel du Vin de Bordeaux)
History of Bordeaux
History of 1855 Bordeaux Classification
"2009 is all about ripeness, with wines impressively packed with ripe fruit and high alcohol levels. They are showy, in-your-face, and full of pleasure. The 2010s have the fruit and alcohol levels of the 2009s, but with a compelling freshness on the finish that balances the fruit and provides a perfect sense of structure." - Ben Nelson
"2016 is a landmark vintage in certain spots of Bordeaux and it should be remembered as one of the most inspired campaigns of the last 40-50+ years." -Jon Rimmerman
"The quality of red Bordeaux in 2016 was universally lauded – although the response to the en primeur campaign was muted. Quantity was high too, with the equivalent of 770 million bottles of wine produced. An exceptionally dry summer with cool nights eventually, thanks to mid September rain, resulted in small, thick-skinned, ripe grapes, and the wines are marked by high tannin and acidity, with superb aromatic fragrance." - Jancis Robinson
"2017 was complicated, but there are some excellent wines. Expect plenty of freshness and drinkability from wines that will offer excellent value, and others that will rival 2016 in terms of ripeness and ageability. But they are likely to be the exception not the rule, making careful selection key." - Jane Anson
"In the past, a vintage such as 2022 may have been overripe, raisined and low in acidity but 2022 had a sneaky little reservoir in its back pocket - a near perfect marriage of cool/cold/rain the previous winter and the previous vintage that literally soaked the soils (a key to why 2022 is not 2003...or 1893)." - Jon RimmermanMédoc Vins du Médoc (Conseil des Vins du Médoc) - Read More about the Medoc
VdB
The eight precisely defined appellations of the whole of the Médoc (from Blanquefort Brook to the north of the Bordeaux built-up area, almost to the Pointe de Grave) may claim the Médoc appellation. But there is also a specific territory in the north of the peninsula which produces exclusively wines with this appellation. In the great majority, the Médocs come from the north of the peninsula. The great individuality of this region is that the number of vines has increased more recently here than elsewhere, apart from a few isolated spots where vines have grown for many years. Today, the size of the small estate has brought about the development of a powerful co-operative movement. Four co-operatives out of five belong to the group called Unimédoc which ensures aging, bottling and marketing a large proportion of their wines.Pauillac Read more detailed information about Pauillac Looking full onto the river from the earliest days, with an important port activity, traces of which go back to ancient times (shipment of bronze as long ago as 2000 B.C.), Pauillac's life has always been intimately linked to the history of wine. Although port activities were at the root of its prosperity, Pauillac had to wait until the eighteenth century when Bordeaux ceased to hold its privileged position to become a wine port. The town then became the natural outlet for the wine production of neighbouring cantons before reaching its zenith in a period when the vineyards were exceptionally prosperous.
The characteristic of the Pauillac terroir is its exceptional relief: the many undulating ridges make it unique morphologically speaking. Highly favourable conditions facilitate the dissection of the layer of gravel. This thin, Garonne gravel from whose very poverty springs great richness, has an extremely effective natural drainage.
With their velvet red colour with a hint of amber, the wines from the Pauillac appellation, full-bodied and rich in tannin, are vigorous. Powerful when young, their aromas of red fruits (black-currant, raspberry) or flowers (violets, roses, irises) melt with the passing of time into a bouquet which is long in the mouth.
Rich and complex, the wines of Pauillac deserve to be laid down for a little longer.
Production conditions (Decree dated November 14, 1936)
In order to have the right to the Pauillac appellation of controlled origin, red wines must:
- come from the commune of Pauillac and from precisely defined parcels in the communes of Cissac, Saint-Julien, Saint-Estèphe and Saint-Sauveur, "excluding the parcels situated on recent alluvium and sand on impermeable subsoils",
- satisfy precise production conditions : grape-varieties (Cabernet-Sauvignon, Cabernet-Franc, Carmenère, Merlot Noir, Petit Verdot, Cot or Malbec), minimum of sugar (178 grammes - 6.27 oz. - per litre of must) degree (an acquired 10°5) base yield (45 hectolitres per hectare). |
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