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| | Vintage | 1998 |  Label 1 of 2261 
 | | 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, 072180692740, 078742374604, 087000330115, 204022504342, 206331002649, 3554770032428, 3646228961982, 3760020130190, 3760020131661, 3760020133436, 400002298236, 616773301390, 649185261983, 649185961043, 649185961968, 649185961975, 649185961982 |
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 90.8 pts. and median of 91 pts. in 212 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by I used to be wine on 3/30/2024 & rated 94 points: We had this wine with braised lamb, broccolini, and sauteed spinach. The wine was surprisingly open and velvety. There was no sense of dustiness. Instead, the wine felt fresh, complex, and balanced. (420 views) | | | Tasted by SonnyChiba on 3/27/2024 & rated 93 points: Served blind and guessed it correctly. Very enjoyable bottle. I really like where this is at right now. (418 views) | | | Tasted by Barks on 1/7/2024 & rated 93 points: This was the first bottle of the last of three cases brought en primeur. I’d say this was one of the best bottles we’ve tasted. Still plenty of tannin and fruit and very little amber at the rim. Needed a decent decant and started to open up after a couple of hours. Very classic in style and still on the austere side in my view. I think my remaining 11 bottles have a long life ahead if I can stop drinking them too quickly. Drank alongside a GPL 1996 which was soft and open which was an interesting contrast to this wine. Very enjoyable. (1208 views) | | | Tasted by seattlecook on 12/24/2023: Started as a typical aged Bordeaux. Expected to open and evolve but instead became somewhat one dimensional. Paired with tenderloin which worked well. A good bottle but not one I would buy again (1063 views) | | | Tasted by glou.sf on 11/25/2023 & rated 93 points: From magnum. Classic Bordeaux nose with cassis, tobacco, forest floor, and cherries, Good acidity on the palate with red and dark fruit, tart berries, a hint of leather, and some spice notes. Nice finish. A lovely, very classic wine that's drinking really well right now. (1538 views) | | | Tasted by Ricky99 on 10/26/2023 & rated 91 points: drank with GH... showed nicely, rather plump compared to the 86 Ducru we also had (1447 views) | | | Tasted by Luckey on 6/23/2023 & rated 95 points: Paired with tenderloin filet and mushrooms. Pop and pour from decanter, enjoyed over 2 hrs. Competed head to head with ‘98 Las Cases, and the Lynch Bages was the clear winner this night. The nose was immediately enjoyable, dancing with both fruit and tertiary traits. TheWine opened beautifully in the glass and did not require extensive decanting. The wine was noticeably more complex and better balanced than the Las Cases. At half the price (current auction prices) of the Las Cases, I’m hunting for Lynch Bages for this vintage. ‘98 is an off vintage, but this bottle is available at auction for $150 +/- $50, and the QPR is screaming for attention. (2158 views) | | | Tasted by Sean Tay on 5/25/2023 & rated 94 points: Pronounced nose intensity with notes of earth, leather, toast, charr wood, pepper. Medium acidity and medium tannin. Tannin integrated. Medium+ finish. (1840 views) | | | Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 4/21/2023 & rated 91 points: Final bottle from a half case purchased at auction in 2007. Not decanted, opened three hours in advance. Consistent with my tasting note from June 2022, but possibly just a touch more slender and drying, and with less fruit. It's a gently grippy Pauillac, classically styled on the aromatic nose, but with leathery flavours and structurally clearly at the end of its possibilities. Drink up if you have any left. (2848 views) | | | Tasted by platpeeps on 3/14/2023 & rated 91 points: Savoury, dry and tannic, but with sweet cassis fruit and tobacco leaf. Develops cream and is still vibrant and fresh, with a pleasing lingering finish. On the minus side it was a tad astringent and there was a whiff of Brett. Still very good. CHP 91pts (1944 views) | | | Tasted by peanutbutterskittles on 1/6/2023 & rated 91 points: Great tertiary notes of leather, tobacco, some remnants of dark fruit. I would say there's no reason to hold on to this for much longer. A nice wine but on its way out. (2132 views) | | | Tasted by Khon Kaen on 12/30/2022 & rated 92 points: Open the bottle an hour in advance. Much better to drink after the second hour. Similar as my previous note. Very good nose of tobacco, cigar box, leather a bit of plum. On the palate is blackcurrant, plum, dark chocolate, pencil and sweet tannins. Excellent! (1727 views) | | | Tasted by Xavier Auerbach on 6/5/2022 & rated 92 points: Fifth bottle from a half case purchased at auction in 2007. Not decanted, opened three hours in advance. Bright and fresh but gentle and mature, crushed red berry fruit and spices and earth, transparent and pure with a pleasant hint of green, light but grippy tannins, the salty finish with a hint of cold tea leaves the palate dry but perfumed. Fully mature, drink over the next few years. (4059 views) | | | Tasted by acheng on 5/29/2022: Showing its age no doubt. Tertiary leather bureau, touch of soy and minty back end. Drink up. (3074 views) | | | Tasted by gsomers on 5/8/2022 & rated 94 points: Contrary to the comments seen, we found this to be a very enjoyable bottle. Nose was strong and unmistakably Pauillac. Not overly fruity, but definitely a long satisfying finish. On vacation, so we were unable to decant, but gave it 30 minutes of air prior to drinking over two hours. Flavor did not change appreciably during the window. Drink. (3139 views) | | | Tasted by SB5784 on 5/6/2022 & rated 92 points: Mature claret color without much bricking. Nose opened up after an hour with wonderful black and red currant, cigar box, and black fruit notes. Leather as well. Palate was smooth and well balanced with plenty of ripe black fruit as well as secondary notes of spice and soft integrated tannin. Medium acidity. Just in a great maturity plateau and drinking wonderfully. A treat. (2558 views) | | | Tasted by Darwine on 4/2/2022 & rated 95 points: This wine surprised me! It opened up in 45 minutes, had beautiful color and a great nose of terroir with leather and oak. After a bit the fruit began to come out both in the nose and flavor. I tasted some bright red fruit with some beautiful overtones of dark cherry. The tannins were soft with a nice acidic finish which was delightful. A good wine at the right time!! (2881 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 3/22/2022 & rated 87 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: Medium+ intense nose with lots of herbal and minty notes. This was quite singular and completely different to all other vintages tonight. On the palate, however, it showed that these notes come from an underripeness. It is greenish, with slightly coarse tannins and lots of not perfectly integrated acidity. No winner here. 87 pts for the interesting nose.
Decanting: Doesn’t need extensive decanting. (3104 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 3/14/2022 & rated 89 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:
Distinctly herbal, minty and menthol-heavy profile in contrast to the rest of the vertical. Dark and leathery fruit. Some smoke and oak. Palate was fruit-forward, but with searing acidity and brutal, greenish tannins. Too austere to be pleasurable, although I did like the nose. (2042 views) | | | Tasted by Geoff on 3/8/2022 & rated 95 points: This wine has evolved into a beautiful, gracefull swan. Nice medium dark color with no bricking. Sweet red and some dark fruit on the nose, with cedar and oak, spices and cigar box, graphite, secondary notes. Tannins balanced and sweet and feels like this wine can last a while longer. Medium to full bodied with a long finish. Suprising and delightful wine. (1458 views) | | | Tasted by Tao on 10/15/2021 & rated 92 points: Strong black currant fruits dominate the nose and the palate, full of substance and quite heavy, going very strong at this point, energetic, a long finish! (2723 views) | | | Tasted by Khon Kaen on 8/10/2021 & rated 92 points: Opened 2 hours. It is a Beautiful Bordeaux Style wine. Color is deep red/purple. Very good nose of tobacco, cigar box, leather a bit of plum. On the palate is blackcurrant, plum, dark chocolate, pencil and sweet tannins. Excellent! (2798 views) | | | Tasted by cos65 on 2/14/2021: Crystal clear deep ruby
Classic pauillac nose, gamey leathery smoky.
Still plenty of life, but comes off just a bit sharp and ungenerous. A wine more to appreciate than enjoy
But clearly worth a try.
This bottle looked pristine, but was a recent purchase on the secondary market (4363 views) | | | Tasted by Geoff on 1/15/2021 & rated 94 points: Decanted, then drunk. Mid neck fill, perfect cork, Beautiful dark color, no bricking. Great nose of dark and red fruit, leather, spicebox, oak. Sweet tannins, almost completely resolved, smooth mouthfeel. Opened in the glass to full bodied and succulent wine. Long finish. Very pleasant wine. (4394 views) | | | Tasted by depechemoroder on 1/1/2021 & rated 92 points: Hard to top Xavier's note below, which describes my experience with incredible accuracy. There was an austerity at first, but the fruit really opens and that smoky, spicy aura really grows. Beautifully textured and composed, there's grip, but also finesse. (4351 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 Neal Martin
Vinous, A Century of Bordeaux: The Eights (May 2018) (5/18/2018)
(Lynch Bages Lynch-bages Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Ian D'Agata
Vinous, January 2012
(Chateau Lynch Bages Pauillac) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, March 2010
(Chateau Lynch-Bages Pauillac) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (10/7/2009)
(Ch Lynch Bages Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, November 2003
(Chateau Lynch-Bages Pauillac) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, November 2001
(Chateau Lynch-Bages Pauillac) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2001, IWC Issue #96
(Chateau Lynch Bages Pauillac) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 2000, IWC Issue #90
(Chateau Lynch Bages Pauillac) Subscribe to see review text. | By Stephen Tanzer
Vinous, May/June 1999, IWC Issue #84
(Chateau Lynch Bages Pauillac) Subscribe to see review text. | By Richard Jennings
RJonWine.com (8/28/2005)
(Château Lynch-Bages) Cherry, cassis nose; tight yet, cherry, plum palate; short-medium finish 89 points |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of Vinous and Winedoctor and JancisRobinson.com 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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