96 for now, high PH which will be great for a good 5 to 10 year rest in the cellar. Lots of fresh fruit and almost nonpresence of tannins, which I think I have mentioned before is backward for an LB. I remember trying the 2018 at UCG and it was so tannic it was hard to drink. in the last couple of years they have calmed down and are a pleasure to drink with a couple hours of decant time, if it lasts that long... As for the score I am with Jeb on his score from 3/29/23.
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Blue and black fruit with floral and spicecake notes. Persistence and big tannins. A bit riper than those of the 2010. Saline finish.
Followed for 2 days. Tannin structure remains big and chewy, which are more apparent by days 2 and 3. Not sure if I will be around to enjoy at its peak. Closer in style to the 2010 (which is approachable in the 375 format) than the 15 or 16.
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Tasted at a 2020 vintage UGC tasting in Singapore. Much more closed than 2019 tasted earlier int he year. More muscular than fleshy at this stage. Deep fruits, some nice touches of earth. Should open up nicely with age.
Anticipated score 93-95+pts.
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Bordeaux 2020 - 10 red & 1 sweet wine: Arrivage tasting by a merchant. Be aware, the sample size is quite small but here are a few observations: 1) Overall quality: This is another good vintage in Bordeaux but clearly not on the same level as 2016 or 2019. 2) Ripeness: What I tasted showed less ripe than 2015/18/19. Most wine show fresh dark and blue fruit, the two right banks showed well behaved too. None of the wines showed alcohol heat (a problem in many 18s and some 15s). Overall, I expected more ripeness but maybe the wineries I sampled all just got the picking date right. 3) Complexity: 2020 will not reach the heights of 2016 and for me is also a step or two behind 2015/18/19. 4) Precision: The precision was quite good, although not on the level of the 2016s. 5) Structural frame: The tannins are ripe but have more edges than in 16/18/19 and will need time to soften, the acidity is high and well-integrated, the texture is not as airy as in 2016 but a step above 15/18 and maybe even 19. Overall, the wines showed quite harmonious but without the magical balance of the 2016s (and the best 15/18/19s I had).
TN: Brief impressions only. Not much on the nose. The highlight is the superb freshness, reminiscent of the 2016. The fruit is firmly in the blue and black spectrum, super pure and fresh. A strong minerality layer. The wine overall shows slightly grainy tannins and at this stage is not as elegant as the 2016 or the 2019 were. Nevertheless, this is a good wine with 93pts today and some more upside in the future.
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The first vintage made in their brand new, state-of-the-art cellars pops with its showy display of peppery spices, mint, cigar box, cassis, blackberries, cedar, and creme de cassis. The wine is full-bodied, fresh, long, deep, intense, powerful and chewy, leaving you with an ocean of sweet, ripe, pure cassis to chew on. This refined styled vintage of Lynch Bages will age for decades. Drink from 2027-2060.
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The 2020 vintage UGCB tasting in Amsterdam 03/06/2023 (Amsterdam): It was difficult to pull out the bouquet, but I catched the nearly smooth spices, juicy, impressive powerful, more than persistent, black fruit in the second part of the taste, very good tannins, not super refined, but très Pauillac.
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The 2020 Lynch Bages is superb, showing a mix of red and black fruit on the intense, cool nose. Really quite tannic but it doesn't seem over-extracted one bit. Finishes nicely, pencil and coal. More than a passing resemblance to the 1989 stylistically; I love the fact that the really pretty massive amount of material here is conveyed in an energetic, athletic frame. 95-97(+?)
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Tasted at the UGC at the Drake Hotel in Chicago. The Lynch was not showing itself like so many of the other wines tonight. Clearly there was a mass of fruit there (red over black), but it was firmly locked up behind a thick screen of ripe tannins. It’s difficult for me to assess this wine given how closed it was, but everything seemed to be in balance, and there didn’t seem to be too much or too little of anything. A number of wines tasted this evening showed quite a bit of oak, but I didn’t notice the oak here at all. Unknown ABV. (no rating).
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At the UGC Chicago. Moderate fruit fragrance, moderate concentration with fruit and oak on the palate. Strong point of the wine found in nice structure and a long aftertaste. Should drink wonderfully as it integrates with age.
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(60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 13.4% Alkohol) Offene Nase, ein super Duft, tief, rauchig, Leder, Gewürze, viel dunkle Frucht, Kirsche, Cassis, Brombeerconfiture, komplex. Der Gaumen ist mächtig, maskulin, viel Kraft, ein Powerwein, dennoch mit Finesse, satte Frucht, Massen an feinsten Tanninen, präzis, mit Energie, Charakter und grosser Länge. Wird hervorragend reifen und sollte nicht zu früh entkorkt werden. 2030-2050 (Verkostet am 8. November 2022 in Zürich) www.vvwine.ch
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At a tasting of recently bottled 2020s. Huge nose, very dark colour. More tannic than most and a touch lean on the palate. Long finish. It will all come together in time and put on weight so score should improve. Need to wait to 2032+ to try the first of the couple of bottles I have on order.
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Arvi Bordeaux 2020 Arrivage (Dolder Grand, Zurich): Bordeaux 2020 Arrivage tasting. Key observations: 1/ Tannins were generally soft and well-integrated, but still left room for structure, 2/ fruit generally ripe and well-defined, no over-extraction, 3/ all appellation were showing great, but if I had to pick out then it would be Paulliac, 4/ top wines were Petit Village (completely unexpected, 97) and Lynch Bages (96).
Tasting note: Polished nose, expressive and intense, producing rich flavors of dark cherry, black currant, mineral notes of smoke and graphite. Quickly adding floral layers, too. The texture is velvety in nature, the tannins are grippy and slightly mouthcoating tannin but expertly built in. After 2015, 2016 and even 2017 another (more than) lovely young LB.
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Tasted in may at ugcb. Modern style, bigger wine than the 2019 with a filling blackberry paste. This is seductive especially for big cab napa drinkers and resembles the 2018 in a fatter way. I cant quite put my finger on it but it is lacking something... maybe character?
At present i would pick the 2017 for better value and for a better wine 2016.
Side note: The more i taste 2020 wines the flaws become more apparent so perhaps a visit to bordeaux double take maybe warranted. Currently 2020 impressions is behind 2019, 2018, and 2016 and at these prices behind 2010.
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94-96 vvPunkte (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 13.4% Alkohol) Was für eine schöne, tiefgründige Nase, Rauch, Leder, Weihnachtsgewürze schweben über dunklen Kirschen, Cassis und Brombeeren. Im Gaumen mächtig, kräftig, der Wein baut enorm Druck auf, die Struktur ist eindrücklich, die Balance ebenso, die reife Frucht ist knackig, wird von superfeinen Tanninen gestützt und von einer sehr gut proportionierten Säure in einen langanhaltenden, feinwürzigen Abgang getragen. Eindrücklich und klar ein Langstreckenläufer. 2030-2050 (April/Mai 2021) vvWine.ch
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The first vintage made in their brand new, state-of-the-art cellars is deep garnet in color. The wine rapidly opens with notes of Cuban cigars, cedar, creme de cassis, flowers and forest leaf aromas. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, soft, round and fresh. The elegant tannins allows the wine to gently unfurl, revealing its sweet red currants, kirsch liqueur and creamy textured, rich finish. This refined styled vintage of Lynch Bages blends 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, 13.4% ABV. The yields were only 33 hectoliters per hectare. 95-97
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Tasted En-Primeur on 26-04-2021 in a tasting with 125 wines of the 2020 Bordeaux Vintage. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon; 31% Merlot; 4% Cabernet Franc & 5% Petit Verdot. This is very good. Like a good vintage of Lynch-Bages should display itself, this is both powerful and elegant. 95-97
Great nose! Bright and well-defined, with touches of olive and a certain salinity, pencil shavings, seasoned oak… layered, complex, fresh. Poised in the mouth, savoury and masculine, with plenty of grip and super intensity. This has great purity and definition, excellent lift and length.
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4/2/2024 - Ben Christiansen wrote:
And that is darn good, if darn young, Lynch Bages. Give it at least five more years to ease in.
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1/14/2024 - Madera16 wrote:
UGC - very closed. Huge extract, big tannin. Long haul wine.
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9/9/2023 - Agunner23 Likes this wine: 96 Points
96 for now, high PH which will be great for a good 5 to 10 year rest in the cellar. Lots of fresh fruit and almost nonpresence of tannins, which I think I have mentioned before is backward for an LB. I remember trying the 2018 at UCG and it was so tannic it was hard to drink. in the last couple of years they have calmed down and are a pleasure to drink with a couple hours of decant time, if it lasts that long... As for the score I am with Jeb on his score from 3/29/23.
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8/18/2023 - Shugs_Claret wrote: 93 Points
Blue and black fruit with floral and spicecake notes. Persistence and big tannins. A bit riper than those of the 2010. Saline finish.
Followed for 2 days. Tannin structure remains big and chewy, which are more apparent by days 2 and 3. Not sure if I will be around to enjoy at its peak. Closer in style to the 2010 (which is approachable in the 375 format) than the 15 or 16.
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6/10/2023 - PlanetX wrote:
Union Grands Crus Bordeaux (UGC) 2020 Tasting (Hangar 14, Bordeaux): Just a wall of massive tannins. The most tannic wine of the tasting with the fruit way in the back seat. No score as did not have the time to dig into.
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5/23/2023 - remyworldpeace Likes this wine: 93 Points
Tasted at a 2020 vintage UGC tasting in Singapore. Much more closed than 2019 tasted earlier int he year. More muscular than fleshy at this stage. Deep fruits, some nice touches of earth. Should open up nicely with age.
Anticipated score 93-95+pts.
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4/23/2023 - Cailles wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux 2020 - 10 red & 1 sweet wine: Arrivage tasting by a merchant. Be aware, the sample size is quite small but here are a few observations: 1) Overall quality: This is another good vintage in Bordeaux but clearly not on the same level as 2016 or 2019. 2) Ripeness: What I tasted showed less ripe than 2015/18/19. Most wine show fresh dark and blue fruit, the two right banks showed well behaved too. None of the wines showed alcohol heat (a problem in many 18s and some 15s). Overall, I expected more ripeness but maybe the wineries I sampled all just got the picking date right. 3) Complexity: 2020 will not reach the heights of 2016 and for me is also a step or two behind 2015/18/19. 4) Precision: The precision was quite good, although not on the level of the 2016s. 5) Structural frame: The tannins are ripe but have more edges than in 16/18/19 and will need time to soften, the acidity is high and well-integrated, the texture is not as airy as in 2016 but a step above 15/18 and maybe even 19. Overall, the wines showed quite harmonious but without the magical balance of the 2016s (and the best 15/18/19s I had).
TN: Brief impressions only. Not much on the nose. The highlight is the superb freshness, reminiscent of the 2016. The fruit is firmly in the blue and black spectrum, super pure and fresh. A strong minerality layer. The wine overall shows slightly grainy tannins and at this stage is not as elegant as the 2016 or the 2019 were. Nevertheless, this is a good wine with 93pts today and some more upside in the future.
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3/21/2023 - Jeff Leve wrote: 97 Points
The first vintage made in their brand new, state-of-the-art cellars pops with its showy display of peppery spices, mint, cigar box, cassis, blackberries, cedar, and creme de cassis. The wine is full-bodied, fresh, long, deep, intense, powerful and chewy, leaving you with an ocean of sweet, ripe, pure cassis to chew on. This refined styled vintage of Lynch Bages will age for decades. Drink from 2027-2060.
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3/6/2023 - Zweder wrote: 96 Points
UGCB tasting Bordeaux 2020 Walkaround tasting so in general just short notes (Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam.): Beautiful bouquet with dark berries, luxurious oak and sweet spices. On the palate still locked with dark fruits, firm but good acidity and sticky tannin. Firm, yet elegant wine. 95 - 96
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3/6/2023 - FransS wrote: 95 Points
The 2020 vintage UGCB tasting in Amsterdam 03/06/2023 (Amsterdam): It was difficult to pull out the bouquet, but I catched the nearly smooth spices, juicy, impressive powerful, more than persistent, black fruit in the second part of the taste, very good tannins, not super refined, but très Pauillac.
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3/6/2023 - Mikaelbe Likes this wine:
Very complete. Terrific wine, so balanced, berries with dark and red fruits.
Spaidic and lovely finish.
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1/29/2023 - englishman's claret wrote: 96 Points
The 2020 Lynch Bages is superb, showing a mix of red and black fruit on the intense, cool nose. Really quite tannic but it doesn't seem over-extracted one bit. Finishes nicely, pencil and coal. More than a passing resemblance to the 1989 stylistically; I love the fact that the really pretty massive amount of material here is conveyed in an energetic, athletic frame. 95-97(+?)
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1/28/2023 - ayalao3 wrote: 93 Points
Tasted at UGCB, maybe not the best sample. Lacked depth and finesse. ‘18 and ‘19 are better.
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1/26/2023 - Jake Barnes wrote:
Tasted at the UGC at the Drake Hotel in Chicago. The Lynch was not showing itself like so many of the other wines tonight. Clearly there was a mass of fruit there (red over black), but it was firmly locked up behind a thick screen of ripe tannins. It’s difficult for me to assess this wine given how closed it was, but everything seemed to be in balance, and there didn’t seem to be too much or too little of anything. A number of wines tasted this evening showed quite a bit of oak, but I didn’t notice the oak here at all. Unknown ABV. (no rating).
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1/26/2023 - Roger Patterson wrote: 91 Points
Floral, cedar, balanced acidity and alcohol and medium complexity. At UGC LA
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1/25/2023 - Cellarmauz Likes this wine: 92 Points
At the UGC Chicago. Moderate fruit fragrance, moderate concentration with fruit and oak on the palate. Strong point of the wine found in nice structure and a long aftertaste. Should drink wonderfully as it integrates with age.
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1/9/2023 - vvWine.ch wrote: 96 Points
(60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 13.4% Alkohol) Offene Nase, ein super Duft, tief, rauchig, Leder, Gewürze, viel dunkle Frucht, Kirsche, Cassis, Brombeerconfiture, komplex. Der Gaumen ist mächtig, maskulin, viel Kraft, ein Powerwein, dennoch mit Finesse, satte Frucht, Massen an feinsten Tanninen, präzis, mit Energie, Charakter und grosser Länge. Wird hervorragend reifen und sollte nicht zu früh entkorkt werden. 2030-2050 (Verkostet am 8. November 2022 in Zürich) www.vvwine.ch
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11/14/2022 - wineforth Likes this wine: 94 Points
At a tasting of recently bottled 2020s. Huge nose, very dark colour. More tannic than most and a touch lean on the palate. Long finish. It will all come together in time and put on weight so score should improve. Need to wait to 2032+ to try the first of the couple of bottles I have on order.
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11/8/2022 - sirpat00 wrote: 96 Points
Arvi Bordeaux 2020 Arrivage (Dolder Grand, Zurich): Bordeaux 2020 Arrivage tasting. Key observations: 1/ Tannins were generally soft and well-integrated, but still left room for structure, 2/ fruit generally ripe and well-defined, no over-extraction, 3/ all appellation were showing great, but if I had to pick out then it would be Paulliac, 4/ top wines were Petit Village (completely unexpected, 97) and Lynch Bages (96).
Tasting note:
Polished nose, expressive and intense, producing rich flavors of dark cherry, black currant, mineral notes of smoke and graphite. Quickly adding floral layers, too. The texture is velvety in nature, the tannins are grippy and slightly mouthcoating tannin but expertly built in. After 2015, 2016 and even 2017 another (more than) lovely young LB.
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5/27/2021 - Monkeygrape Likes this wine:
Tasted in may at ugcb. Modern style, bigger wine than the 2019 with a filling blackberry paste. This is seductive especially for big cab napa drinkers and resembles the 2018 in a fatter way. I cant quite put my finger on it but it is lacking something... maybe character?
At present i would pick the 2017 for better value and for a better wine 2016.
Side note: The more i taste 2020 wines the flaws become more apparent so perhaps a visit to bordeaux double take maybe warranted. Currently 2020 impressions is behind 2019, 2018, and 2016 and at these prices behind 2010.
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5/22/2021 - vvWine.ch wrote: 95 Points
94-96 vvPunkte (60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 13.4% Alkohol) Was für eine schöne, tiefgründige Nase, Rauch, Leder, Weihnachtsgewürze schweben über dunklen Kirschen, Cassis und Brombeeren. Im Gaumen mächtig, kräftig, der Wein baut enorm Druck auf, die Struktur ist eindrücklich, die Balance ebenso, die reife Frucht ist knackig, wird von superfeinen Tanninen gestützt und von einer sehr gut proportionierten Säure in einen langanhaltenden, feinwürzigen Abgang getragen. Eindrücklich und klar ein Langstreckenläufer. 2030-2050 (April/Mai 2021) vvWine.ch
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5/20/2021 - Jeff Leve wrote: 96 Points
The first vintage made in their brand new, state-of-the-art cellars is deep garnet in color. The wine rapidly opens with notes of Cuban cigars, cedar, creme de cassis, flowers and forest leaf aromas. On the palate the wine is full-bodied, soft, round and fresh. The elegant tannins allows the wine to gently unfurl, revealing its sweet red currants, kirsch liqueur and creamy textured, rich finish. This refined styled vintage of Lynch Bages blends 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, 13.4% ABV. The yields were only 33 hectoliters per hectare. 95-97
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4/26/2021 - dvansteenderen Likes this wine: 96 Points
Tasted En-Primeur on 26-04-2021 in a tasting with 125 wines of the 2020 Bordeaux Vintage.
60% Cabernet Sauvignon; 31% Merlot; 4% Cabernet Franc & 5% Petit Verdot.
This is very good. Like a good vintage of Lynch-Bages should display itself, this is both powerful and elegant. 95-97
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4/21/2021 - Shrewsram Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great nose! Bright and well-defined, with touches of olive and a certain salinity, pencil shavings, seasoned oak… layered, complex, fresh. Poised in the mouth, savoury and masculine, with plenty of grip and super intensity. This has great purity and definition, excellent lift and length.
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