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| | Vintage | 2020 |  Label 1 of 2262 
 | | 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) | 014100076629, 015643704581, 3412952100825, 3609051154327, 3700188055782, 3760020132750, 3760020133979, 3760020137366, 3760020137380, 400002298236, 649185026575, 7070293098544, 830293006270 |
| Drinking Windows and Values |
| Community Tasting History |
| Community Tasting Notes (average 94.7 pts. and median of 95 pts. in 26 notes) - hiding notes with no text | | | Tasted by Ben Christiansen on 4/2/2024: And that is darn good, if darn young, Lynch Bages. Give it at least five more years to ease in. (2380 views) | | | Tasted by Madera16 on 1/14/2024: UGC - very closed. Huge extract, big tannin. Long haul wine. (4752 views) | | | Tasted by Agunner23 on 9/9/2023 & rated 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. (8557 views) | | | Tasted by Shugs_Claret on 8/18/2023 & rated 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. (7351 views) | | | Tasted by PlanetX on 6/10/2023: 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. (8108 views) | | | Tasted by remyworldpeace on 5/23/2023 & rated 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. (7672 views) | | | Tasted by Cailles on 4/23/2023 & rated 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. (7341 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 3/21/2023 & rated 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. (5264 views) | | | Tasted by Mikaelbe on 3/6/2023: Very complete. Terrific wine, so balanced, berries with dark and red fruits.
Spaidic and lovely finish. (3177 views) | | | Tasted by FransS on 3/6/2023 & rated 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. (3777 views) | | | Tasted by Zweder on 3/6/2023 & rated 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 (4811 views) | | | Tasted by englishman's claret on 1/29/2023 & rated 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(+?) (5314 views) | | | Tasted by ayalao3 on 1/28/2023 & rated 93 points: Tasted at UGCB, maybe not the best sample. Lacked depth and finesse. ‘18 and ‘19 are better. (3183 views) | | | Tasted by Roger Patterson on 1/26/2023 & rated 91 points: Floral, cedar, balanced acidity and alcohol and medium complexity. At UGC LA (3340 views) | | | Tasted by Jake Barnes on 1/26/2023: 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). (2510 views) | | | Tasted by Cellarmauz on 1/25/2023 & rated 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. (2506 views) | | | Tasted by vvWine.ch on 1/9/2023 & rated 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 (3425 views) | | | Tasted by wineforth on 11/14/2022 & rated 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. (3824 views) | | | Tasted by sirpat00 on 11/8/2022 & rated 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. (3700 views) | | | Tasted by Monkeygrape on 5/27/2021: 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. (12757 views) | | | Tasted by vvWine.ch on 5/22/2021 & rated 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 (6784 views) | | | Tasted by Jeff Leve on 5/20/2021 & rated 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 (6803 views) | | | Tasted by dvansteenderen on 4/26/2021 & rated 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 (6042 views) | | | Tasted by Shrewsram on 4/21/2021 & rated 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. (5068 views) | | | Only displaying the 25 most recent notes - click to see all notes for this wine... |
| By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (1/25/2024)
(Ch Lynch-Bages Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, 2020 Bordeaux from Bottle (3/29/2023)
(Chateau Lynch-Bages) Login and sign up and see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, Bordeaux 2020: Saving the Best for Last (Feb 2023) (2/1/2023)
(Lynch-Bages Lynch-Bages Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, Thrice Is Nice: Bordeaux 2020 in Bottle (Feb 2023) (2/1/2023)
(Lynch Bages Lynch-Bages Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Georgina Hindle
Decanter, Bordeaux 2020 in bottle (1/3/2023)
(Château Lynch-Bages, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, December 2022 (12/1/2022)
(Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Julia Harding, MW
JancisRobinson.com (11/9/2022)
(Ch Lynch-Bages Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Antonio Galloni
Vinous, 2020 Bordeaux En Primeur: Almost Back to Normal (Jun 2021) (6/1/2021)
(Lynch Bages Lynch-Bages Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jeb Dunnuck
JebDunnuck.com, Bordeaux 2020: En Primeur – Part 1 (5/23/2021)
(Chateau Lynch-Bages) Login and sign up and see review text. | By James Suckling
JamesSuckling.com (5/3/2021)
(Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac, France) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jane Anson
Decanter, Bordeaux En Primeur 2020 Pauillac (5/1/2021)
(Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Neal Martin
Vinous, Vingt-Vingt Vins: Bordeaux 2020 (May 2021) (5/1/2021)
(Lynch Bages Lynch-Bages Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Jancis Robinson, MW
JancisRobinson.com (4/19/2021)
(Ch Lynch-Bages Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. | By Chris Kissack
Winedoctor, April 2021 (4/1/2021)
(Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac Red) Subscribe to see review text. |
NOTE: Scores and reviews are the property of JancisRobinson.com and JebDunnuck.com and Vinous and Decanter and Winedoctor and JamesSuckling.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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