Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France, 2014

Overview of the Wine
Overlooking the Gironde estuary at the entrance to Pauillac, the vines of Lynch-Bages are located on the Bages plateau, on one of the finest gravelly rises in the appellation. The estate once belonged to the famous Lynch family, of Irish origin, and was acquired by Jean-Charles Cazes in 1934. His grandson, Jean-Michel Cazes restructured the estate in 1974, adding state-of-the-art winemaking equipment, while keeping the former wooden vats as a reminder of the 19th century.

The grapes are all hand picked and then carefully sorted before crushing. A very strict selection is made prior to blending and the wine is traditionally aged in oak barrels before bottling.

Grape / Blend
69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot

Origin
Paulillac, Bordeaux, France

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
The wine has a deep colour and an aromatic nose; it is rich and unctuous on the palate, perfectly enveloped in silky tannins. This vintage is distinguished by a beautiful balance of power, freshness and elegance.

96 Points - James Suckling
Aromas of currants, blackberries and blackcurrants with hints of chocolate and spices. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Juicy and muscular wine. Needs three or four years to open. Beautiful.

95 Points - Decanter
Very well-expressed natural concentration of fruit, very ripe tannins and lots of complexity to come. A richly textured, firmly structured wine with the Lynch-Bages hallmarks for the future. Drinking Window 2020-2035

95 Points - Wine Enthusiast
Fragrant and perfumed, this wine is the epitome of great Cabernet Sauvignon. It is fruity, juicy yet with serious concentrated tannins. There is spice from the wood aging along with a dash of pepper, all the while just bringing out the beautiful black-currant flavors. *Cellar Selection*

94 Points - Wine Spectator
This has beguiling hints of plum cake and melted licorice peeking out, while a core of cassis and blackberry confiture waits in reserve. There's ample grip, but this remains very polished and integrated, with lovely echoes of anise and fruitcake showing through the very lengthy finish. Will be hard to keep your hands off this while it ages. Best from 2019 through 2035.

94 Points - Vinous
The 2014 Lynch-Bages is just as powerful and dense from bottle as it was from barrel. Deep, powerful and bold, it possesses remarkable richness in all of its dimensions. Ripe red cherry, spice, leather, tobacco and rose petal all develop in the glass, but it is the wine's sheer amplitude today that is quite remarkable. It will need quite a bit of cellaring to be at its best, and is clearly built to age. This is a terrific showing from the Cazes family.

92 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2014 Lynch Bages was actually similar to the 2014 Pichon Baron on the nose: tight and surly at first, demanding a lot of coaxing from the glass. It eventually opens up with a mixture of red and black fruit, cedar and tobacco, gaining more harmony and intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, quite linear and focused at the moment, precise if just needing a little more body and depth to evolve on the straight-laced finish. Give this Pauillac 4-5 years in bottle and it is likely to repay you.

Product size: 750ml