Castle Lynch Bages - Pauillac 2014

Le Point

17 / 20

byJacques Dupontthe5/21/2015

Fumé, réglisse, mûre, épices, bouche tendue, vive, assez classe, frais, fin, de l’éclat, épicé, long. 

The Wine Cellar Insider

92-94 / 100

byJeff Levethe5/5/2015

Deep ruby in color with cassis, earth and blackberry in the nose which pops effortlessly. This wine is a full-bodied, ripe, concentrated mouth-filler loaded with sweet, black fruits, ripe, crisp tannins and a long, fresh, invigorating finish. Produced from 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, this wine is aging in 75% new, French oak barrel, reaching 13.73% alcohol, with a pH of 3.68. 92-94 Pts

Wine Advocate

92-94 / 100

byNeal Martinthe4/30/2015

The Château Lynch Bages 2014 is a blend of 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot matured in 75% new oak. Yields were a respectable 40 hectoliters per hectare, although that figure is less than Jean-Charles Cazes predicted earlier in the season. The nose is well defined with veins of graphite infusing the black fruit: quite strict for Lynch Bages, a little reserved at this early stage. The palate is medium-bodied with chalky tannin, racy acidity although the pH is around 3.7, linear and a little austere on the finish. This is tightly coiled at the moment, gritty in the mouth but I like the Pauillac typicité here – not a million miles away from Grand Puy Lacoste in style. This deserves respect and I suspect it will age with the style of Jean-Charles's father, who turned 80 on the day of my visit.

Asian Palate

93 / 100

byJeannie Cho Lee MWthe4/20/2015

Lovely, lifted flavors of blackcurrant and cassis. Beautiful freshness with layers of tobacco, cedar and black fruits. This is a focused, well made Lynch-Bages with very good aging potential. Tannins were quite high and the acidity was good - pH was 3.68 so fresh, not too high or low.

Jancis Robinson

17 / 20

byJancis Robinsonthe4/17/2015

Blackish crimson. Sweet and luscious and almost with black-cherry superripe aromas! A note of something charred here. Pretty interesting. Lots of work to overpower the tannins. Should make very good old bones to chew over. Long and glamorous. Tasting it blind, I guessed it was Lynch.

Decanter.com

17,75 / 20

bySteven Spurrierthe4/17/2015

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. Drink: 2020-2035 (92)

Jamessuckling.com

95-96 / 100

byJames Sucklingthe4/10/2015

This has fascinating aromas already with blackcurrants and cassis. Hints of spices. It’s full-bodied with ultra-fine tannins and a long, focused finish. Muscular but toned and beautiful.

timatkin.com

96 / 100

byTim Atkin MWthe4/7/2015

René Gabriel

18 / 20

byRené Gabrielthe4/1/2015

Es ist das erste Mal, dass der Cabernet-Anteil im Blend unter 70 % sinkt. Normalerweise liegt dieser Wert etwa bei 74 % und bei Jahrgang 2004 war der Anteil mit 84 % der interne Cabernetrekord. Die Ursache lag aber nicht darin, dass man grosse Teile des Cabernets deklassieren musste, sondern darin, dass die Beeren extrem klein waren. So war der Saftanteil gering und ergab dann in der Folge logischerweise auch weniger Wein. Der Rest vom Blend: 21 % Merlot, 3 % Cabernet Franc und 2 % Petit Verdot. Sattes Purpur-Granat, dicht in der Mitte, lila Schimmer aussen. Eines der würzigsten Bouquets aller verkosteten Pauillac's. So würzig, dass die Frucht, welche sich fast ausschliesslich im schwarzbeerigen Bereich befindet und eher im Hintergrund abspielt. Im zweiten Ansatz; Lakritze, Rauch und sehr dunkle Edelhölzer. Der Gaumen zeigt einen markanten Körper mit Konzentration und Kraft und tief schürfender Aromatik. Er gehört ganz sicher nicht zu den seidigen 2014er Typen, sondern schon eher zu den kraftvolleren Editionen. Aber das ist ja schliesslich auch typisch für einen meist etwas barocken Lynch-Bages. 18/20 2022 – 2047

Wine Enthusiast

95 / 100

byRoger Vossthe4/1/2015

94–96. Barrel Sample. Pure Cabernet flavors are right at the front of this wine. It has fragrant fruitiness, with layers of black currant and fresh, juicy acidity on the palate. It's a bright wine, with just a touch of smoky wood flavors at the end.

Wine Spectator

93-96 / 100

byJames Molesworththe3/30/2015

Offers lovely weight and feel, with a big core of plum, blackberry and black currant fruit that manages to show refinement,
while ample charcoal and warm stone notes flow underneath. This is displaying terrific depth and purity today.