Lynch Bages - Pauillac 2014

Vinous

92

byNeal Martinthe4/2/2024

The 2014 Lynch-Bages has a wonderful, precise, focused bouquet that exudes class. The oak is beautifully assimilated with superb mineralité. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a dash of white pepper and sage, gaining depth towards the harmonious and almost Saint-Julien-inspired finish. Probably ready now, but can drink over the next 15 to 20 years. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting.

Vinous

92

byNeal Martinthe8/2/2023

The 2014 Lynch-Bages is just a little meager on the nose, well-defined but lacking presence and fruit intensity and a bit dusty by comparison. It could be a question of not having enough time, a tiny amount of stage fright perhaps? The palate is better with pleasant tart red cherries mingling with blackberry, cedar and mint. There is a fine spicy component towards the finish as it gently fans out. Conservative, not necessarily elegant, yet with classic charm. Tasted at the Lynch-Bages vertical at the château.

Wine Advocate

92

byNeal Martinthe3/31/2017

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.

Jamessuckling.com

96

byJames Sucklingthe2/16/2017

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.

Vinous

94

byAntonio Gallonithe2/6/2017

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. The blend is 69 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 26 % Merlot, 3 % Cabernet Franc and 2 % Petit Verdot. 94+

Wine Enthusiast

95

byRoger Vossthe2/2/2017

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. Drink this wine from 2024

Wine Spectator

94

byJames Molesworththe1/4/2017

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. From France.—J.M.

Le Point

17

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

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

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.

Vinous

90-93

byAntonio Gallonithe4/30/2015

A huge, dense wine, the 2014 Lynch-Bages rips out of the glass with layers of intense fruit. Huge swaths of tannin provide the framework for a decidedly extroverted, boisterous Pauillac. Hints of dark red and purplish-hued fruit, spices, new leather and cedar gradually open up, but it is the wine's explosive personality that speaks most loudly at this stage. I don't quite see the finesse of the very best Pauillacs. It will be interesting to see if that develops in the coming years. The blend is 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. At present, the 2014 is aging in 75% new barrels.

Asian Palate

93

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

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. Drink 2024-2040

Decanter.com

17,75

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

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

byTim Atkin MWthe4/7/2015

René Gabriel

18

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

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.   — R.V.  (4/1/2015)

Wine Spectator

93-96

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.