Lynch Bages - Pauillac 2016

Jamessuckling.com

97

byJames Sucklingthe2/6/2026

Graphite, licorice, dark fruit and a touch of tar on the nose. Firm and structured, with great detail and definition. Medium- to full-bodied. This is still structured and will definitely benefit from more bottle age. Better after 2027. 10 Years On retrospective.

Vinous

97

byNeal Martinthe8/2/2023

The 2016 Lynch-Bages is primal but concentrated on the nose with blueberry and crushed violet scents. This is powerful, sensual and utterly glorious. The palate is medium-bodied with grippy tannins, assertive and structured yet retaining ample freshness. There is a subtle marine note that comes through on the finish. One of the most profound releases from the estate in recent years...maybe ever? Tasted at the Lynch-Bages vertical at the château.

Vinous

97

byNeal Martinthe8/13/2020

The 2016 Lynch Bages has a wonderfully perfumed bouquet of intense black fruit laced with pencil lead, cigar box and incense aromas that soar from the glass, all displaying impressive delineation. The taut, focused palate is very well defined, with a fine line of acidity and great depth and concentration on the sophisticated, mineral-driven finish. Bon vin! Tasted blind at the Southwold tasting.

Jancis Robinson

17

byJancis Robinsonthe2/5/2020

Yvesbeck.wine

97

byYves Beckthe3/20/2019

Rouge grenat dense aux reflets violets. Bouquet intense, complexe aux multiples facettes. Lynch Bages a du caractère et souligne son côté fruité auquel s'ajoutent de la minéralité et des notes de poivre. La typicité ne manque pas à l'appel au travers d'effluves de baies noires, de cèdre et de graphite. En bouche le vin allie idéalement puissance et finesse. Très belle intensité aromatique, caractère crémeux et tannins amples aux grains fins, en symbiose avec la race de la structure. Finale fruitée, intense et persistante. Un très grand Lynch Bages doté d'un bagage tannique qui lui permettra de traverser quelques décennies. 2024-2051 97/100

Jeb DUNNUCK

95

byJeb Dunnuckthe3/1/2019

The flagship 2016 Château Lynch Bages is a powerhouse, checking in as 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot raised in 75% new French oak. This deep, concentrated, powerful 2016 is going to be one for the ages, but if you’re looking for instant gratification, this isn’t for you. Saturated purple-colored, with thick black fruits, graphite, and scorched earth aromas and flavors, it fills the mouth with fruit, has masses of tannins, and beautiful overall balance. Don’t even think about opening bottles before 7-8 years from now, and it’s going to have 3-4 decades of longevity.

Wine Spectator

97

byJames Molesworththe2/5/2019

This is built for the cellar, with a generous core of kirsch, raspberry paste and plum preserve flavors waiting to unfurl. Will take time, due to the licorice snap, roasted apple wood and sweet tobacco elements draped over the fruit. Should meld with age, as the structure is invigorating in feel, showing both acidity and tannins in lockstep with the fruit. Best from 2025 through 2040.   –JM

Jamessuckling.com

97

byJames Sucklingthe2/4/2019

Very rich and exotic with blackberry, black-tea, graphite and lead-pencil aromas. Full-bodied, dense and structured with lots of ripe tannins and a long, flavorful finish of currants and forest floor, combined with fresh mushrooms and bark. Needs four to five years to show its true potential. Try after 2024.

Vinous

97

byNeal Martinthe1/24/2019

The 2016 Lynch-Bages delivers on its promise from barrel with an intense blackberry, cedar and mineral-driven bouquet that actually reminds me of Lafite-Rothschild. A faint dark chocolate scent makes a brief appearance. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent ripe tannin, pure black fruit and a velvety texture. There is wonderful structure and focus on the finish, followed by a persistent saline aftertaste. This is an outstanding Lynch-Bages, easily the best since the twin titans of 1989 and 1990.

Vinous

96

byAntonio Gallonithe1/21/2019

A stellar wine, the 2016 Lynch-Bages is dark and explosive in the glass. Beams of tannin and bright acids give the 2016 its sense of drive and tension. From bottle, the 2016 is quite a bit more powerful than it was from barrel. Dark flavors and potent tannins the 2016 a distinctly brooding, somber feel. Sage, lavender, menthol, licorice and wild cherry are all laced into the potent, dramatically sweeping finish. Readers should not be in a rush, as the 2016 is going to need a number of years to be at its best. Even s is super-impressive today.

Wine Advocate

97

byLisa Perrotti-Brownthe11/30/2018

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Lynch Bages comes charging out of the gate with pronounced cassis, chocolate-covered cherries, mulberries and menthol notions, backed up by scents of garrigue, tilled soil and a waft of tapenade. Medium to full-bodied, rich and fantastically concentrated, the generous fruit is superbly framed by firm, ripe, grainy tannins with tons of pepper, cinnamon and cloves layers coming through on the finish. Truly, a legendary Lynch Bages!

Decanter.com

96

byJane Ansonthe10/26/2018

WeinWisser

19

byTjark Witzgallthe5/22/2017

75 % Cabernet Sauvignon, 19 % Merlot, 4 % Cabernet Franc, 2 % Petit Verdot, mit dem höchst erreichtenIPT-Wert (Tanninkonzentration) von 95 gegenüber 76 im Vorjahr. 75% neue Barriques. Tiefes, sattes Purpur mit Granatschimmer am Rand. Konzentrierter, blaubeeriger Duft mit Heidelbeeren und Kokos, dahinter Veilchen, dunkler Tabak sowie Schokonoten. Am kräftigen Körper mit engmaschigem Gerüst, viel Power zeigend, bleibt trotzdem elegant; dank der Frische endet der Bulldozer in einem langen aromatischen Finale, das mit Wildkirschen und dunklem Edelholz lange nachhallt. Im Übri-gen: Die komplette Kellereinrichtung wurde an einer anderen Stelle im Ort aufgebaut, im Juli 2019 soll das komplett neue Château eröffnet werden.

Bettane & Desseauve

96

by Bettane & Desseauvethe5/3/2017

Très dense, avec un tannin envahissant qui l’épaissit un peu mais avec des réserves remarquables pour la suite de l’élevage en barrique.

Wine Advocate

97-99

byNeal Martinthe5/2/2017

The 2016 Lynch Bages is a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot with 13.7% alcohol and an IPT of 95, the highest ever for this property and probably one of the highest on the Left Bank this vintage. It was picked between from 27-30 September for the young vines, then the picking team stopped, restarting on 3 October with the Merlot and the Cabernets finished on 12 October. This vintage is matured in 75% new oak. It has a very concentrated, almost opaque bouquet that required some coaxing from the glass, developing floral and crushed limestone scents with time: disarmingly fresh and with stunning vivacity. The palate is concentrated and tannic, although they are not obtrusive and appear neatly embroidered into the multi-layered black fruit. This is a classic Lynch Bages with ambition and recalls vintages like 1990, a Lynch Bages built for long-term ageing. That arching backbone is counterbalanced by the keen line of acidity and a freshness that knows no bounds. There is ethereal delineation and tension on the finish, but I would give this at least ten years in bottle to enjoy this audacious Lynch Bages at its peak. Maybe the biggest surprise of the vintage, this has all the makings of a sensational wine.

The Wine Cellar Insider

96-98

byJeff Levethe4/27/2017

Powerful, concentrated and long and with depth of flavor, this wine is rich and fat, like someone wearing a gold Rolex and a diamond pinkie ring. There is a refined, stern, masculine quality to the fruit with a finish that lasts and sustains the layers of fresh, sweet black currants. This is probably the best Lynch Bages since 1989/1990. Produced from 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 0.4% Cabernet Franc and 0.2% Petit Verdot, this wine is aging in 75% new French oak barrels. Reaching 13.4% alcohol with a pH of 3.69, the picking took place September 28 to October 12 and the Grand Vin represents 65% of the harvest. 

Vinous

92-95

byAntonio Gallonithe4/26/2017

The 2016 Lynch-Bages is deep, racy and sensual, with soft contours, silky tannins and striking juiciness in its fruit. All of the elements seem to fall into place effortlessly. Today, Lynch-Bages is unusually well put together for such a young wine. Expressive floral aromatics give the flavors lift, energy and brightness, while beams of present but well-integrated tannins extend the finish.

Decanter.com

95

byJane Ansonthe4/25/2017

As we have increasingly seen in recent years, Lynch-Bages has shifted up a gear to go fuller, bigger and darker. The IPTs are around 95 here, which is unusual even in the northern Médoc, although they are unquestionably yielding, pliable and expertly worked tannins. The result is a hugely impressive wine with a creamy texture through the mid-palate and lashings of dark fruits, graphite and the essential addition of mint leaf freshness on the finish. From a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, with a yield around 42hl/ha, a touch lower than some because the deep gravel produced small berries, all coming in at 3.66pH and accounting for 65% of the overall production. This is a great Lynch without doubt, one for Pauillac purists who are looking for powerful impact. Drinking Window 2027 - 2050

matthewjukes.com

19

byMatthew Jukesthe4/25/2017

(75 Cabernet Sauvignon, 19 Merlot, 4 Cabernet Franc, 2 Petit Verdot) | 75% new oak | 13.3% alc. | 95 IPT With an unprecedented level of tannin and polyphenols you might expect this to be a shockingly memorable wine. If you then consider the slender alcohol level you might think that there is a typo in these notes, but no. These statistics might seem at odds with each other, but I am delighted to say that the flavour is utterly mesmerising. Dark, looming, with black olive sourness and espresso power this is a heroic Lynch-Bages with gymnastic power to weight ratio. The fruit is thrilling, too. It will live for forty years as if it were a day. This is one of the most arresting wines of the vintage. 19++

Jancis Robinson

17,5

byJancis Robinsonthe4/21/2017

Very annoyingly, my tasting note on Lynch Bages has evaporated into thin air. I remember the wine as being delightfully plump yet structured and very recognisably Lynch with its trademark spiciness - so there don't seem to be any ill effects to its being made in a completely different place from usual (see pictures above) but more than that I cannot say for the moment. (I am trying to track down another sample.) I think I have remembered the score correctly but am much less certain about the drinking dates I have suggested here. All to be taken with a pinch of salt, I'm afraid.

Wine Enthusiast

96-98

byRoger Vossthe4/19/2017

Barrel Sample. This wine is ripe and opulent, while still elegant. The balance is fine, showing plenty of concentration and a light touch of acidity. Black currant fruit matches the tannins and structure, making this one for the long term.

Wine Spectator

96-99

byJames Molesworththe4/10/2017

This flashes some sporty flavors of ripe cassis, plum and blackberry compote, but quickly pulls everything together with the terrific graphite spine. Alluring tobacco and anise notes line the finish. Delivers fruit, power and cut. A great showing.—J.M.

Jean-Marc QUARIN

19

byJean-Marc Quarinthe4/10/2017

Le meilleur jamais fait !Couleur noire et pourpre. Nez intense, fin, fruité, pur et suave. Notes de mûres et d'âtre de cheminée (le marqueur du cabernet sauvignon). Grande entrée en bouche ample et juteuse. Le vin se met à fondre avec beaucoup de goût et très vite une grande énergie. Tannique, mais sans cesse enrobé, il évolue riche, sèveux, avec une âpreté un peu plus marquée cette année que sur d'autres vins. C'est du Lynch Bages plus ! Très grande longueur. Dans l'histoire des vins du Médoc, il se pourrait que ce Lynch Bages 2016 succède au mythique Mouton Rothschild 1945, justement de par cette extraction un peu plus poussée et non volontaire.

Jamessuckling.com

98-99

byJames Sucklingthe4/5/2017

This is really back-ended thanks to a powerful and almost endless finish. Full-bodied, dense and powerful with incredible concentration and length. Round and polished tannins. Layered. This unravels bit by bit. Energetic acidity gives it such superb freshness. This is at the 2010/2009 level.