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Chateau Lynch Bages 2020 En Primeur
Black currant, orange peel, flowers and tar with hints of graphite. Full-bodied with a creamy texture of exquisitely polished tannins. Goes on and on. Intense flavors on the finish as well, with mine and lots of blackberry. Very classic and precise.
98-99 points, James Suckling
Ultra-classic notes of black currant, freshly sharpened mine, damp earth and crushed stone emerge from the 2020 Château Lynch-Bages, which comes in as 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and the rest Petit Verdot , all achieving 13.4% natural alcohol and a pH of 3.73 and a huge IPT of 93, which may be the highest of the vintage. Full-bodied and concentrated on the palate, it has bright purity of fruit, a layered and constructive sense of structure and a great finish. While not austere or closed, this serious Lynch-Bages will need 10-15 years of bottle aging to reach maturity and have 40-50 years of overall longevity.
95-97+ points, Jeb Dunnuck
The lowest amount of Cabernet Sauvignon in the recently-recorded blend, but the Lynch Bages signature is very much in play here: tons of licorice, charismatic and compelling cassis and blueberry fruit with a velvety texture layered with black currant lozenges and rich dark chocolate. This is easily one of the best Pauillacs I tasted in the vintage, absolutely gorgeous. The 33 hl/ha yield meant I was worried it would be too concentrated, but it does, though you have to assume they'll have to be careful with aging. Lower alcohol content than both 2018 and 2019, a more classic balance in short. 4% Cabernet Franc rounds out the blend. 3.73pH, 75% new oak, 18 months in barrel. Drinking 2030 - 2048.
96 points, Jane Anson, Decanter
The first vintage produced in their brand new, state-of-the-art cellars is deep garnet in color. The wine opens quickly with notes of Cuban cigars, cedar, creme de cassis, flowers and forest leaf aromas. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, smooth, round and fresh. Elegant tannins allow the wine to gently unfold, revealing its sweet red currants, kirsch liqueur and creamy, rich finish. This finely styled vintage from Lynch Bages combines 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Cabernet Franc, 13.4% vol. Yields were only 33 hectoliters per acre. Something else, the 2020 Lynch Bages will feature a unique label change to commemorate their new winery.
95-97 points, Jeff Leve, wine cellar expert
The 2020 Lynch-Bages contains proportionately more Merlot in the blend this year (31%) and will be aged for 18 months in 75% new oak. It has an intriguing, quite complex and classically styled nose, featuring tightly wound black fruit mixed with cedar, mint and touches of estuary. One sniff and you know the vines are in close proximity to the sea. The palate is medium-bodied with impressive weight on entry, tannins almost immediately cover the mouth (TPI is 93, quite high). But everything remains balanced thanks to the subtle acid thread, and it starts to firm up, becoming quite structured and, dare I say it, reminiscent of Latour towards the finish. This is a Lynch-Bages that will clearly deserve long-term aging because there is real substance in this wine, and that will only increase during élevage. This is a great Lynch-Bages. The Cazes family should build a new winery to celebrate. Drinking 2027-2055.
94-96 points, Neal Martin
The 2020 Lynch-Bages is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, aged for about 18 months in French oak barrels, 75% new. It has an alcohol content of 13.41%, a pH of 3.73 and a TPI (tannin index) of 93. Opaque purple-black in color, it leaps from the glass with notes of crushed blackberries and black currants, plus touches of garrigue, red roses and cedar chest with hints of graphite and black olives. The medium-bodied palate has a rock-solid structure of ripe, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness to support the tightly-knit black fruit and earthy flavors, finishing long and mineral. Drinking 2027-2050.
94-96 points, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, RobertParker.com
