Chateau Lynch Bages, Pauillac, 5ème cru classé, Bordeaux, 2009, 150cl

"The Power and Elegance of a Great Pauillac"
Bold and innovative, known for often being the last to harvest, the distinctive and typical character of the wine places it among the great Pauillac. It combines structure, finesse, and elegance. Generous from its youth, it evolves in its maturity towards more flavors and complexity.
Jean-Charles Cazes defines the style of Lynch-Bages in the 1930s.

Tasting

• To decant

• Temperature: 16-17°C

• Peak : 2013 - 2042

International experts' reviews

• Robert Parker 96/100

• Gilbert & Gaillard 97/100

• Jeff Leeve 95/100

• Jancis Robinson 18.5/20

• Jean Marc Quarin 94/100

Technical characteristics

• Estate: Chateau Lynch-Bages
  

• Classification:  5th growth

• Type: Red wine

• Country: France

• Region: Bordeaux

• Sub-region: Médoc

• Appellation: AOC Pauillac 5th classified growth

• Vintage: 2009

• Grapes:  76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 18% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot

• Terroirs: Garonne gravels

• Harvest: manual with sorting in the vineyard

• Aging: in oak barrels for 16 months (45% new wood)

• Viticulture: traditional and careful

• Alcohol : 13.5%

• Format : MAGNUM 150cl

Lynch Bages - Comments from the Château

One of the biggest oversights of the 1855 classification, Château Lynch-Bages takes its revenge every year when numerous tasters see its cuvées well beyond its classification of ... Fifth Grand Cru Classé! Perched on the gravels of the Bages plateau, overlooking the small village of Pauillac, the vines of Lynch-Bages produce very ripe cabernets, recognizable by their deep black ink color. On the palate, the richness, the fat, and the aromas of jammy black fruits are reminiscent of the best Californian wines. Ultimately, Lynch-Bages remains among the wines of Pauillac a guarantee of power, quality, but above all pleasure.

History of the Château

Thomas Lynch, a citizen of Galway in Ireland, acquired the property at the end of the 18th century and managed it until 1825, when the Cazes family took over the château.
The wines of the château are already widely appreciated by enthusiasts, but the transfer of power between Lynch and Cazes leads to a temporary drop in quality that earned it an 'unjust' rating in the 1855 classification, where it still finished fifth.

The Cazes family, made up of talented winemakers, who also own Château les Ormes de Pez in Saint Estèphe, had to face a difficult challenge in the mid-1970s. The complicated vintages and attempts at new winemaking techniques that were poorly mastered made the 1970s a rather dull decade for the château. Jean Michel Cazes has been managing the estate since 1973, when he settled in Pauillac with his wife. In 1988, Jean-Michel acquired other properties, including Villa Bel-Air in Graves. He then created the JM Cazes selection company, which aims to promote his wines. In addition to being president of the Pauillac winegrowers' union, Jean-Michel is also a director of the Médoc Wine Council. This prominent figure in Bordeaux viticulture is now passing the torch to his children. 

Today
The three children of Jean-Michel Cazes now work for the Jean-Michel Cazes company and continue the family winegrowing story, recounted in the book Lynch-Bages & Cie, a family, a wine, and 52 recipes.
The Château Lynch-Bages, for its part, continues to offer us wines of consistent quality. A powerful and full-bodied cabernet, new oak to digest the robust tannins, and little (or no) filtration make up the winning recipe of this estate now known worldwide.

Source : Château Lynch Bages