Lynch Bages 2019 (1.5L)

"The 2019 Lynch-Bages is a Pauillac that needs more encouragement from the glass compared to its peers, eventually revealing blackberry, pencil box and cedar scents that could only come from this appellation. Wonderfully delineated, and it seems to finally respond to aeration and gain intensity. The palate is medium-bodied and grippy, with concentrated black fruit, a liberal pinch of black pepper and an extremely persistent, almost Lafite-like finish. Jean-Charles Cazes has overseen a great Lynch-Bages of the modern era." 02/22

99 Points, Antonio Galloni, Vinous: "The 2019 Lynch Bages is every bit as magnificent from bottle as it was from barrel, if not moreso. What a wine! Towering and vertical in its bearing, the 2019 is a total stunner. There is plenty of Lynch Bages charm, but what distinguishes the 2019 most is its spine of tannin and energy. Time in the glass brings out sweet red cherry, plum, blood orange and pomegranate and mint. The 2019 is a great, great, great Lynch Bages. It reminds me of the epic 1989, but with the youthful grip of this vintage. A towering Pauillac, the 2019 Lynch Bages will make a great addition to any cellar." 02/22

97 Points, James Suckling, JamesSuckling.com: "Fantastic blackberries, blackcurrants, lead pencil and violets. So Pauillac on the nose! Full-bodied with a dense, layered palate and tight yet plush tannins that give the wine layers and gravitas. Compact. Long finish. Silky. Reminds me of a modern, classic version of something like the wonderful 1985 Lynch. Try after 2026." 01/22

97 Points, Jane Anson, Decanter: "This takes hold from the first moment and powers along, delivering a ton of black brambly fruit, liquorice, grilled cedar and Pauillac confidence. The tannins are pretty chewy, really closing in on the end of play, giving no doubt that this is going to age slowly and for many decades, but there is a creaminess to the overall structure that is already evident." 5/20

96-98 Points, Jeb Dunnuck: "The 2019 Château Lynch-Bages is 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 24% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot that's still resting in 75% new French oak. Offering blockbuster notes of crème de cassis, burning embers, violets, graphite, and liquid rock-like minerality, it shows the more elegant style of the vintage on the palate yet builds with air, revealing incredible concentration and depth of fruit, loads of tannins, and a mammoth-sized finish. This classic Lynch-Bages will take a decade to hit maturity but will keep for 50-60 years or more. It's not for the drink me now crowd." 6/20