Château Lynch Bages 2016

$202.00
Out of stock
SKU
3618-2016

• Domaine: Château Lynch Bages
• Appellation: Pauillac
• Classification: Fifth Growth, 5ème Grand Cru Classé
• Origin: Left Bank, Bordeaux, France

Château Lynch Bages is one of the most recognizable properties in Bordeaux. This is due to the tireless exploits of Jean-Michel Cazes, who was quite possibly one of the most active brand ambassadors of all time. This charming, charismatic man dedicated his entire life to a crusade promoting this excellent Fifth Growth Pauillac estate, ensuring everybody knew of the greatness of Château Lynch Bages. Jean-Michel Cazes even agreed to send a half bottle of Château Lynch Bages to the moon in 1985, making sure it was the first wine in outer space.  Yet despite all of the fanfare and brilliant marketing, the truth about the grand vin of Château Lynch Bages is that the wine is excellent.  At this property, the viticultural team doesn’t just talk the talk - they walk the walk. 

Château Lynch Bages derives part of its name from the ancient village of Bages which was a commune for winemakers of many generations.  In 1862, the property was sold to the Cayrou brothers who named it after Thomas Lynch, the patriarch of the original family that owned the estate.  Château Lynch Bages was classified as a Fifth Growth in 1855, and less than a hundred years later was acquired by the legendary Jean-Michel Cazes.  Jean-Michel Cazes was already very well respected in the Wine Trade due to his ownership of Les Ormes de Pez, a leading Cru Bourgeoise estate located in St-Estéphe.  He bought Château Lynch Bages shortly before World War II and the property has stayed within the Cazes family ever since.  

The vineyards were expanded to 100-hectares in the late 1990s and Jean Michel Cazes made sure everything was modernized at Château Lynch Bages.  A new vat room was installed – though the old vat room is still available to visit to this day.  In 2017, a massive renovation and modernization of the winery’s technical facilities took place.  The project was headed by Chien Chung Pei and Li Chung Pei, sons of the famous architect,  I.M. Pei, who designed the glass pyramid for the Louvre (Le Grand Louvre) in Paris.  The wine cellar is now a 100% gravity flow facility, with impressive vat rooms that house 80 stainless steel vats in various sizes for parcel-by-parcel vinification.  Château Lynch Bages is one of the most cutting-edge estates in terms of wine technology, using satellite imaging to survey the vineyard and conducting soil surveys to ensure the vines reach their full potential.  Château Lynch Bages also produces a gorgeous white wine, Blanc de Lynch Bages, that is said to be one of the finest white wines in all of Graves.

The wines of Château Lynch Bages can be enjoyed young but continue to unfold beautifully with time.  The vintages have continued to dazzle and impress with their deep color, tannic structure, controlled concentration and impressive sophistication.  They are accessible and friendly, but also possess the dignity of the finest Pauillacs.

Tasting Notes

"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." - Neal Martin, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (4/28/2017, Issue 230), Ratings: 97-99, Drink:2026-2060

 


More Information
LWIN 2109688
Stock Status Out of Stock
Appellation Pauillac
Vintage 2016
Brand Chateau Lynch Bages
Shipping Weight 3.000000
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Pauillac is best known as the appellation that produces 3 of the 5 First Growths estates in Bordeaux. Blessed by an exceptional terroir, Pauillac is located in the northern part of the Médoc peninsula, on the Left Bank along the Gironde estuary, an ideal placement contributing to moderating the climate and providing optimal conditions for wine cultivation. Pauillac is bordered by two other prestigious wine appellations: Saint-Estèphe to the north and Saint-Julien to the south.

Pauillac's terroir, characterized by gravelly soils, is often considered one of the finest for the production of Cabernet Sauvignon, the predominant grape in Pauillac’s blends. The gravel helps with drainage and reflects heat, encouraging ripening and concentration of flavors in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec grapes. Such exceptional predispositions explain that Pauillac is home to some of Bordeaux's most renowned and iconic wine estates. They include First Growths estates such as Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Mouton Rothschild, and Château Latour. Other famous estates include Château Pichon-Longueville Baron, Château Pichon-Lalande, Château Duhart-Milon, Château Pontet-Canet, Château Batailley, Château Lynch Bages, Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Château Grand-Puy Ducasse, Château Haut-Batailley, Château Lynch-Moussas, Château d'Armailhac, Château Haut-Bages Liberal, Château Pedesclaux, Château Clerc Milon, Château Croizet-Bages.

Pauillac wines are known for their deep color, complex aromas, and rich, full-bodied flavors, including notes of cassis, blackcurrant, cedar, tobacco, and graphite, with a pronounced tannic structure, which require several years or even decades of bottle aging to reveal their full potential. 

Footnotes on Futures, Pre-Arrivals, and potential US Tariffs: 

1. As of June 15, 2021, the US and the EU agreed to suspend tariffs resulting from the Boeing-Airbus aircraft trade disputes. Accordingly, such import taxes are now suspended for the next five years.

2. Futures are expected to be available for delivery two years after the sales (e.g., the 2022 vintage, sold in 2023, will be delivered in 2025 mostly, or 2026 if the producer ages the wine longer).

3. Pre-Arrivals are items currently stored in our Bordeaux cellar or in transit from France to the US. It usually takes 1-6 months for Pre-Arrivals to become available for delivery, depending on the stage of the import process.

4. Regarding futures and pre-arrivals, we cannot guarantee specific delivery dates, which factors beyond our control may impact. However, we will notify you once your wine arrives in our cellar.

5. While a buyer of Bordeaux wine futures locks in an allocation of the specified items, the final delivery of the purchased items from France to the US may be impacted by intervening and unforeseeable events. Despite our due diligence, additional costs or delays may be caused by such intervening and unforeseen events and "an irresistible, superhuman cause, or by the act of public enemies of the state of California or the United States."  In such circumstances, if a buyer does not accept unforeseeable costs or delays, the sole and exclusive remedy is a cancellation of the futures order concerned and a refund of the original purchase price. We are NOT liable for any lost profits on a canceled order.

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