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 Chateau
Lynch Bages
Placed at the gates of Pauillac on one
of the finest gravel crests in the commune, dominating the estuary of the
Gironde, château Lynch-Bages owes its name to the ancient hamlet of Bages, a
place where for centuries generations of vintners lived and worked. This Château
was owned by the Lynch family for three quarters of a century. They descend from
John Lynch, a young Irishman from Galway who was chased out of his country in
1691. In the 18th century, Count Jean-Basptiste Lynch, mayor of Bordeaux,
inherited the estate and handed over management to his brother Michel Lynch, who
was also mayor of Pauillac during the French Revolution.
Jean-Charles Cazes, highly respected in the Médoc for his experience in
viticulture and winemaking, bought the property in 1934. With his son André, he
devoted all his energy to Lynch-Bages for more than 35 years. In 1974, his
grand-son Jean-Michel set about restructuring the estate.
 The
Lynch-Bages estate (90 hectares) is located just outside the city of Pauillac,
overlooking the Gironde estuary, on one of the most beautiful gravelly outcrops
in the appellation.
The well-drained soil consists mainly of Garonne gravel. The sub-soil (marl,
chalk, and thick clay-sand gravel, or hardpan) forms a solid, but fairly
disjointed foundation, enabling the roots of old vines to grow to a depth of 6-8
metres. Although classified as a fifth growth, Lynch Bages is one of those properties which illustrates the single most important failing of this classification; it is outdated and in desperate need of review. That, of course, will never happen, but it hardly matters. Those in the know recognise that Chateau Lynch Bages, under the direction of Jean-Michel Cazes and with financial backing from the AXA insurance group, often produces wine worthy of a higher classification, no matter what the label says.
Lynch Bages Vineyard
A prodigious Lynch-Bages, the 2000 exhibits a saturated purple color as well as
exploding aromatics of new saddle leather, creme de cassis, creosote, truffles,
and oak. A sweet entry reveals a full-bodied, concentrated, succulent style with
tremendous class as well as charm. This mouthfilling, lush, super-concentrated,
gorgeously pure Lynch-Bages stains the palate. It will undoubtedly firm up
during its barrel aging, or after bottling, but it offers a hedonistic mouthful
of massive Pauillac at present. Anticipated maturity: 2004-2025. For
statisticians, it is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 11% Cabernet
Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot aged in 70% new French oak.
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Chateau Lynch Bages, 2002 Pauillac, Bordeaux
Fantastic aromas of ripe currants, spices, cedar and incense. Full-bodied, with soft and velvety tannins and a long, currant and mineral finish. Serious for the vintage. Big meaty, well-extracted color, quite floral and very blackcurrant showing very ripe Cabernet fruit and very good depth, ripe and plummy with excellent length and balance. Wines Spectator Rating - 92/94
$51.20
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