1990 Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note

I am lucky to taste this as often as I do because I love it! Combining the naturally stoic character of Pauillac with layer after of ripe red currants, cigar box, tobacco leaf, smoke, spice, and wet forest floor, the wine remains full, rich, and dense, yet there is a regal edge to its character that makes this such a turn on. At close to 32 years of age, this is drinking at its peak, where it should remain for at least another 15-20 more years, if well stored, and maybe longer!

4,561 Views   Tasted Nov 17, 2021

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Just a superb example of Lynch Bages at its best, drinking in its prime time window. The wine is concentrated, character-driven and filled with ripe red currants, tobacco leaf, cigar box and cedar aromatics. The tannins are ripe, soft and refined, leaving you the perfect amount of freshness, wet earth, herbs, leafy tobacco, cassis, spice and blackberry in the finish. If you have a bottle, do not hesitate to pop a cork.

From a magnum, this was just great! Full-bodied, deep, long, intense and complex, the wine is concentrated with ripe, dark red fruits, wet earth tobacco and forest floor. The firm, refined tannins add the right backbone to all that gorgeous, ripe, red fruits. You can drink this now, give it more time. But there is no real reason to wait as this is just singing today.

Stunning in every sense of the word, this bottle was pristine. Elegant, concentrated, regal and potent, the full bodied wine had ripe, soft tannins and an elegance to the finish. The nose, loaded with tobacco, cedar chest, forest floor, smoke, cassis and cherry could keep you busy for hours. Splash decanted, this was a beauty!

A good, but probably not pristine example. On the nose the wine offers its cedar, tobacco, cassis, herbal and leafy character with ease. Full bodied and concentrated, there is depth, but this bottle shows a bit more rusticity that it should, and there is an herbal, leaf and green component that takes away from the spicy, red fruits.

Grace, power and elegance, with the structure to continue aging, a nose of tobacco, cigar box, lead pencil, and herbs and a mouth full of fresh, crisp, sweet, blackberries and cassis and soft textures. Drink it or age it further, either way, this is a winner!

I've probably tasted 1990 Lynch Bages 2-3 times this year and each bottle has been remarkably consistent. What more could you ask for in Pauillac? Full body, intense concentration of flavor, aromatic complexity, sensuous, elegant textures, ripe fruit and tannins and a long finish that's packed with layers of ripe, fresh berries make this a treat. The original $30 price is looking good these days.

What a sexy little beast this has morphed into. The tannins are refined and elegant. There is a lot of concentration of fruit and flavor, yet, every part of this wine is polished, plush and soft, There are no hard edges to be found. And it tastes incredibly young and fresh and improved in the glass during the night . You can age this for decades, or enjoy it today. Tasted blind, I thought it was 2000 Pichon Baron, another wine I love. If anyone felt this was the best Lynch Bages of all time, they'd get no argument from me. Why not? If they picked 1989 or 2009, I also see their point. 1990 Lynch Bages is at that same high level. this is truly a stunning Pauillac that is worth seeking out.

Tobacco leaf, cigar box, gravel, black cherry, cassis, herbs, cedar wood, lead pencil, forest floor and earthy scents capture your attention. On the palate, with its sweet tannins, layers of ripe, fresh, black and red fruits and spice, you want to delve deeper into the wine. This is a serious Pauillac with a lot to offer. Lately, over the past 12 months, I've preferred 1989 Lynch Bages over the 1990. Prior to 2010, the 1990 had been my favorite. At this tasting, both vintages deserved high scores for different reasons. 1989 Lynch Bages is more powerful and tannic, but 1990 Lynch Bages offers a more refined, supple, elegant quality. Either way, these two back to back vintages are sublime.

One whiff of the gorgeous, smoke, coffee, tobacco, plum, tapenade, cassis, spice, lead pencil and earthy perfume and you know you're tasting a great Pauillac. Blind, the wine feels like a Pomerol as it gracefully fills your palate with ripe, pure, intense, juicy plums, cassis and spice. 1990 Lynch Bages juxtaposes power with elegance. This is probably my favorite vintage of Lynch Bages to drink today. As this wine continues to develop, I would not be surprised to see it gain another point. It's a very special Pauillac with all the great qualities of the 1990 Bordeaux vintage.

This is the silkiest vintage of Lynch Bages I've ever tasted. The velvet tannins and opulent textures remind me of a Pomerol. Concentrated with ripe, sweet, opulent layers fruit, this Pauillac is filled with cassis, tobacco, black cherry, earth, spice, cigar box, stone and forest floor sensations. This sublime Bordeaux wine should continue to improve and offer pleasure for decades.

This powerful wine opens with truffle, cassis, tobacco, earth and barn yard notes. Concentrated and filled with juicy, ripe black berry and cassis flavors, this intense wine is showing well today and with more time, it's going to get better!

The wine opens with ripe, cassis, tobacco, spice and tobacco. Full bodied, with soft round tannins, the soft, elegantly styled, fruit filled finish expresses ample, ripe fruit character. My favorite vintage of LB for current drinking.

Dark, red, ruby color with lightening around the edges. Cassis & smoke on the nose. Full bodied. Silky, lush black fruit on the palate. Surprisingly accessible. This has more in common with the 85 than the 89. Good, but not great. Will improve with a few additional years of bottle age