1996 Château Lynch-Bages Pauillac Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note

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1996
94
Cedar, tobacco leaf, pepper, red currants are there for the taking on the nose. With an hour of air, the wine softens and develops more secondary nuances, finishing with a savory edge to the spicy red berries in the finish.

Cedar, tobacco leaf, pepper, red currants are there for the taking on the nose. With an hour of air, the wine softens and develops more secondary nuances, finishing with a savory edge to the spicy red berries in the finish.

5,587 Views   Tasted
This is classic Pauillac. The full-bodied, firm, concentrated wine offers cedar chest, cigar box and forest floor, with a touch of herbs that sets off the fresh, bright, red fruits perfectly. This is drinking in its sweet spot.

This is classic Pauillac. The full-bodied, firm, concentrated wine offers cedar chest, cigar box and forest floor, with a touch of herbs that sets off the fresh, bright, red fruits perfectly. This is drinking in its sweet spot.

6,588 Views   Tasted
At close to 20 years of age, I could not believe how young this still seems. With 3 hours of air, the cassis and cigar box characteristics were showing their stuff. There are still some tannins to be resolved. With 4 hours of air, the wine softened, but did not gain in complexity. Classic in style, firm and structured, this is going to age for decades.

At close to 20 years of age, I could not believe how young this still seems. With 3 hours of air, the cassis and cigar box characteristics were showing their stuff. There are still some tannins to be resolved. With 4 hours of air, the wine softened, but did not gain in complexity. Classic in style, firm and structured, this is going to age for decades.

7,965 Views   Tasted
This wine gets better each time I taste it and this is the best showing yet! Cigar box, cassis, blackberries, earth, tobacco and forest floor notes are finally starting to emerge. The tannins are softening, leaving a fleshy, soft, juicy, rich, pure, ripe, fruit filled wine. As good as this is today, it's only going to get better with a few more years of bottle age.

This wine gets better each time I taste it and this is the best showing yet! Cigar box, cassis, blackberries, earth, tobacco and forest floor notes are finally starting to emerge. The tannins are softening, leaving a fleshy, soft, juicy, rich, pure, ripe, fruit filled wine. As good as this is today, it's only going to get better with a few more years of bottle age.

9,326 Views   Tasted
Ruby with hints of slight bricking around the edges, this maturing wine displays scents of cedar wood, damp earth, cassis, mushroom and cigar box aromas. The wine is full bodied, tannic and concentrated. In the mouth, it's like taking a big bite of juicy Cabernet Sauvignon. This is developing nicely and will continue improving for at least another 20 more years.

Ruby with hints of slight bricking around the edges, this maturing wine displays scents of cedar wood, damp earth, cassis, mushroom and cigar box aromas. The wine is full bodied, tannic and concentrated. In the mouth, it's like taking a big bite of juicy Cabernet Sauvignon. This is developing nicely and will continue improving for at least another 20 more years.

14,070 Views   Tasted

When to Drink Chateau Lynch Bages, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Lynch Bages needs time in the cellar before it can truly be enjoyed, as the wine is quite powerful and tannic in its youth. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 2-4 hours, or more. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Chateau Lynch Bages is usually better with at least 10-15 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Lynch Bages offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 15-50 years of age after the vintage.

Serving Chateau Lynch Bages with Wine, Food and Pairing Tips

Chateau Lynch Bages is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift. Chateau Lynch Bages is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes.

Chateau Lynch Bages is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta as well as cheese.

The white wine, Blanc de Lynch-Bages is perfect for a wide variety of seafood dishes, raw and cooked, chicken, veal, pork, and of course, cheese.

The Cazes family owns vineyards in several regions outside of Bordeaux. Since 2006 the Cazes family owns vines in the Rhone Valley, in Chateauneuf du Pape they own Domaine des Senechaux and they also make wine at Domaine de L’Ostal Cazes in Minervois. They have a partnership in the Douro with the Roquette family to produce Xisto Roquette E Cazes.

Wine, food, and hospitality are not the only things the Cazes family is invested in. In 2015, Jean Michel Cazes announced he was producing beer as well. The first beer from the Cazes family Brasserie de Bages beer is aptly named "D2," which takes its name from the famous Route de Medoc highway in Bordeaux that runs north to south in the Left Bank. Three beers are being made, Le Cask, which is aged in old, used Lynch Bages barrels, and a 100% wheat beer, La Beneze.

The Cazes family is also involved in arranging for customers to produce their own wine through their company, VINIV. Customers can purchase grapes from either the Right Bank or the Left Bank, and with the help of winemakers at Chateau Lynch Bages, they can create their own custom blend and label it as they wish, provided they purchase at least one barrel, which is 25 cases of wine.

Starting with the 2015 vintage, Chateau Lynch Bages upped their technology game when they became the first estate in Bordeaux to use the "Winegrid" system. Wine grid monitors the development of the wine inside the barrel or vat, keeping track of the wine's alcohol level, sugar content, color, and ambient temperature. The technology is being developed with the help of Jean Charles Cazes.

www.lynchbages.com