Chateau Lynch Bages Pauillac Grand Cru 2014
(Bordeaux, France) - [JS 96] [WA 95] [WS 94] [DM 94] [TWI 93] [JD 93] [VM 92]

About the Winery:
In the heart of the Médoc on the banks of the estuary, Pauillac has been the true birthplace of Grand Cru Classé wines since 1855, and Château Lynch-Bages stands as one of Pauillac’s most compelling names—a 5ème Cru Classé with a reputation that far exceeds its official ranking.

Renowned for its generosity of fruit and unmistakable structure, this estate's wines combine the precision of modern technique with the soul of Bordeaux tradition, delivering bottles that age with grace and authority.

Overlooking the Gironde estuary at the entrance to Pauillac, the vines of Lynch-Bages are located on the Bages plateau, spreading across 100 hectares in the region on one of the finest gravelly rises in the appellation. The estate once belonged to the famous Lynch family, of Irish origin, and was acquired by Jean-Charles Cazes in 1934. His grandson, Jean-Michel Cazes restructured the estate in 1974, adding state-of-the-art winemaking equipment, while keeping the former wooden vats as a reminder of the 19th century.

Marking four centuries of history and the culmination of four years’ hard work, the 2020 vintage, the first in the renovated cellars, has opened a new chapter in the life of the estate – and attained #3 on Wine Spectator’s Top 100 list for 2023.

About this Wine:
Soil: Garonne Gravel
Harvest: Hand-picked and sorted at the vineyard
Ageing: French oak barrels for 18 months (75% new wood)
Blend:  69%Cabernet Sauvignon, 26%Merlot, 3%Cabernet Franc, 2%Petit Verdot

Tasting Notes: The wine has a deep colour and an aromatic nose; it is rich and unctuous on the palate, perfectly enveloped in silky tannins. This vintage is distinguished by a beautiful balance of power, freshness and elegance.

Ratings & Reviews

96 Points - James Suckling:
"Aromas of currants, blackberries and blackcurrants with hints of chocolate and spices. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Juicy and muscular wine. Needs three or four years to open. Beautiful." (Jan 2017)

95 Points - Wine Advocate:
"The 2014 Lynch-Bages is full of promise, offering up a classic bouquet of rich but vibrant blackcurrant fruit mingled with with hints of loamy soil, cedar and vanilla pod. Full-bodied, deep and layered, with an abundance of ripe but youthfully assertive tannin, lively acids and a long, resonant finish, it will hit its stride in 10 to 15 years. This is an excellent Lynch-Bages that represents especially good value in the contemporary marketplace." – William Kelley (Feb 2022))

94 Points - Wine Spectator:
"This has beguiling hints of plum cake and melted licorice peeking out, while a core of cassis and blackberry confiture waits in reserve. There's ample grip, but this remains very polished and integrated, with lovely echoes of anise and fruitcake showing through the very lengthy finish. Will be hard to keep your hands off this while it ages. Best from 2019 through 2035. – JM (Mar 2017

94 Points - Decanter Magazine:
"Oyster shell and sea spray on the nose. Sharp and tangy, acidity is at the fore, bright and upfront before this turns a little lean and focussed with tight tannins and a sleek finish. It's stylish and feels well worked, smooth and has good energy throughout although it does feel like it's lost some weight and instead gained in strictness for the time being. What's left is very enjoyable but this doesn't carry the same impact some of the others do, even lighter ones. Give this some more time. – Georgina Hindle (Jun 2024)

93 Points - The Wine Independent:
"The 2014 Lynch-Bages is medium to deep garnet-brick in color. The nose is a little restrained, slowly unfurling to reveal notes of blackcurrant jelly, kirsch, and sauteed herbs followed by wafts of cedar, leather, and dried lavender. The medium-bodied palate is tightly wound, with a lively line and firm, grainy tannins framing the taut fruit, finishing long and savory." – LPB (Mar 2024)

93 Points - Jeb Dunnuck:
"A solid wine in the vintage, the 2014 Château Lynch Bages is youthfully purple-hued, with some classic Lynch Bages richness and depth in its ripe black (and some blue) fruits as well as freshly sharpened pencil, graphite, and floral nuances. It's medium-bodied, has a balanced mouthfeel, ripe, nicely integrated tannins, and outstanding length, with a bright spine of acidity. It undeniably offers pleasure today and is in the early phase of its prime drinking window. It should cruise for another two decades in cold cellars. The 2014 is based on 69% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot raised in 75% new oak." (May 2024)

92 Points - Vinous Media:
"The 2014 Lynch-Bages has a wonderful, precise, focused bouquet that exudes class. The oak is beautifully assimilated with superb mineralité. The palate is medium-bodied with supple tannins and a dash of white pepper and sage, gaining depth towards the harmonious and almost Saint-Julien-inspired finish. Probably ready now, but can drink over the next 15 to 20 years. Tasted blind at the Southwold 10-Year-On tasting." – Neal Martin (Mar 2024)