Château Lynch Bages 2018, Pauillac

Stretching over some 100 hectares in the commune of Pauillac, the vineyards of Lynch-Bages sit among favourably designed hillcrests located south and southwest of the city. Located at the 45th parallel, 50 km north of Bordeaux, the terroir of Lynch-Bages enjoys a temperate climate. Lynch-Bages Estate owes part of its name to the ancient hamlet of Bages, which for centuries was home to generations of winemakers. The area of ‘Batges’ is mentioned as early back as the sixteenth century in the terriers (estate records) of Lafite. In 1749, The property  passed into the Lynch family for seventy-five years.

Lynch-Bages is classified among the Fifth Growths (Cinquièmes Crus) in the prestigious 1855 Classification.

In the 1930s, General Félix de Vial leased the vineyard to Jean-Charles Cazes, who was already in charge of Château Ormes de Pez in Saint-Estèphe. Cazes would go on to purchase both properties on the eve of the Second World War. Lynch-Bages has been run by the Cazes family ever since.

Following a particularly wet winter that recorded mixed temperatures, the wine season began with a slightly late bud break. However, it followed a normal pattern thanks to mild temperatures at the beginning of April. The 2018 vintage was then marked by two periods. The first saw relatively mild temperatures but heavy rainfall, from March to early July. The second period began mid-July with fine summer weather, hot temperatures and excessive sunshine. Full flowering occurred in line with the 20-year average.

Thanks to ideal weather conditions, harvest started on 19 September with the Merlot and was followed by Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot until 9 October. Upon arrival at the cellar, the sanitary state of the grapes was perfect, with rich sugar content and exceptional polyphenols. Alcoholic fermentation was straightforward and homogeneous and average vatting time was 21 days. During the runoff from 15 to 29 October, the vats produced juice yields that were below expectations. Then came the time for malolactic fermentation, one third of which took place in vats and two thirds in barrels. It was completed in November. The first blends were carried out in December.

Ageing: Wooden barrels for 18 months (75% new oak). Blend: 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 6% Cabernet franc, 3% Petit Verdot

Lynch-Bages 2018 offers a seductive mouthfeel with powerful yet silky tannins. On the palate, there is a strong prelude of black chocolate, rosemary and spices on a fresh core leading to a long finish.

Fab with gulasch, tiroler gröstl, Lebanese kofte, Italian meatballs with tagliolini, burger with all the trimmings and chunky chips or roast phesant with roasted potatoes and don’t forget to pile on the veg!