2020 Chateau Lynch Bages 5eme Cru Classe, Pauillac 1x750ml

Vinous 93.5

The 2020 Lynch-Bages is curiously backward on the nose, showing earthy black fruit mixed with bay leaf and pencil shavings. The palate is medium-bodied with rounded, pliant tannins. Bold and assertive, there's plenty of concentration, though it doesn't quite have the same precision on the finish as its peers in this flight. This is another great wine that is perhaps just entering an awkward adolescence. Tasted blind at the annual Southwold tasting. [Neal Martin, 01/11/2024]

Anticipated maturity: 2028-2055

Robert Parker 95

The 2020 Lynch-Bages is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot, aging for around 18 months in French oak barriques, 75% new. It has an alcohol of 13.41%, a pH of 3.73 and an IPT (tannin index) of 93. Opaque purple-black in color, it leaps from the glass with notes of crushed blackberries, cassis and boysenberries, plus touches of garrigue, red roses and cedar chest with hints of graphite and black olives. The medium-bodied palate has a rock-solid frame of ripe, grainy tannins and plenty of freshness supporting the tight-knit black fruit and earthy flavors, finishing long and mineral laced. [Lisa Perrotti-Brown, 04/05/2021]

Anticipated maturity: 2027-2050