2006 Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, Bordeaux
Description
Château Lynch Bages, a Cinquième Cru Classé, is one of the best-known Médoc estates and has always had a particularly strong following on this side of the English Channel. The wine can be surprisingly soft and approachable when young; however, it develops a succulent richness and a heavenly bouquet of minty blackcurrants and cigar boxes when fully mature. As Oz Clarke says, “Lynch Bages is impressive at five years, beautiful at 10 years and irresistible at 20.”
This is a remarkable 2006: voluptuous and sexy, its massive tannins are cloaked by the hugely concentrated, ripe, cedar-y, brambly fruit, while the sweet, rich, toasty aromas add an extra je ne sais quoi. The purity of fruit on the finish is sensational, too. Certainly, we cannot recall Lynch having been so far up the Bordeaux quality ladder in any previous year.
Berry Bros. & Rudd
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Colour
Red -
Sweetness
Dry -
Vintage
2006 -
Alcohol
13% -
Grape
Cabernet Sauvignon,Merlot,Cabernet Franc,Petit Verdot -
Body
Full Bodied -
Producer
Château Lynch-Bages
Critics reviews
79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Aged for 15 months in oak barrels (70% new).
Deep purple-black colour. Reserved nose but plenty of depth. Nuance of graphite and dark fruit. More austere than the 2005 but authoritative. Plenty of stuffing and drive. Firm, bold tannins provide length and persistence. Just a little dry on the finish. Powerful and well built. Ideally needs a few more years and could well surprise.
Slowly and confidently inching towards its drinking window, but needs another three to five years before it gets there. Deep plush fruit with tight liquorice root and menthol edging against rich blackberry coulis. Beautiful subtle tension and complexity on display. Really a huge amount that uncurls slowly in the glass. Very seductive.
Drink 2018 - 2040
The 2006 Lynch-Bages has an airy bouquet, open but missing the same fruit intensity as other vintages. Light wild hedgerow, bilberry and touches of seaweed emerge but never fully get into fifth gear. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly rigid tannins that frame the dusky black fruit. More austere than vintages from this era, it just tapers a little towards the finish. Not bad, but missing a bit of substance and length. Tasted at the Lynch-Bages vertical at the château.