CHATEAU LYNCH BAGES 2004 - Pauillac 5eme Grand Cru Classe - France - Red Wine

Country : France
Region : Bordeaux - Pauillac
Type : Red
Year : 2004
Volume : 75 cl

WINE MAKERS NOTES : The 2004 vintage of this wine was ranked #10 on the Wine Spectator's Top 10 Wines of 1991 . Deep color and characteristics that compare favorably with recent vintages. A vintage reminiscent of the concentration of the 1996 vintage plus the freshness of the 2001. The nose already offers aromas of black-currant and cherry. Its extremely full-bodied texture suggests that this will be a good wine for cellaring. Blend: 84% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot

WINE CRITICS 94 points Wine Enthusiast
Outer quote mark As always, Lynch-Bages comes in with an impressive performance. It is rich, dense and ripe with black fruit flavors. The texture is solid, the intense fruits complemented by ripe tannins. And, to finish, there is the freshness of currant fruit acidity. A really fine wine. *Editors' Choice* (RV) Inner quote mark (6/2007)

93 points Wine & Spirits
Outer quote mark Lynch-Bages provides the beauty and grandeur of Pauillac on a smaller scale than the firsts. It's as polished as any of the great wines of the region, with lovely cassis flavors on a silken frame. Complex and savory, the purity of the fruit makes this wine mouthwatering even at this early stage in its evolution. Put a case away; this is structured to age for 20 years and beyond. Inner quote mark (10/2007)

92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Outer quote mark Ex-cellar bottle tasted blind at the Lynch Bages vertical. This has a noticeably clear, deep garnet colour. The nose is very clean and correct although it lacks a little complexity and flair: straightforward black fruits, cedar and pencil shavings. The medium-bodied palate shows a little hardness at first, but softens with aeration and soon adopts a more succulent texture with ripe black cherries, Doris plum and bilberry. Certainly this is a well balanced Pauillac packed full of ripe tannins with a crisp poised finish of black plum, cedar and cassis. Although it does not have the length of the 2005, nor indeed the 2006, it is a very confident, expressive wine for the vintage. (NM) Inner quote mark (3/2010) ABOUT THE WINERY : Overlooking the Gironde estuary at the entrance to Pauillac, the vines of Lynch-Bages are located on the Bages plateau, 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.
The grapes are all hand picked and then carefully sorted before crushing. A very strict selection is made prior to blending and the wine is traditionally aged in oak barrels before bottling.

ABOUT PAUILLAC WINES : The leader on the Left Bank in number of first growth classified producers within its boundaries, Pauillac has more than any of the other appellations, at three of the five. Chateau Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild border St. Estephe on its northern end and Chateau Latour is at Pauillac’s southern end, bordering St. Julien.

While the first growths are certainly some of the better producers of the Left Bank, today they often compete with some of the “lower ranked” producers (second, third, fourth, fifth growth) in quality and value. The Left Bank of Bordeaux subscribes to an arguably outdated method of classification that goes back to 1855. The finest chateaux in that year were judged on the basis of reputation and trading price; changes in rank since then have been miniscule at best. Today producers such as Chateau Pontet-Canet, Chateau Grand Puy-Lacoste, Chateau Lynch-Bages, among others (all fifth growth) offer some of the most outstanding wines in all of Bordeaux.

Defining characteristics of fine wines from Pauillac (i.e. Cabernet-based Bordeaux Blends) include inky and juicy blackcurrant, cedar or cigar box and plush or chalky tannins.

Layers of gravel in the Pauillac region are key to its wines’ character and quality. The layers offer excellent drainage in the relatively flat topography of the region allowing water to run off into “jalles” or streams, which subsequently flow off into the Gironde.

DISCOVER LYNCH BAGES



DISCOVER VINTAGES OF LYNCH BAGES with JEAN-CHARLES CAZES & JAMES SUCKLING



INTERVIEW WITH JEAN-MICHEL CAZES