2018 Chateau Lynch Bages - 5eme Cru Pauillac

Decanter.com – 96 pts – GH: *Gorgeous floral aromatics, violets alongside cherry stones and cinnamon. Grippy tannins set the tone straight away, this is a serious and impressive wine with a powerful texture and concentration of ripe fruits, bitter dark cocoa powder, dried herbs and soft spices that dominate the palate. Grippy tannins have a chalky minerality that coats the entire mouth while acidity keeps things lifted stopping things becoming too heavy or overwhelming. This is muscular - still with some tension - yet retains a sense of direction and precision. A confident bottling with brilliant ageing potential.* - 11/2022

Falstaff Magazin – 96 pts - PM: *Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Attraktive Cassisfrucht, zart nach Minze und Lakritze, angenehme Edelholznuancen, feines Nougat, sehr verführerisches Bukett. Saftig, engmaschig, frische Kirschen, reife, tragende Tannine, gute Frische, Brombeerkonfit im Abgang, braucht noch etwas Entwicklungszeit. (2025–2050)* - 02/2021

Vinum Magazin – 17/20pts: *Würzige Aromatik, holzgeprägt; spürbarer Extrakt schon im Ansatz, von herber, massiver Art, noch bloss liegende, aber dichte Textur; sehr verschlossen in dieser Phase; muss reifen.* - 09/2021

WeinWisser – 19/20pts - WL: *Purpur mit opaker Mitte. Filigranes Parfüm nach frisch gepflückten schwarzen Johannisbeeren, dominikanischem Tabak und getrocknetem Thymian, dahinter exotische Hölzer, dunkle Schokotrüffel und Holundersaft. Am komplexen Gaumen mit viel Druck, engmaschigem Tanningerüst und reifer (fein körniger) Extraktfülle. Im gebündelten Finale zeigt der Gigant seine ganze Klasse, edle Cassiswürze und exotische Hölzer, endet mit erhabener Adstringenz im Minuten nachklingenden Rückaroma. Bestätigt sein damaliges Top–Resultat als Fassmuster eindrucksvoll!.* – 04/2021

04/19: *Dark cassis, plum and cherry fruit flavors stream through in this red, harnessed well by bolts of iron along the way. Sweet tobacco detail echoes through the finish, which is seriously long. An extremely rock-solid wine in the making here.* (96-99/100)

JancisRobinson.com – 18/20pts – JR: *Tasted blind. Particularly dark crimson. Discreet, fresh nose. Good, straightforward ripe, minty fruit with about the right amount of tannin underneath. Dry finish. Long. This was extremely popular with the group as well as with me – although I learnt subsequently that it was made in temporary premises while the new winery was being built, ready for the 2020 vintage.* - 01/2022

04/19: *Couleur rouge sombre, intense et profonde. Nez intense, fin, fruité, crémeux et profond. Minutieux dès l'entrée en bouche, suave au développement, aromatique, gras et pourtant fondant, le vin évolue juteux, sèveux et viril. Il s'achève long, avec beaucoup de goût et une touche de fermeté dans la persistance. C'est très bon.* (97/100)

JamesSuckling.com - 97pts - JS: *Aromas of blackberries, cloves, licorice, dried leaves, graphite and black olives. It’s full-bodied with firm, tight tannins. Structured and tannic with beautiful austerity and a long, mineral and layered finish. The tannins grow on the palate. Try from 2026.* - 01/2021

Vinous.com – 96 pts – AG: *An utterly fabulous wine, the 2018 Lynch-Bages captures all of the richness and generosity that make the year so appealing, and yet doesn’t stray too far from its classic feel. Rose petal, lavender, spice, sweet red berry fruit and mint are all beautifully lifted in the glass. Racy and silky to the core, the 2018 is a real head-turner from the very first taste. All the elements fall into place effortlessly. Readers will have a very hard time keeping their hands off this jewel of a wine.* - 03/2021

04/19: *Barrel Sample. This vintage shows the elegant side of a typically powerful wine. It offers dense black fruits that are balanced by the stylish wood aging and bold tannins. This impressive wine is likely to age well.* (95-97/100)

Vinous.com - 94pts - NM: *The 2018 Lynch-Bages has a wonderful bouquet of supremely well-defined blackberry, briar, crushed rock and pencil lead aromas that develop more floral scents with continued aeration (the samples were monitored over 6-8 hours). The palate is beautifully balanced with fine-grained tannins and superb acidity. Fresh and focused with a touch of graphite toward the finish. There is a swagger, a bit of brio, about this Lynch-Bages, one that will age over 30-40 years with style. Bravo, l´equipe Cazes!* - 03/2021