2020 Chateau Lynch Bages - 5eme Cru Pauillac

Decanter.com - 98 pts - GH: *One of my favourite wines of the vintage, this is a wonderful example of high definition winemaking but still offering plenty of Pauillac swagger. Smells dark and slightly savoury, full of black fruit and toasted aromas. Bright and lively on the palate with clarity and precision to the berry fruit, shining and clear with juicy, mouthwatering acidity - so much energy in the glass. Chalky, graphite-laced tannins fill the mouth, giving structure and clear terroir markers with a lingering minerality on the finish. Perfectly weighted with incredible delectability and drinkability. Persistent with a long finish. Superb effort.* - 01/2023

Falstaff Magazin – 98 pts – PM: *Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, zarte Randaufhellung. Ein Hauch von Lakritze und schwarzen Kirschen, feine Edelholzwürze, attraktives Bukett. Saftig, balanciert, reife Brombeeren, aber auch rote Früchte, stramme Tannine, zart blättrig im Abgang, noch nicht völlig entwickelt, sicheres Zukunftspotenzial.* - 04/2023

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate - 94-96pts: *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.* - 05/21

WeinWisser – 19,5/20pts – GL, TW: *Dicht verwobenes schwarzbeeriges Bouquet, Lakritze, tasmanischer Bergpfeffer und dunkles Graphit. Am satten Gaumen mit seidiger Textur, betörender Extraktfülle, tiefgründiger Mineralik und engmaschigem Körper. Im konzentrierten Finale Wildkirsche, Sandelholz und tiefschürfende Terroirwürze.* – 03/2023

JancisRobinson.com - 18/20pts - JH: *60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot, 4% Cabernet Franc. 75% new oak. Deepest crimson. Dark, rich and pure-fruited aroma of black fruit. There's also a darkly oaky note but it's surprisingly well integrated in such a young wine – shows the quality of the fruit. Dark, dense, chewy and almost savoury on the palate, dark fruit, dark spice, intense but not heavy. Really gorgeous without being voluptuous. Refined and long* - 11/2022

JamesSuckling.com - 98-99pts - JS: *Blackcurrants, orange peel, flowers and tar with hints of graphite. Full-bodied with a creamy texture of exquisitely polished tannins. It goes on and on. Intense flavors at the end, too, with lead pencil and lots of blackberry. Very classic and precise.* - 05/21

Vinous.com – 95+ pts – AG: *The 2020 Lynch-Bages is a real powerhouse. Élevage appears to have amplified the virile, brooding qualities that were present in barrel. In so many vintages, Lynch-Bages is a wine of elegance and finesse. Those qualities may emerge here too, in time. Black cherry, plum, espresso, licorice and lavender add to an impression of brooding intensity. Formidable tannins will take years to soften. The 2020 is a gorgeous wine, but it is also a very atypical Lynch.* - 12/2022

Vinous.com – 96 pts – NM: *The 2020 Lynch-Bages, the first vintage vinified at the new winery, has a beautifully-defined bouquet with a strong estuarine influence, brine and seaweed infusing the black fruit. It's almost understated at first, but it opens wonderfully in the glass - quintessentially Pauillac. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, quite concentrated that is counterbalanced by a fine bead of acidity. The saline note on the finish is superb, lingering in the mouth. What an absolutely delicious Lynch-Bages for the long-term.* - 12/2022

Thewinecellarinsider.com – 97 pts – JL: *The first vintage made in their brand new, state-of-the-art cellars pops with its showy display of peppery spices, mint, cigar box, cassis, blackberries, cedar, and creme de cassis. The wine is full-bodied, fresh, long, deep, intense, powerful and chewy, leaving you with an ocean of sweet, ripe, pure cassis to chew on. This refined styled vintage of Lynch Bages will age for decades. Drink from 2027-2060.* - 03/2023