Lynch Bages 2021 (750ML)

96 WE / 95 JS / 95 DE / 94 AG / 94 VM / 94 JA / 94 WS / 94 WCI

Lovely depth to the nose of this young Bordeaux with black currant, ink and walnut aromas that follow through to a medium to full body with a solid core of polished and integrated tannins. This will drink beautifully in 2026 and onwards. - James Suckling

Sweet blackcurrant fruit on the nose, softly jammy and expressive. You can really feel the ripeness here, grapes got full maturity and this is plush, mouthfilling and plump with chewy tannins - more opulent and perfumed than others also with more power and body. Tannins are mouthfilling and you get the stone minerality and the Cabernet freshness that really takes over giving this a sense of tension and grip. A really characterful and expressive Pauillac where the tannins and acidity perfectly compliment each other with the muscular and concentrated fruit also giving a multi-faceted dimension. 3% Cabernet Sauvignon completes the blend. 3.72pH. Ageing 75% new barrels. - Georgina Hindle, Decanter

The 2021 Lynch-Bages is rather somber today. Black fruit, mocha, licorice and chocolate are all amplified in this decidedly muscular wine from a cool year. This is a distinctly cool-climate Lynch-Bages built on power, with less of its usual flash. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

The 2021 Lynch-Bages has a wonderful bouquet with intense blackberry and bilberry fruit, retaining the estuarine element I remarked upon from barrel. The oak here is seamlessly integrated and gains complexity with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, very supple and focused, a little more peppery toward the finish with impressive grip and depth in context of the vintage. This is a superb achievement in a tricky season. Chapeau, Jean-Charles Cazes. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

This is impressive, reduction on the first nose but it clears to show gentle smoked oak, bitter cocoa beans and liqourice, giving balance the the fresh acidities that stud the blackberry and raspberry fruits. This is powerful, with a structure that feels similar to the 2014 or the 2008 - a little subdued and austere, but with ageing potential. A high tannin index of 90IPT. Harvest September 27 Lynch through to October 9. One of the best in Pauillac, finishing up with chewy tannins. - Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux

Displays a nice mix of almost caressing black cherry and black currant paste flavors, with warm cast iron, sweet tobacco and chestnut notes, showing just a nip of the vintage's austerity. Rock solid for the vintage, this offers a lively, savory edge that adds cut and energy. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2040.-James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

Smoke, cedar, cigar box, cassis, spearmint, and spice nuances set the perfume where it needs to be. The palate, with its layers of vibrant, sweet, fresh, energetic, chewy fruits leaves a lasting impression. There is concentration, depth of flavor, chewiness, and length here that would make this a serious wine in a top vintage. But, with 2021, this is a tremendous success that exceeds the vintage. The wine blends 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. The yields were low at 34 hectoliters per hectare. Drink from 2027-2050.-Jeff Leve, Wine Cellar Insider, tasted 3/24