2008 Château Lynch-Bages

Description

94    Jeb Dunnuck
“The 2008 Lynch Bages is brilliant stuff as well as a textbook Pauillac. Revealing a still youthful ruby/purple color as well as impressive notes of graphite, cedar pencil, cassis, tobacco, and obvious minerality, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, polished tannins, and a concentrated, layered texture. Jean-Charles Cazes described the vintage as late and great for Cabernet Sauvignon, and this beauty has classic Cabernet flair in spades. Powerful yet also fresh and elegant, it benefits from a decant and will continue drinking beautifully for another 20-30 years.” (2/2019)

94    Wine Enthusiast
“In the powerful style of Lynch-Bages, although perhaps less exuberant than usual. Instead the concentration comes from juicy fruit, which gives it a softer quality. Even so, it still has solid tannins, dense texture and always the promise of good aging. *Cellar Selection* (4/2011)

93    Jane Anson for Decanter
“More concentrated and tannic than many of the other Pauillacs in this vintage, with powerful cassis fruits, notes of liquorice and still-chewy tannins, with cigar box and menthol starting to tunnel though. It could do with another few years, and it’s built to go the decades. Accomplished and enjoyable.” (1/2018)

93 James Suckling
“Lo   ts of currant and lemon rind undertones. Full body, firm and silky tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Tight and linear but pretty and bright. Just opening now.” (6/2016)

92    Neal Martin for Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate
“The Lynch Bages 2008 is very well defined on the nose with more red instead of black fruits, graphite and sous-bois intermingling with touches kirsch and cassis. This is a little showy compared to previous bottles that I have encountered. The palate is well balanced with a little hardness on the entry, understandable at this stage. Quite tight at the moment, nice freshness with a long tail on the finish, this is a fine, upstanding, conservative Pauillac.” (3/2012)

92    Neal Martin for Vinous
“The 2008 Lynch Bages has a classic pencil lead and cedar scented bouquet with impressive delineation. It just takes time to get going in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannin, classic in style with graphite-tinged black fruit. This is fresh and focused with impressive depth on the grippy finish. The Cazes family crafted a solid, what you might call dependable Lynch Bages that might eschew the glitz, but will cruise along nicely for a couple of decades.” (2/2018)