Lynch Bages 1998

Big and beefy and still very young and even quite raw. Still quite chewy. By no means the most delicious wine here even if it is the most recognisable and valuable! A bit jagged in terms of acidity.

(78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot; 5.4 g/l total acidity; 13.2% alcohol): Dark ruby-red. Ripe blackcurrant aromas and flavors are lifted by pungent graphite, cedar and mineral notes. Balanced, pure and smooth in the mouth, with excellent perfume and precision. Finishes long and pure, with lingering cassis and leather notes. This is another Lynch-Bages that has picked up volume and flesh from bottle aging. It’s a very classic Pauillac and a wine that can still improve with additional cellaring.

Extremely well done. Dark, with lots of vanilla, strawberry, cherry and currant aromas. Full-bodied, with big, silky tannins and a long, caressing finish.