Chateau Lynch-Bages
Château Lynch-Bages is a Fifth Growth 1855 but many wine experts and wine lovers consider it as a 'super second'. Lynch Bages is situated on a gravel-covered hill at the entrance to Pauillac in the village of Bages, overlooking the Gironde estuary. Because gravel drains well and warms up quickly, it is well-suited for Cabernet Sauvignon, the backbone of the blend, which is complemented by Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.
Jean-Charles Cazes took over management in 1934, and the family purchased the estate outright in 1939. He harvested later than many others in the Pauillac region, which established the winery's style: deep-colored, firmly tannic wines that are rich yet not heavy. Since then, four generations of the Cazes family have run the winery from one generation to the next.
The most significant recent change is the new cellar, completed ahead of the 2020 harvest, which features a fermentation room with more, smaller tanks. Nicolas Labenne serves as the winemaker.
The history
The name Lynch-Bages comes from the Lynch family, a family of Irish descent, which once owned the land known as Batges, located at the entrance to Pauillac. The estate itself has four centuries of development on this site, a history not uncommon in the Médoc region.
For this Chateau 1934 was a decisive year, when Jean-Charles Cazes took charge of Lynch-Bages, five years before his family purchased the vineyard in 1939.
He often harvested later than anyone else at Pauillac, insisting on truly ripe fruit even when it implies a considerable risk at the time. The resulting style, deep in color, with firm tannins, and a concentrated flavor that is rich yet not heavy, remains recognizable in the wine to this day.
A series of excellent vintages dating back to 1945 made its reputation, and the château's prestige was established. This was followed by André Cazes, Jean-Michel, and then Jean-Charles.
The biggest recent change was in 2020 when a completely new winery was completed just ahead of the 2020 harvest.
The vineyards
The vineyards of Lynch Bages are located on a gravelly hillside overlooking the Gironde River and is located right at the entrance to Pauillac.
The gravelly hilltops drain well and warm up quickly, making them ideal for late-ripening varieties; this explains the practice of harvesting late.
The vineyards measure around 100 hectares, plus 4,5 hectares of white grapes.
Vineyard management at Lynch-Bages is done with precision viticulture, that is in stead of grouping each plot into a single block, vines are managed according to their individual characteristics. This means determining the harvest timing and management methods for each individual plot.
The grape varieties
Lynch-Bages is a Cabernet Sauvignon wine. While it also contains other Bordeaux varieties, they play only a supporting role. The vineyards contain, approximately:
- Cabernet Sauvignon (70%): The backbone of the wine and the primary component of the blend
- Merlot (24%)
- Cabernet Franc (4%)
- Petit Verdot (2%)
The white grapes (4.5 hectares) are divided in:
- Sauvignon blanc (53%)
- Sémillon, (32%)
- Muscadelle (15%)
The blending percentages vary depending on the vintage.
The winemaking
The wine is aged for 18 months in French oak barriques (small oak barrels), 75% of which are new. This is quite a high percentage of new oak, but it shows excellent results because the wine's fruitiness more than compensates the oak.
Lynch Bages completed the construction of a new winery for the 2020 harvest by replacing the existing facilities with a new state-of-the-art fermentation room.
However, the goal of Lynch Bages remains the same: wines with deep color, firm tannins, and a well-balanced concentration. What did change over the last decades is the texture, suppleness, and softness achieved without losing thesolid structure. Another result is more consistency even in challenging vintages.
Since the 2013 vintage, each bottle is assigned a unique code that can be scanned via the QR code on the back label,. Buyers can verify the bottle's information against the château's own records.
The wines
The grand vin is the flagship wine and cornerstone around which all of this winery's activities revolve.
The second wines is the Écho de Lynch-Bages. It was called Château Haut-Bages Avérous from the 1978 vintage through to 2007, and was renamed from 2008.
And there is a white wine, the Château Lynch-Bages Blanc.
The best vintages of Lynch Bages
Topvintages for Lynch Bages are frequently found during the last 60 years, but pay special attention to the 1953, 1955, 1959, 1961, 1966, 1982, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2019.
Frequently asked questions
Where exactly is Château Lynch-Bages?
In the village Bages, at the entrance of Pauillac in the Médoc.
How is Lynch-Bages classified?
It is a fifth growth, 5ème Cru Classé, in the Médoc classification, though many consider it as a 'Super Second'.
Who owns and runs the estate?
The Cazes family, since before the Second World War. Jean-Charles Cazes is co-owner today and Nicolas Labenne makes the wine.
Does Lynch-Bages make anything other than red wine?
Yes. Château Lynch-Bages Blanc is the estate's white.
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