Lynch Bages 2009

Powerful, rich, tannins that are chewy and physical in the mouth. Liquourice bud, turmeric root, cloves, rose stems, with tight blackcurrant and softer blackberry fruits. The muscular structure of the appellation and the concentration of Lynch Bages add a more serious side to the generosity of the 2009 vintage, and together they make something very special. This is begining to open up, with plenty more to give. 70% new oak.

Dense crimson. Rich and spicy and lifted. Really rather flirtatious. Not heavy or dense but very nicely balanced without aggressive notes of rough tannin or greenness. Date tasted 1st April 2010. Drink 2020-2040.

Tight and backward, this has dense, almost chewy layers of fig, currant and plum cake behind a very solid wall of cedar, roasted vanilla and charcoal notes. There's serious grip on the finish, with an iron edge that won't quit. Best from 2015 through 2035. 31,500 cases made.

The nose is action packed with ripe black fruit. The sweetness gives richness and depth on the mid palate, the complex mix of flavours ensuring real complexity. Ripe tannins all aid the generosity of flavour and rich power towards the back. Drink 2022-2050.

Dense purple red, concentrated Cabernet cassis plus rich spiciness, big volume on the palate, expressive elegance over the natural vigour, lifted and long. Drink 2015-30.

Black colour. This huge. An almost brutal wine with amazing power and density. This is an incredible mouthful of black creme de cassis fruit. Truly great Pauillac of First Growth quality.

A powerful and ripe wine with a wide-screen personality, this makes a very bold statement without becoming a jot heavy. Serious tannins at the long finish suggest this has long-term aging potential. Drink now with a big steak or hold. (Horizontal Tasting, London, 2019)

The black/purple-tinged 2009 exhibits a glorious perfume of graphite, black currants, and subtle smoke, powerful, thick, unctuously textured flavors, huge yet sweet tannins, fabulous purity, and a finish that lasts 40-45 seconds. Five to eight years of patience will be required, but this is a 30-40-year wine from this popular estate run by the affable and highly respected Cazes family.

The highest levels of polyphenols ever measured at Lynch Bages (20% higher than any prior vintage) are found in the 2009, which achieved 13.4% natural alcohol, and a normal pH of 3.64. Composed of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it is the greatest Lynch Bages since the outstanding duo of 1989 and 1990. The black/purple-tinged 2009 exhibits a glorious perfume of graphite, black currants, and subtle smoke, powerful, thick, unctuously textured flavors, huge yet sweet tannins, fabulous purity, and a finish that lasts 40-45 seconds. Five to eight years of patience will be required, but this is a 30-40-year wine from this popular estate run by the affable and highly respected Cazes family. (Tasted three times.) Drink 2010-2050.

Tasted at the Union de Grand Cru and then in Hong Kong. The Lynch Bages 2009 is quite backwards on the nose, taking time to open up with blackberry, cedar and graphite developing, but remaining tightly coiled. The palate is medium-bodied with a supple entry, more approachable than I was anticipating with supple, silky tannins. Good acidity, although I would like to see more structure on the finish. Very fine and classical, with an unerring sense of symmetry. Tasted November 2011.

Tasted at the château and UGC. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 18% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot, raised in 70% new oak. Merlot was cropped from the 28th to 30th September and the Cabernet Sauvignon was picked from the 6th to the 12th October. The nose soars from the glass, pure blackberry, briary, pencil lead and a touch of tobacco. Very fine definition: reminiscent of the 2006 but with a little more horsepower. The palate is full-bodied with very well integrated new oak that really sings with the concentrated black fruit and does not disguise the minerality in this wine. Tons of freshness, that acidity really driving the wine to the finish and then the persistency is superb. Still very linear, with a strictness that is seductive. Tasted March 2010.

From Robert Parker's Hong Kong Tasting, 8th Nov 2011:Loads of blackcurrants and mint with hints of lead pencil. Typical nose for a top vintage of Lynch. Full bodied, with chewy tannins, yet lovely and velvety. The fruit is focused and very pretty with an almost dusty texture. Try after 2018.

The nose shows amazing aromas of mint, spices and currant, with underlying licorice and tar. Full-bodied, with amazing fruit and a long, long finish. Powerful. Blockbuster, but balanced. So structured. Lynch has not made a wine like this since perhaps 1989 or 1982. Better than Wine of the Year 1985 Lynch.