Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac 2016 | 750 ml.

WE96+ Wine Enthusiast 6/1/2017

"This wine is ripe and opulent, while still elegant. The balance is fine, showing plenty of concentration and a light touch of acidity. Black currant fruit matches the tannins and structure, making this one for the long term." (96–98 pts.)

JS98+ JamesSuckling.com Tuesday, April 4, 2017

"This is really back-ended thanks to a powerful and almost endless finish. Full-bodied, dense and powerful with incredible concentration and length. Round and polished tannins. Layered. This unravels bit by bit. Energetic acidity gives it such superb freshness. This is at the 2010/2009 level." (98–99 pts.)

SP97 Wine Spectator Mar 31, 2019

"This is built for the cellar, with a generous core of kirsch, raspberry paste and plum preserve flavors waiting to unfurl. Will take time, due to the licorice snap, roasted apple wood and sweet tobacco elements draped over the fruit. Should meld with age, as the structure is invigorating in feel, showing both acidity and tannins in lockstep with the fruit. Best from 2025 through 2040." (97 pts.)

RP97+ Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate 30th Nov 2018

"Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Lynch Bages comes charging out of the gate with pronounced cassis, chocolate-covered cherries, mulberries and menthol notions, backed up by scents of garrigue, tilled soil and a waft of tapenade. Medium to full-bodied, rich and fantastically concentrated, the generous fruit is superbly framed by firm, ripe, grainy tannins with tons of pepper, cinnamon and cloves layers coming through on the finish. Truly, a legendary Lynch Bages!" (97+ pts.)

VN96 Vinous Jan 2019

"A stellar wine, the 2016 Lynch-Bages is dark and explosive in the glass. Beams of tannin and bright acids give the 2016 its sense of drive and tension. From bottle, the 2016 is quite a bit more powerful than it was from barrel. Dark flavors and potent tannins give the 2016 a distinctly brooding, somber feel. Sage, lavender, menthol, licorice and wild cherry are all laced into the potent, dramatically sweeping finish. Readers should not be in a rush, as the 2016 is going to need a number of years to be at its best. Even so, it is super-impressive today." (96 pts.)