Château Lynch-Bages 2000

Beginning to open magnificently, the still dense purple-colored 2000 reveals a blossoming bouquet of blackberry, cassis, graphite, and ink. Full-bodied with velvety tannins that have resolved beautifully over the last eleven years, this wine is still an adolescent, but it shows admirable purity, texture, mouthfeel, and power combined with elegance. One of the all-time great examples of Lynch Bages, the 2000 is just beginning to drink well and promises to last for another 20–25+ years.

This has a dense but well-defined core of currant and fig paste flavors supported by a gorgeous graphite spine. Long and authoritative, with notes of bay, pepper, leather and juniper slowly emerging on the finish. Terrific structure and integration give this a chiseled feel. No rush here. -- Blind 2000 Bordeaux retrospective (December 2015). Drink now through 2033. 35,000 cases made.

Another wonderful 2000 coming out of its long sleep. Beautiful aromas of berry, tobacco, herb and spice that follow through to a full palate with round, textured tannins and lots of fruit.

The 2000 Lynch-Bages is well defined on the nose with blackberry, cedar, humidor and crushed rose petals, one of the most elegant of this era. There is real pedigree here, obviously from a benevolent growing season. The palate is harmonious and framed by fine-boned tannins, the acidity well judged. It is not a powerful Lynch-Bages but has an appealing sense of symmetry and poise. Drinking beautifully now. Tasted blind at the Lynch-Bages vertical at the château.

Interestingly, more backward than the previous bottle tasted just 1 year ago, clearly, this is a very good, classic vintage for Lynch Bages. Concentrated, tannic, structured, strict, full-bodied, bright, fresh, and firm, with ample layers of ripe, black, and red currants, topped with tobacco leaf, herbs, forest leaf, and smoke, if you have less than a full case, give this at least 6 more years in the cellar before pulling a cork. Classic in style, this will be worth the wait.

This was a gorgeous showing by the 2000 Château Lynch-Bages, and this appears to be smack in the middle of its prime drinking window based on this bottle (which was more youthful than a bottle from my cellar). Still ruby/plum-hued, it has a pure, intense nose of darker currants, leafy tobacco, freshly sharpened pencils, and incense, which is classic Pauillac goodness. This carries to a full-bodied Lynch-Bages that has flawless overall balance, a seamless, surprisingly elegant mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. This was closed and hard to read a few years after release and over the following decade or more, but the last few bottles I've had have all showed remarkably open and accessible. I'd be shocked if it didn't continue drinking brilliantly over the coming 20+ years.

Elegant, fresh, silky bouquet, cassis, cedar, mint. Elegant, fresh, dense palate with fine fruit, elegant structure, fresh aromatics, long, full finish. Still has room to improve. 18/20 drink - 2040

Deep ruby, softening in colour around the rim, packed with pencil lead, cigar box, slate, mint leaf, chewy tannins, great quality with an innate confidence. Has walls to scale, and a ton of life ahead, an exceptionally enjoyable 2000 vintage that remains young. 70% new oak.

Open bouquet of fully ripe grapes, with roasted notes from warm vintages, plenty of palate volume, and appreciable persistence.

It perfectly reflects the profile it showed when tasted en primeur. Notes of spice, mocha and cedar dominate on the nose and the palate. The overall impression is very harmonious, with plenty of flesh. It shows a fresh expression with menthol notes on the finish, enhancing its complexity. Lots of depth and structure. It still needs time to age.

Dark, intense color with slight evolution. Fruity nose, with a hint of leafiness. Juicy on the attack, very fruity, flavorful and full-bodied. The wine develops with sapid depth and aromatic intensity, with some tannic edges on the finish, but the aroma holds. Good length. Blend: 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. Aged in 70% new oak barrels.

Very dark, dense garnet, with no signs of maturity yet. Deep, concentrated bouquet with underlying notes of truffle and prunes, dark noble woods and coffee; the upper register still shows refreshing mint tones and remnants of cassis. Enormously dense and at the same time lavishly multi-layered. On the palate, the tannins are beginning to round out, releasing a dreamy Cabernet terroir sweetness; fleshy, with balanced astringency that adds further reserves. The wine has fulfilled its en primeur promises and is at such a level of quality that one may wonder whether it could even achieve the maximum score in a few years.

01: Barrel sample (18/20): Deep violet-purple, dense at the core. Compact, black-berried bouquet, plenty of blackberry, cassis and tar nuances, deep with a sweet, smoky Cabernet note, fine woods. Firm palate with ripe tannins, balanced astringency, lots of flesh, fine-sanded flow across the palate with a persistent, forceful finish; among the top class of the vintage. Is it a bit less charming than other, lighter-acting super seconds, or is it precisely that conveyed character that makes it great? In any case, the Lynch 2000 is an out-and-out great Pauillac. One that might even catch up with Grand-Puy-Lacoste and Pichon-Baron! Just before bottling: it has ramped up tremendously again: the color is almost black. The bouquet is intoxicating, a true Cabernet explosion; on one hand truffle tones, tobacco and currants like the almost stemmy ’66, on the other showing that unbridled power of the ’89, and finally the exorbitant fruit of cassis, blackberries, mint, smoky tones, tar and who knows what else. Firm palate, meaty, rich; the tannins are perfectly articulated; juicy and plush at the same time. While other 2000s hold back, this is an almost vulgar Pauillac young-wine experience. Does it have an affinity with a Harlan Cabernet? Or is it unfair to compare it with one of the greatest Napa Cabernets in general? Either way, this Lynch was one of the most powerful wines I’ve ever tasted just before bottling. Perhaps a wine of the century, and I’ll weep that I didn’t buy (even) more. (19/20). In Emmen at the vertical, the wine came almost at the end and hit like a bomb. Cinnamon, Havana smoke and black berries. On the palate, firm, with impressive power and intensity. 07: Drunk in December at Marguns in St. Moritz. Much too young, but such a Cabernet-Pauillac package that it still wasn’t too precious to open. At 135 francs on the wine list, a real sensation. (19/20). 08: Very dark, dense garnet, showing no signs of maturity. Deep, tight bouquet; from the base you sense truffle and prunes, dark fine woods and coffee; above, still refreshing mint notes and remnants of cassis; enormously dense and at the same time lavishly multi-layered. On the palate you feel the first rounding of the tannins that release a dreamlike Cabernet terroir sweetness; fleshy with balanced astringency that gives it further reserves. The wine has not only kept its primeur promises; it is on such a level that one may ask whether it won’t deserve the maximum score in a few years. 09: After the ’88 and ’70 Lynch, pulled cool from the cellar, uncorked and straight into the glass. It was just so damn good. You can indulge in this wine recklessly at the moment without wondering what day tomorrow will be. 10: A bottle on the boat at 10:30 in the morning. Not that there wasn’t any white wine in the fridge, but everyone was staring at this Lynch Bages and it was an impulsive act. It is one of the few 2000s that shows a strong affinity to the 1982 vintage. (19/20). 10: Creamy nose to start, cassis, blackberries, full, with lots of wine “fat” in the rich bouquet. Great palate, ripe tannins, lots of blue- to black-berried contours, still supportive with plenty of drive, a wine bomb that’s addictive. Lingers very long. 11: We had a kind of men’s lunch break and stood in front of Thorsten Krauss’s offices. Luckily he has his private cellar downstairs and I was allowed to grab a bottle. Holding the golden Gabriel glasses in the cold, we warmed our wine souls with this utterly insane juice. 11: Someone brought the bottle to the Sempacherhof for a card game. You should drink it as often as possible. Just not from your own cellar. (19/20). 13: An anvil is actually a block of steel you strike on. By calling this Pauillac an “anvil Lynch,” I mean it easily beats other wines. Or rather, it can keep up with far more expensive Grands Crus. I have rarely experienced such power without heat or alcohol taking too much space. If you want to buy this charm-wrapped brute today, you’ll have to shell out 200 francs. And if you’ve never drunk this wine, you should kindly shut up when people prattle on about great Bordeaux. Deep, very dense garnet, almost black in the middle. Shows a crazy power bouquet, compact, intense, with plenty of warm, ultra-ripe Cabernet expression. On the palate, complex, perfect, ripe astringency; everything is right, and this wine is still worth buying today because it costs far less than half of many comparable Grands Crus. It’s only a few decimal points short of the maximum rating. Maybe next time. 15: Ripening, dark garnet, full center. The bouquet is full, with cinnamony terroir spice, lots of leather, currants. With its earthy nuances it recalls certain Lynch-Bages from earlier times. With each new sniff, new aromas emerge; only towards the end do the black berries appear in the form of a little cassis. On the palate it is demanding, baroque and thus marked by a firm tannic frame. The finish is meaty, arrogant and brilliant, packed with caramel, dark malt and lots of dried fruit. Of all the great vintages I tasted that morning at Lynch-Bages, this extraterrestrial 2000 moved me the most. (20/20). 15: A magnum. Rather cool and without decanting. It was a feast. But unfortunately it was really fully there only as we took the last big sip. (20/20). 16: Very dark wine-red, full in the middle, still a ruby rim. Showing a compact dark-berried bouquet that immediately goes deep and shows smoke and dark fine woods; there’s a lot of nasal power here. On the palate, intense, rich and endowed with an almost mouth-filling body; the astringency still shows reserves, but at the same time this phenomenal Lynch-Bages is into a first maturity; power finish of cassis and blackberries. So it is still very “fruit-young.” This 2000 definitely ranks among its greatest vintages. 16: An unbelievable wine with a dramatic core. And that is equipped with concentration and spice. Here resides the taste of a coming wine legend. And I am now sure it honestly deserves the 20 points. Among the truly great Bordeaux still to be found on the market, this is possibly the biggest must! (20/20). 16: At the Gabriel-Mövenpick closing evening, many magnums were unfortunately corked. 16: A gigantic bottle at Decadance Day in Feusisberg. I took a very big sip! (20/20). 17: On the Frutt, this was one of the beautiful and—among the great 2000s—one of the most accessible at the moment. Simply like a Pauillac drug. (20/20). 17: Quite dark wine-red, still with delicate violet reflections. The bouquet is gently buttery, shows a tiny hint of eucalyptus and then lots of blackberry, beautifully expansive. On the palate juicy on the outside, peppery inside, showing great length. First maturity, documenting a kind of mix of greatness and fun. You can expect 20 years of steady enjoyment at a high level. In this Pauillac blind test: 19/20. 18: At the Sempacherhof with friends. They also brought wines, but my Lynch 2000 was by far the best bottle! (20/20). 20: The deepest color of all the Lynch-Bages tasted! Almost black inside. From the very first second this incredible Lynch declared the soul of its greatness. Deep, baroque, cemented in the earth, truffle, pumpernickel bread, black olives, smoke and prunes. Simply perfect and fulfilling all expectations. The palate is complete, everything in its place; tidy and yet wildly surging, malty contours, rock candy, with a breathtaking Cabernet-driven sweetness. For me the best mature Lynch-Bages still to be found on the market. You may have to overpay a bit, but it’s still worth more than it costs. (20/20). 21: Still very dark color with rich garnet center, only little lightening at the rim. A dream bouquet. It smells of great Bordeaux, great Pauillac and great Lynch at the same time. Very spicy, lots of dried fruits, great leather facets, malt, herbs and first Périgord truffle contours. With each new nose it adds another layer. Just being allowed to smell this wine already seems like a privilege. On the palate mighty and elegant in one breath, soft tannins, rich tannins, royal tannins. Towards the finish it builds pressure and really shoots into length. In recent years it has unfortunately become a lot more expensive. But also (even) much better. Which, given its already early-emerging greatness, was hardly possible. I kept it in my mouth for minutes, reached reflexively for the spittoon and then swallowed my sip without regret. Inhaling beats studying! (20/20).

Typical of Lynch-Bages in its sumptuous rich style, this is a resounding success for the team of Jean-Michel Cazes. With its sweet fruit, opulent but balanced wood and red and black fruit flavors, it is a wine that will develop relatively quickly but will certainly age.