Echo de Lynch-Bages 2024

Bright ruby red; expressive nose with delicate roasted notes, cherries and blackcurrant; on the palate, fruit-driven on the attack, light body, firm tannins, racy acidity, sour cherries and blood oranges on the finish.

Really fragranced. Structured and flowing, this has a lovely gentle energy with both strawberry sweet and sourness. Bright and forward but with a friendly charm. Still powerful, but it's under the acidity. Chewy tannins, a great mouthfeel with plenty to get your teeth stuck into. Not a light wine by any stretch but keeps the lift from the acidity and bitter bite. Ageing 20% new oak for 14 months in French oak barrels. 3.62pH.

The nose is fruity, straightforward, elegant and racy, offering a lovely grain, a fine hint of graphene, depth and some subtle spices. It reveals notes of pulpy blackberry, pulpy/bright cherry and, more lightly, cornflower, together with delicate hints of smoke, as well as fine, almost mandarin-like nuances and a discreet hint of Timut pepper. The palate is beautifully crafted, fruity, fresh, bright, and offers energy, superb freshness and minerality. On the palate, the wine expresses notes of morello cherry, pulpy blackcurrant, and, more lightly, small roasted-juicy fruits, combined with touches of small blue fruits/blue plum, as well as hints of star anise/licorice stick, a subtle chocolate note and a touch of sweet mild tobacco. Good length. A wine also offering notes of toasted almond, lovely minerality, a certain roundness, suppleness and minerality, as well as a hint of sweet tobacco and Bourbon vanilla. A touch of chocolate wraps it all up.

Lovely depth and concentration, love the precision and uplift, fragrant and leafy, the juice brings a sense of bounce and pleasure to the dark fruits. 20% new oak. 3.62 pH.

Deep, dark colour. Aromatic nose with ripe fruit. Juicy on the attack, flavourful on the mid-palate, with a lovely texture; the wine melts on the palate, pleasant and even profound. In these recent vintages, this growth has made a real leap forward in my ratings. Blend: 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 47% Merlot. Alcohol: 12.8% - pH: 3.62 - IPT: 69.

Medium-bodied, bright, crisp, and fresh, there is nice lift and energy here on the palate, and in the chewy, bright, red currant-filled finish. The wine blends 53% Cabernet Sauvignon with 37% Merlot. 12.8% ABV, 3.62 pH. Drink from 2027-2038. 89-91 Pts