Echo de Lynch-Bages 2023

Perfumed, expressive, yet with depth, floral notes, herbs; finely nuanced on the palate as well, precise tannins, top-notch acidity, shows breed and polish, long finish.

Flowers, currants, and cedar pop on the nose. Medium-bodied, soft, zesty, round, fresh, and vibrant, the savory-edged finish is loaded with ripe, sweet, red fruits, with a touch of herbs, dark chocolate, and spice. Drink from 2027-2040. 89-91 pts.

Rich and deep, cocoa bean, slate and espresso, so intense that you have to look twice to see that it is a 2nd wine. Tannins layer up through the palate, not drying but certainly chewy and firm, with lashings of blackberry and cassis fruit, held in place by espresso-laced tannins. Mix of new and one-year-old barrels for ageing, pH 3.63. Out to impress.

Score: 90–92. Very welcoming, the nose opens with gentle red-fruit aromas (strawberry macerated with vanilla, ripe raspberries) before developing into floral scents. Delicate notes echoed on the palate evoke a summer stroll on Swann’s side. The tight, chalky tannic core is more serious.

A lovely fruity, aromatic, elegant, harmonious nose that offers a hint of fleshiness, notes of ripe black cherry, juicy roasted raspberry and, more subtly, toasted vanilla, fresh thyme, with hints of tobacco and a touch of clove. The palate is nicely juicy and fruity, offering freshness, minerality, good definition, a certain indulgence, a zesty backbone, accuracy, suppleness and harmony, creamy freshness, minerality and balance. It shows notes of fleshy/juicy blackberry, fresh/bright raspberry and, more subtly, fresh flowers, with touches of fresh thyme, sage, sweet blond tobacco, vanilla, and a subtle hint of star anise. Pleasant fine chew on the finish/persistence, with gourmandise. Good length with a Mediterranean character.

This shows a slightly extracted edge in the form of a plum skin note that drapes over a dark cherry and plum fruit core. Picks up savory, alder and iron hints through the finish. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2027 through 2033.

It received “my best score ever given to this estate En Primeur”. That’s confirmed. A deeply coloured wine with an intense nose, clearly showing ripe fruit. Full and flavoursome on the palate, with well-coated tannins. It’s delicious and impossible to spit out. Enjoy it young. It ranks second, just behind the 2022.

Ripe plums and black cherries on the nose, really quite intense and bright. Vibrant but rich too. A lot of high acidity, really quite prominent, verging on sharp, but lifts the expression and gives a real edge to the red fruits on the palate. Sleek, well defined, but this also has some chew and flesh as well as bite. It’s a little high toned, but actually once it’s settles it’ll be lovely for sooner drinking. Bright, young, buzzy and easy.

The 2023 Echo de Lynch-Bages was bottled in May 2025. It has a generous bouquet with black cherries and blueberry fruit, quite forward in style. The palate is medium-bodied with a sweeter entry than expected, a keen line of acidity, pure and quite luscious in style, but it maintains precision on the finish. Just needs a few months in bottle and this will be ready to go.